Name: Natural Bentonite Clay Baby Powder
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Yield: 6
Ingredients: 1/4 cup bentonite clay; 1/3 cup tapioca starch (flour); 1-2 drops tea tree essential oil; 2-3 drops lavender essential oil; 6 oz glass spice jar with shaker lid

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This DIY natural bentonite clay baby powder is cloth diaper safe, and formulated with skin soothing minerals and essential oils. Talc-free. Corn-free. Gluten-free.

Reasons to Avoid Traditional Baby Powders

I learned early on as a new mom about the warnings against using baby powders with talc in them. Talc based baby powders have been on the market for decades, but in recent years lawsuits have been filed against many big name manufacturers as research has come forward showing that talc powder causes cancer.

Even a decade ago, when I had my first baby, many products were already switching away from talc to cornstarch based baby powders. While this is certainly an improvement from an ingredient that has been shown to cause cancer, there are still many disadvantages to corn to be considered. Not to mention the artificial fragrances and other potential additives of commercially available options.

Considerations About Cornstarch Baby Powder

In all honesty, when I first started making my own name is baby powder I did use cornstarch as my main ingredient. However, as I’ve aged and learned, I have decided there are better options available. I have since made the switch to this combination of clay and tapioca.

There are many considerations about the corn grown in this country. Most of it is genetically modified and highly sprayed with chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Corn sensitivities have been increasing, and many people are searching for alternates to corn products.

The other advantage I have found in not using a pure corn starch powder is the clumping. Corn starch is often mixed with an anti-caking agent to allow for the powder to exit the container more easily. The particles in some powders stick together much more easily, and don’t slide past each other well to allow the powder to sift out the shaker bottle lid. I can assure you that has not been a problem since using this bentonite clay baby powder recipe.

Why Bentonite Clay?

Bentonite clay is a great option to avoid many of these common cash crop and ingredient pitfalls. Redmond Life brand bentonite clay is harvested from volcanic ash, is contains many beneficial trace minerals along with calcium and sodium without any additives. It’s the same ingredient found in many spa-like mud masks that are used for facial care.

It’s application of use in many cosmetics and detoxing treatments makes it a great candidate for this usage as well. Bentonite clay can absorb impurities and oil, as well as offer anti-inflamatory and antibacterial benefits. Since it’s not a starch it won’t encourage yeast growth either! (However, keep in mind this recipe does contain tapioca starch. If you’re dealing with a yeast infection and not a diaper rash, this may not be the product for you.)

Using Bentonite Clay Baby Powder with Cloth Diapers

Not every baby hygiene product out there is compatible with cloth diaper usage. The biggest concern with cloth diapers is not using anything on the absorbent material that would cause it to repel liquid. After all, you want your diapers to suck up every drop possible. Ingredients like petroleum oils or paraffin can cause your cloth diapers to loose their functionality. Thankfully, the ingredients here are friendly to diapers and won’t build up over time.

Other Considerations for Cloth Diaper Users

If your baby’s rash is severe, you may need to consider putting them in disposables for a time and using a treatment or salve that contains non-cloth diaper approved ingredients to promote extra healing. Even if your diapers are not repelling or smelling bad they may have ammonia build up in the material which can be a cause of diaper rash in cloth diapered babies. It’s a good idea to strip your diapers to eliminate ammonia or other build up as a possible cause if your baby has a rash that isn’t resolving quickly.