Natural Homemade Eczema Cream for Babies
It can be heartbreaking to see your new little one with eczema rashes or cradle cap.
While there’s plenty of over-the-counter creams you can purchase to help heal your baby’s sensitive skin, I like to make my own natural remedies when I can—sometimes, simple solutions are the best.
Thankfully I have an arsenal of herbs, oils, and butters to make this incredibly simple homemade eczema cream for babies.
Quick disclaimer! I am not a doctor or dermatologist. Please always consult a medical professional when providing care to your children. Please read my full disclaimer here.
What is Eczema?
Eczema is a skin irritation that can flare up from things in your diet (including food allergies), pollen, animal contact, dry air, wool, and more. Source. Eczema symptoms and the appearance of your baby’s skin vary, but there’s one important thing to remember— if it doesn’t itch, it isn’t eczema, according to the Seattle Children’s Hospital.
It’s hard to diagnose it with your littles when they aren’t old enough yet to tell you that it itches!
Is Eczema the same as Cradle Cap?
Nope! Cradle cap, also called seborrheic dermatitis, is a different skin condition that can affect both children and adults. Its symptoms are flaking/scale-type skin, usually on the scalp and face. It can be red or even yellowish.
Cradle cap causes aren’t 100% known, but it is thought to be linked with overproduction of sebum, a waxy oily substance our bodies naturally produce. It can also come from natural types of yeast that are present on our bodies. Source.
Will this cream work for both cradle cap and eczema?
It might! I’ve found it definitely clears up eczema flares and helps with the cradle cap, though it doesn’t clear it completely.
How else can I use this cream with my children?
I first used this natural eczema treatment as skin protection for my toddler. She had gotten frostbite on her cheek when she was only a few months old, so I am protective of her little face during the winter. I like to put this on her nose and cheeks, especially on cold days before she plays outside.
You can also use this to help with diaper rash. (Note: if you use cloth diapers, the beeswax may create somewhat of a barrier on the cloth and affect its absorbency.)
I also use this with my toddler when she has a cold. I put it around her nose and mouth to help prevent the chapping that can come with constant nose wiping. This is also a great way to rehydrate dry skin or soothe generally itchy skin!
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Ingredients for the DIY Eczema Cream
To make this DIY eczema cream, you’ll need the following natural ingredients:
- Vitamin E oil
- Castor oil
- Beeswax
- Dried calendula flowers (optional)
- Dried chickweed (optional)
On their own, each of our moisturizer ingredients is a good thing—combined, they make a baby eczema moisturizer powerhouse! Let’s go into more details on each below.
Other Ingredient Options
I would avoid olive oil and virgin coconut oil as they can be very irritating to skin, especially for babies. Sunflower oil is another one to avoid.
I do not include any essential oil recommendations as no essential oils are recommended for use in children under the age of two.
If Your Child Has Severe Eczema or Skin Irritation
I am a big believer in herbal, natural remedies. That being said, if you do not see improvement with your child’s skin within a few days, please take them to their primary care provider so they can get relief.
Vitamin E Oil
Vitamin E oil’s main purpose in this recipe is to act as a preservative. Oils can go rancid quickly, and using vitamin E oil helps make home remedies more shelf stable. It also is a moisturizer and an antioxidant.
Castor Oil
Castor oil, the main ingredient in homemade cream, brings in ricinoleic acid, which is a great moisturizer for the skin. It’s also a thicker oil, which makes the cream denser to lock in moisture.
Beeswax
Beeswax provides a stabilizing element to this cream and thickens it up. It also helps to lock in the moisture from the castor and vitamin E oil. Finally, beeswax has antibacterial properties, so it helps protect your baby’s irritated skin, as well as help prevent any skin infection that can occur from open sores you might get from cradle cap.
Dried Calendula Flowers
Calendula is known to promote cell repair and growth. It also has anti-inflammatory properties, making it a good choice to help reduce swelling and redness. Calendula also has antiseptic properties that help fight off infections.
It’s not unusual to see calendula in recipes for treating cradle cap, diaper rash, and other various skin conditions.
Source: Rosemary Gladstar’s Medicinal Herbs
Dried Chickweed
Chickweed is known to naturally soften skin and soothe skin irritations. Like Calendula, Chickweed is a gentle herb that is safe to use with children and is often used for eczema treatments, diaper rash, swelling, etc.
Supplies for a Natural Eczema Cream
- Double boiler
- Glass, metal, or thick plastic containers
- Rubber spatula
- Kitchen scale
- Whisk
How to make Homemade Eczema Cream for Babies
This recipe can be pared down to use just castor oil, vitamin E oil, and beeswax. Honestly, that’s what I first used to help my baby’s eczema and it worked beautifully. I have since improved the recipe and added in some gentle, healing herbs.
If you don’t want to use the herbs, go ahead and skip this part.
Infuse the Oil
The first step is to infuse the castor oil with the herbs. Pour 95 grams of castor oil (or just shy of half a cup) in a double boiler. Fill an ordinary saucepan halfway with water, and put a heat-proof bowl inside (or on top of, depending on the size) your saucepan.
Bring the oil temperature up to between 95-–110 degrees Fahrenheit. Once you have a consistent temperature, add in 1/4 cup of calendula blossoms and 1/8 cup chickweed.
Stir the herbs around so they are well coated in the oil. Allow the herbs to simmer gently for about one hour. The oil should turn a light yellow or greenish color.
Make sure you use only dried herbs. Fresh herbs have too much water content that will cause the oil to spoil.
Keep a steady watch on the temperature. Anything much over 110, and you’ll scald the herbs and burn off their useful oils.
Strain the oil through a cheesecloth, squeezing to wring out every last bit of oil from the herbs. Discard them in your compost.
Making the Eczema Cream
In the double boiler, melt 9 grams of beeswax.
Remove the melted wax from the heat and slowly pour in the castor oil, whisking as you go. The castor oil should still be warm when you do this or the beeswax will reconstitute. If you watch the video below, you’ll see that my castor oil was a little too cool. If this happens, put it back on the double boiler just long enough for the wax to melt. It should only take a minute or two.
Add in 1 gram of vitamin E oil and continue to whisk. As needed, scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula.
The finished product should be a smooth consistency, almost like a petroleum jelly.
Store the Cream
Place the cream in whatever storage container is handy for you. Personally, I like these small solid plastic ones from Amazon. They can easily be tossed in a purse or diaper bag for use on the go. A squat mason jar is also a good option to be kept right on your changing table or bathroom, to be applied to the affected area directly after bath time.
