Clean and Natural Living: Simple and Safe Recipes for the Mindful Care of Your Family

It can feel overwhelming to research and scrutinize all the product ingredients we use on a daily basis. With all the proverbial plates moms spin, this task is next to impossible – and with shifting, fluctuating information and varying opinions, it can seem so hard to ever get it “right.” At the same time, moms want to buy safe products and feel confident using them on their children. With just a handful of affordable and easy-to-find ingredients (nearly all can be found on the shelf of most grocery stores!), it can actually become quite simple to care for your household in a more mindful way.

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Top Tips for Naturally Nurturing Skin

Diaper Rash ~ To relieve irritation, discomfort and quickly heal a severe, broken skin rash, follow these steps with each diaper change: gently clean the affected area with mild solution, allow the area to dry completely, then sprinkle organic arrowroot powder over rash to increase drying action and diaper as usual (or allow “naked time”). Continue this at each diaper change until the broken skin is closed, then use Natural Neo to heal completely and prevent future outbreaks.

Bath Time ~ Organic grapeseed oil is super absorbent and perfect as a simple “lotion” alternative for the tiniest toes. Use a small amount to moisturize skin after bath or during massage.

Diaper Wipe ~ To avoid skin sensitivities to commercial diaper wipes, make a homemade diaper solution in just minutes. Combine ten parts organic aloe vera juice, one part mild organic liquid soap and one part organic olive oil in a spray bottle. Spray your solution on repurposed t-shirt squares and safely clean your baby’s bottom.

Cradle Cap ~ Gently massage organic coconut oil into your baby’s scalp. After twenty minutes, rinse the coconut oil off and use a soft brush to gently comb the hair and remove any loose flakes. Coconut oil acts as a moisturizer and will loosen the cradle cap flakes while nourishing the scalp.

No-Pain Nursing ~ Apply organic coconut oil to nipples after nursing to reduce potential drying and cracking, which will prevent the problems that lead to pain, soreness and infection.

Sun Redness Relief ~ Skip the questionable ingredients in store-bought sunburn care products and make your own. Add one part unfiltered apple cider vinegar and five parts water or aloe juice and spray on unbroken sunburned skin. Store in the refrigerator to increase the cooling effect.

Facial Exfoliator ~ A weekly honey mask is the perfect way to deep clean and gently exfoliate the facial skin without using potentially irritating synthetic ingredients. Combine a dime size amount of raw, unfiltered honey (consider this local resource for raw, unfiltered honey!) and a few drops of water to make a spreadable consistency. Smooth the mixture in a thin layer on your face and neck and leave for 10-20 minutes. Rinse off with warm water and pat your face dry.

Intrigued? As moms, we carry so much responsibility for the wellbeing of our families. We hold invaluable influence in the health trajectory of our family tree. Consider the following two swaps in your household:

Windex Swap ~ Switch out store-bought window cleaners with a quick and easy homemade alternative that really works! Fill a spray bottle with rubbing alcohol and clean your glass surface as usual. Add lemon essential oil at 6 drops/ounce for added cleaning power and a lovely scent.

Airborne Swap ~ Trade out sugar and additive-filled supplements for a less expensive, yet effective way to up-regulate your immune system this winter. Homemade elderberry syrup is an effective way to prevent and lessen the duration of a cold, flu, even strep throat and other bacterial infections. You can find elderberry syrup at any natural food store, or learn how to make your own in Mindfully Made’s fall class offering.

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This post relied on the expertise of Carol Bahr, creator of Natural Neo and Mindfully Made. Mindfully Made is an outgrowth of Carol’s passion to research, formulate and share DIY approaches to safely nourish and support the body inside and out. Her vision is to empower women to make confident and informed product choices for their family; whether buying off the store shelf or crafting in their own kitchen. Mindfully Made offers “how to” classes that cover a broad range of everyday products (think anything you put on your skin or breathe into your lungs; ie. deodorant, laundry care, perfume, insect repellant). Visit the Mindfully Made website here or Facebook page here to learn more about Mindfully Made products and class offerings.

Allison French
Allison French is the mother of Ellie, Tristan, Judah and Lucy, living in south Kansas City with her hubby of eight years, Chris. After teaching elementary school in Blue Valley for six years, she established her photography business, Allison Corrin Photography and specializes in newborn and lifestyle photography. Passionate about soaking up the sweetness in the simple, she muses over the dirty diapers, noisy time-outs, piled-up dishes, read alouds, never-ending pile of laundry, and other everyday lessons of motherhood in her personal blog here. A good day for Allison would include getting up while it’s still dark (and quiet), a good cup (or two…or three…) of creamed-up coffee, reading one of the (at least three) books she’s always in the middle of, a little blogging, followed by a long run or dancing at her Jazzercise class and concluded with baking something sweet with her own sweetums … and then promptly chowing down.