By Debra Maslowski
Diaper rash creams you buy tend to be messy and made with unnatural ingredients. This diaper rash spray is natural, simple to make, and leaves no mess!
I don’t have kids, so I was spared the distress of watching my baby struggle through diaper rash. But I’ve taken care of enough kids to know it can be painful. Creams and powders are fine, but they can be messy. This spray has a lot of the same elements but in a convenient spray form.
Start with Healing Ingredients
Two of the most healing herbs are lavender and calendula.[1] They can help to speed the healing of diaper rash and can even help to prevent more from forming. Lavender, in addition to the healing benefits, is very calming and can help at bedtime.
Diaper Rash Spray Base
Place 2 teaspoons of lavender flowers and 2 teaspoons of calendula petals in a cup of hot water. I would use distilled or filtered water to avoid limescale (from hard water) clogging the sprayer, but also because tap water can contain bacteria and chlorine.
Steep for 10 minutes to make a tisane (herbal tea) and set aside. After it has steeped, strain the flower bits out (I save these to make soap) and set aside to cool.
The other ingredients are lavender essential oil and aloe vera juice.
DIY Diaper Rash Spray
- Prep Time
- 10 minutes
- Active Time
- 15 minutes
- Total Time
- 25 minutes
- Servings
- 6 ounces
- Estimated Cost
- $1
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup calendula/lavender tea (cooled to room temperature)
- 1 tablespoon aloe vera gel
- 2-3 drops lavender essential oil
Instructions
-
Mix all of the above ingredients and place them in the spray bottle. If the aloe vera is at all chunky, it may clog the sprayer, so be sure it has turned to a liquid if you use gel. You may need to run it through a very fine mesh strainer.
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Shake the diaper rash spray before each use.
Notes
Use a spray bottle with a fine mist sprayer. The finer the spray, the quicker the diaper rash spray will dry.
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Tips for Treating Diaper Rash
First, clean your baby well. You don’t want any urine left on the skin that can burn. Allow the baby to air dry as much as possible. Next, shake your bottle of diaper rash spray and squirt the baby’s bottom a few times, concentrating on any visible rash areas. Allow this to dry as well. Diaper the baby as usual.
This spray has a shelf life of about a week.
Because this has an oil compound that won’t mix with the water, you’ll need to shake it before each use. The oil will float to the top but will mix in a bit each time you shake it. You can try to use liquid lecithin to help to emulsify it, but because the spray has a large amount of water, it may not work. I just shake mine every time I use it.
Other Uses for this Spray
You can use the diaper rash spray for many things other than what it was intended for. I’ve used it for sunburn, for minor scratches or wounds, as a facial mist, and even for a friend’s bedridden father.
A diaper rash doesn’t need to be messy to cure. Try this spray for this and many other things!
Tip: if you would rather use a cream try our homemade diaper rash cream recipe.
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Sources
- Herb Exchange. Lavender and Calendula Healing Salve. Accessed Dec 2019.
ps….. what I found works best is COCONUT oil. Easy, non toxic, helps with inflammation. The secret is to make sure the area is dry before putting it on. Plus it is an antibacterial and an antifungal which kills the bacteria that can make the rash so inflamed and prevents secondary infections. Also works wonders at killing yeast that has a tendency to want to cause rashes in the folds of baby’s skin. Just make sure it is dry before putting on. And… it works wonders for teething! Seriously takes the edge off. And reduces inflammation. Just rub on gums or pacifier or teething toy. Plus, it also kils cavity forming bacteria within the mouth. and while it doesn’t cause loose stools, it does help stools move a little easier.
This is a really good recipe….because creams are super messy. One word of CAUTION. So many people think lavender is automatically safe for babies. Some babies are allergic to it. Spoken from a mama who has been there. Be careful with it. Do not use unless you have already exposed your baby to lavender in other ways. This skin on the diaper area is sensitive and easily absorbs what is put on it. Second… I love chamomile. But it can be absorbed also. And if your baby has diarreah or reflux…. be careful. It can actually aggravate the situation. I had this happen when using a baby lotion that had chamomile in it. Even stopped it and tried it again weeks later. So, if your child has allergy problems, use this cautiously. For the majority of children, it will not cause any problems. But, it should be noted that it might not be best for some.