Gentle Baby Care with Three Pure Ingredients

When my kids were tiny, I wanted almost nothing on their skin. No fragrance, no long ingredient lists, nothing I couldn't pronounce. What I ended up using were three of the same things already on my own shelf.

Every baby is different. Check with your pediatrician before using anything new on your baby, patch test a small spot first, and always supervise little ones around bottles and jars.

Hoba: the one oil for everything

Hoba is pure jojoba, technically a liquid plant wax. It is pH-neutral and remarkably close to the skin's own natural oils, which is why it is so gentle. If I could keep only one thing for a baby, it would be Hoba.

• After the bath: massage a few drops into warm, slightly damp skin instead of lotion.
• Cradle cap: rub a little into the scalp, leave it 15 minutes, then brush gently and wash.
• Diaper changes: a thin layer helps protect delicate skin between changes.
• Dry patches, little hands, chapped lips and sore, over-wiped noses: one drop, patted in. It doesn't sting.
• Baby massage: warm a few drops in your palms. It glides without feeling greasy.

Apply oils to warm, slightly damp skin. A few drops go much further, and the water underneath keeps skin soft for longer.

Géran: a cool, calming mist

Géran is pure geranium flower water, a first distillation from Tunisia with nothing added. It is lovely for comforting skin that looks red or feels hot: after a busy day outdoors, a little too much sun, or a warm afternoon.

• Mist it onto a cotton pad and press gently onto pink, warm or irritated-looking skin.
• Mist before Hoba so the oil spreads on damp skin.
• For older kids, a quick spritz on a hot day is pure fun.

Argil: a Mommy & Me spa day (toddlers and up)

Once your little one is a toddler, a clay spa day is a sweet ritual to share. Argil is sun-dried green clay with nothing added.

• Mini masques: stir half a teaspoon of Argil with water into a paste and paint tiny green faces. Rinse after 5 minutes.
• Clay bath: stir 1-2 tablespoons into a warm bath for a soft, mineral soak. Rinse and finish with Hoba.

Use a glass, wood or ceramic bowl and spoon, never metal. Keep clay away from little eyes.

What we skip for babies

Strong, aromatic oils like Black Seed are wonderful for adults but too intense for baby skin. Keep them on your own shelf.

Go deeper. Everything about Hoba is in the Hoba Jojoba Oil Deep Dive, and about Géran in the Geranium Water Deep Dive.

~ Kate