I started making my own baby wipes with baby oil and store-bought baby wash when my first baby was born back in 2001. Because I’m cheap frugal, and because I wanted to be Martha Stewart in those days. Twelve years and two new babies later, I’m more frugal than ever,  I’m WAY over Martha Stewart, and I also know way more about the chemicals and cancer-causing junk that are in virtually all store-bought baby products.

So… I’m still making my own baby wipes, but without the baby oil and baby wash I used to use. WHY? Check out this Cosmetics Database. Go ahead. Search for your favorite Huggies wipes, Johnson and Johnson baby wash, or whatever. You’ll see just how toxic that stuff is.

So let’s make our own! Yippee!

First, you’ll start off adding two tablespoons of coconut oil to two cups of hot filtered water. Have I ever mentioned the phenomenal health benefits of coconut oil? Well, if not, I should have, and you can bet I will again soon, but for now I’ll just say that coconut oil is GREAT for skin. I like Tropical Traditions.

Coconut oil is hard at room temp in January, even in Texas, so your water will need to be hot to melt the coconut oil. You can boil the water if you want to, but the water comes out of my tap at 972*, and I have a filter, so I use that.

Next, add two tablespoons of baby wash to the hot water. I used Burt’s Bees because it doesn’t have parabens, sulfates, phthaltates or petrochemicals. However, according to the database it isn’t ideal; it has a hazard rating of 1 which is VERY  low, but this is a trial-and-error journey I’m on, and I’ll probably look for something with a rating of zero next time around.  But at least this is leaps and bounds better than Huggies, know what I’m sayin’? 

And yes, someone needs a manicure. Look, I have a newborn and I can’t keep up with everything, ok?

Whisk all that together until it’s smooth.

The disadvantage of using ‘healthy’ baby wash and coconut oil versus the store-bought stuff is that there are no preservatives like there are in store-bought chemical-filled wipes, and MILDEW WILL GROW if you don’t use your baby wipes in, like, a day. That tends to happen in warm, damp environments like a container of homemade baby wipes… lesson learned the hard way.

So… we need to add SOMETHING that’s anti-bacterial and anti-fungal to keep that from happening. I use Tea Tree oil. It’s potent stuff, so I only add four drops.

AS FAR AS I KNOW there is nothing harmful for baby in that small amount, but it’s enough to keep your wipes from mildewing. My original plan was to add Lavender Essential Oil because I LOOOOVE the smell of lavender baby products, but lavender has hormonal properties that I didn’t think it wise to rub my baby girl with.

Put one half-roll of paper towels into an airtight container; I use a Rubbermaid 12-cup container. Pour your soapy, oily, hot water mixture over the paper towels and let it all sit there for 3-4 minutes.

Then voila, you can pull your wipes out from the center as needed.

And that’s voila, not ‘walla,’ for those of you who don’t know. Major pet peeve.