Baby toiletries are often packaged in plastic bottles, including shampoos, shower gels, liniments, saline solution, and diapers.

Let's explore zero-waste/plastic-free/reusable alternatives without compromising the delicate bodies of newborns.

Baby liniment recipe without beeswax

The recipe for oleocalcareous liniment has been around for centuries. Mixing vegetable oils (usually olive oil) and calcium hydroxide (lime water) creates liniment, a saponification process similar to soap making. A very simple recipe to make at home.

Simply add 49 ml of lime water to 51 ml of sesame oil and blend them in a blender. You get a liniment that is 100% safe to use on baby's skin. No need to add preservatives or wax. Let the product sit for 24 hours; it is then ready to use.

NB Shake well before use.

PS Do not substitute sesame oil in this recipe as it is chosen for specific reasons (odorless, safe for skin, better than olive oil ).

I modified the original formula of 50% olive oil and 50% lime water into a formula that is 100% safe for use on baby's delicate skin.

The saponification index of olive oil is 187-196 mg KOH/g ( Bart et al, 2010 ), to respect the original formula given in the pharmacology textbook. We can replace olive oil with sesame oil which has a saponification index similar to that of olive oil, and reduce the lime water concentration to 49% to ensure that no calcium hydroxide will remain after the saponification process (liniment manufacturing).

Caution: Lime water, Ca(OH)2 is corrosive, please do not use a concentration higher than 50% in the liniment recipe. It is better to use a concentration lower than 50% to be safe!

My liniment has an alkaline pH, is it safe for baby's skin ?

The liniment has a pH of 9 from the given recipe (similar to soaps). Baby's skin has a pH of 5.5 (slightly acidic). One might think that liniment is alkaline for baby's skin; it should be noted that the liniment is here served to clean stools and urine (both are slightly acidic). Therefore, the acidic urine neutralizes the alkaline liniment, thus giving a safe cleaning action that does not require rinsing with water.

Which soap and shampoo for the baby?

The protective acid mantle of newborn skin is not fully developed as it is in adults. Therefore, it is best to pay close attention to choosing the right product for your baby's delicate skin.

A pH neutral soap plus shampoo (2-in-1) can very well replace shampoo and shower gel.

• pH neutral soap for skin and scalp (pH 5.5)
• safe ingredients

Plastic-free physiological serum - zero waste

Saline solution is another important product used for cleaning babies' noses and for other purposes. It is often sold in single-use plastic packaging.

You could replace the plastic with a glass bottle available at the pharmacy. It's best to use a syringe to draw up the liquid and ensure that the solution remains sterile.

It is essential that no contamination occurs, so I prefer to use a sterilized needle to draw the liquid directly from the bottle, which is sealed with a rubber stopper.

If you see the solution becoming cloudy over time, please discard the solution.

PS Do not attempt to prepare physiological serum at home (NaCl 0.9%) due to contamination problems !