Maybe you’ve already tried our DIY coconut oil baby wipes, or if you’re a coconut lover, it probably comes as no surprise that coconut oil has loads more incredible benefits for babies! Gentle on skin (for both mum and baby) and suggested to be packed with antioxidants and antibacterial properties, it’s great for babies both inside and out. We’ve outlined some of our favourite baby uses below: let us know which you’ve tried and which you loved the best!
1. Baby Massage: Massaging your baby has lots of benefits. It relaxes them – thus reducing crying and fussiness and helping them get to sleep better. It can even relieve colic and constipation, leading to less crying! Use coconut oil as a massage oil – it melts on contact with skin, so you don’t need a lot, and it will leave baby’s skin feeling soft and smelling lovely.
2. Nappy Rash: Ditch the chemical-laden nappy rash creams and opt for our all-natural coconut oil instead. Its natural moisturising properties are perfect for soothing nappy rash.
3. Cradle Cap: If your infant has a flaky scalp, coconut oil is fantastic to soothe the skin and get it back to normal. Using coconut oil will add moisture to baby’s skin, and is ideal for very sensitive skin like that on your babies heads. Researchers propose that the antifungal properties of coconut oil could even work to prevent cradle cap from coming back!
4. Unruly Hair: If your little tot has messy or unruly hair, coconut oil is a great natural conditioner to get tangles and knots out. Simply rub it through their hair, give it time to work its magic, then rinse out with their regular shampoo!
5. Bath Time: Coconut oil is a fantastic bath oil to add to the tub whilst bathing your little one. It will leave their skin feeling lovely, clean, and moisturised. Add a drop of pure lavender essential oil to make it extra soothing.
6. Relieve and moisturise skin: Sometimes babies get rashes on their faces, and coconut oil can be a great way to remedy them! Simply massage a tiny bit of coconut oil onto baby’s face at night and it should help clear up their skin.
7. Breast Feeding: Coconut oil is thought to be fantastic for breast-feeding mothers for multiple reasons! If breast-feeding mothers incorporate coconut oil into their diets, their breast milk will have high levels of lauric acid – thus passing the amazing health benefits of coconut oil onto their baby! Additionally, breast-feeding can be painful, leaving the nipples cracked and dry. Coconut oil is a great way to moisturise and repair breast-feeding nipples – and if your baby is feeding after application of coconut oil, no worries: the coconut oil is great for them too!
8. Improved Digestion: If your baby has moved past the breast-feeding stage, it’s perfectly okay to feed them coconut oil directly! You can either mix it into their food, or simply feed it to them by the spoonful. Use a tablespoon per day for your little one to enjoy all the health and digestive benefits proposed by industry professionals.
9. Thrush and Candida Treatment: Coconut oil’s prospective anti-fungal properties make it an excellent natural remedy for thrush and candida when taken internally or externally. Oral thrush in the mouth is a common fungal infection that occurs in babies and toddlers. Dab some coconut oil in baby’s mouth or if mum eats coconut oil and applies it to her nipples before breastfeeding, both mum and baby will receive the indicated immune boosting benefits of coconut oil.
10. DIY Baby Wipes: Make your own homemade coconut oil wipes. They’re a great all-natural alternative to traditional baby wipes, leaving skin soft and smelling great.
Wondering why the world has gone nuts of coconuts? Check out some of the amazing benefits of coconut oil here!