This light, white, Silky Smooth Baby Powder is incredibly soft and silky. It’s also pleasantly unscented, which I feel is a nice alternative from the all-too-scented traditional variety of baby powder. It comes together in a flash and makes a wonderful gift for any new parents in your life, or if you just like to dust yourself up to stay dry in the warmer months.
The ingredients list is really short. First up, arrowroot starch. It’s a bright white starch made from tropical tubers, and can be used as baby powder on its own if you’re in a hurry. The arrowroot is really where the super silky feel of this powder comes from—it’s just lovely on the skin.
Up next, some white kaolin clay (USA / Canada). Kaolin is a nice, gentle clay, and here it helps regulate moisture. And last, but not least, just a wee bit of zinc oxide. Zinc oxide is an insoluble mineral powder that’s the active ingredient in diaper rash cream, and I added a bit here for its soothing properties. You can leave it out if you like, no biggie.
Now all that’s left is blending everything together and decanting it into a shaker top bottle (or an empty salt shaker). Voila!
Silky Smooth Baby Powder
3 tbsp arrowroot starch
3 tbsp white kaolin clay (USA / Canada)
1/2 tsp zinc oxide (optional)Combine all ingredients in your DIY specific coffee grinder and blitz to combine. Decant into a shaker top bottle.
Use as you would use any baby powder.
I left out essential oils as it’s not recommended you use essential oils on babies, so please don’t add any if your powder is destined for a baby’s bum!
Dearest Marie!!
Love your generous spirit and your wonderful creations!!
I am making soaps for a baby shower and need some advice. I love a 100% Olive soap but many want more bubbles. Would you add 15% coconut and 5% castor? Or ??? I would like some scent added – more for Mom I guess! Suggestions for boy? Girl? Your powder will be perfect and your zinc baby creame! Thank you for your creations and suggestions!!!
I’m in the process to cure a 100% olive oil soap, infused with chamomile. I got the idea somewhere online and I decided to try it. Basically, you infuse the oil with chamomile flowers in your slow cooker for about 2 hours on low, strain and make soap as usual. The soap has a faint chamomile scent, and I think it can be supplemented by using a strong chamomile tea in place of plain water.
Speaking about baby products, Marie have you already tried the “liniment oléo-calcaire”? Apparently it’s a traditional French recipe to make a cleaning lotion for babies (in France you can buy it ready made at the chemist or they make it for you). I’m planning to make it, and I’ve read that it can be used also as a makeup remover. What do you think about it?
How funny, I’ve had the herb-infused soap idea in my notebook for a while now 🙂
Liniment oléo-calcaire sounds awesome! I’d never heard of it before, but now I think I have to try and make it 🙂
Hi Leslie! Thanks for reading 🙂 I’d probably add both the coconut and the castor oil, and perhaps a touch of stearic acid (1–2%) to harden up the bar so it lasts a bit longer. And if it’s for a baby, I really wouldn’t add any scents for safety’s sake (Mom can get her scent hit somewhere else). Most mums I know don’t want their baby perfumed anyways—they love the way they smell as is 😉
This is a really simple recipe and I love it! I’ve been searching for a powder to make and this is by far the best.
One question: if I wanted to add a fragrance oil, what percentage would suggest adding?
Thank you!
KMN
Hi KMN! I generally don’t ever recommend using a fragrance oil as they’re really quite dodgy (you have no idea what’s in them because that’s considered a “trade secret”, and they are synthetic). I definitely wouldn’t add any fragrance if you’re using this on a baby. However, if you insist, add it a drop or two at a time, blend, and see what you think. Fragrance oils vary in strength, so it will really depend on the oil and your personal preference.
Thank you…
And great blog….glad I found you!
KMN
Thanks! 😀
This looks like a great recipe for wee ones. We never used powder much with ours, other than a bit of cornstarch when really needed. I have everything for it, and will give this a try, but since it’s for much bigger kids (and me!)I think I’ll add some oils for a light scent.
I have some Talc powder from ND, but I have yet to use it beyond just a bit in my face/body powder, and really, I’d rather just use the arrowroot (plentiful in our house with two kids eating gluten free).
Do you have anything special you use talc for? I’m trying to remember why I thought I needed it, when I have used arrowroot powder (and/or tapioca starch) for ages. lol
Hi Jillian! I don’t have any babies, but I do love this powder for hot, humid days 🙂 If you’re adding some EOs, just add a few drops to the coffee grinder to thoroughly blend them in so they don’t clump.
I’ve never bought talc and tend to avoid it as it’s a rater controversial ingredient. You can read more on that here 🙂
BRILLIANT. I need to make this. Ingeniously you added the zinc, it’s in ALL the diaper rash creams, but I haven’t seen a baby powder with it! So smart (preventative!). Thanks for the recipe!!
Thanks Mo! Let me know how you like it 🙂
Awesome! I’ve been hoping you would do a few more baby recipes. Thanks very much. Jane nz
Wonderful! Enjoy it 🙂
Nice.
I want to make homemade baby powder for people and cannot find those paper powder shakers. I only see the metal shakers sold in the store which I could use but want something cheaper.Can you share a link of where you bought yours?
Hi Susan! These powder bottles are from Saffire Blue—there’s a link in the big box above the comments 🙂
What about using corn starch instead of kaolin clay? I ask because I have easy access to corn starch and arrowroot, but not the clay. I can’t seem to find a consensus on the different ingredients online.
Thank you!
Hi Madeline! Cornstarch doesn’t have the same moisture absorbency as kaolin clay does. Cornstarch would be a better swap for the arrowroot starch than the clay 🙂
Hello dear, can i use bentonait clay substitute for kaolin clay? Ist safe?
I don’t recommend it; please read up on both clays in the Humblebee & Me DIY Encyclopedia (https://www.humblebeeandme.com/diy-encyclopedia/) to learn more!
HI Marie I just bought talc powder from NDA. What or how would you suggest I use it in recipes? I know that I can add E.O’s
Hey Rose! I have never purchased talc or worked with it, so I’m not a great person to ask. It has some potential cancer risk and many other powders perform very similarly, so I’ve never bothered getting any 🙂
Thanks for your reply. I’m glad that I didn’t make a big order of this. I will definitely not give this to my daughter’s friend who just had a baby. I guess I will use it for myself on hot days. Should I make your recipe using arrowroot powder? Is that safe? Rose
I’d definitely encourage you to do your own research! I know many makers who enjoy talc and don’t find the concerns I mentioned particularly convincing, so do some reading and see what you think 🙂 I like the arrowroot starch powder as it’s silky smooth, inexpensive, and arrowroot doesn’t have any similarities with asbestos. And, because it’s an organic product (in that it is from plants), it will biodegrade, so if some is inhaled, it’s not a concern. Inhaling large amounts of inorganic powders isn’t healthy, either, but in general the amounts that need to be inhaled to constitute a risk are far beyond anything a home maker typically needs to be concerned with (sort of like how drinking too much water isn’t good for you, either, but it’s a hard thing to do!). I hope that helps 🙂
Hi Marie
Sorry to ask this but i have a nightmare converting dry ingredients from cups / tbsp / tsp to grams. I’m in the UK and as a side note greatly appreciate all your newer recipes being clearly converted. 🙂
I’ve obviously looked it up but i’m not sure what these ingredients are like and the dry ingredients conversions vary so wildly. Is there a chance you could help with this recipe?
Thanks very much
I must admit you’re the first to ask for the conversion this way—most want it in tablespoons as they don’t have a scale. I’m afraid I am not going to go dredge up all the ingredients and weigh them out for you, though. You must have a set of kitchen teaspoons somewhere? The precise amounts really aren’t that important here 🙂
You know i actually don’t haha. Embarrassing as a keen cook as well. Yes of course, i just thought you might have an idea off the top of your head. Don’t worry I’ll buy some and figure it out. Thanks for getting back to me 🙂
My brain holds many dubiously useful facts, but sadly the weight by volume of most things is not among them! Happy making 🙂
Hi Marie, I love your page, there are many recipes I loved in here 🙂 I have a question; will be this powder reason of reproduce bacterias, when mixed with sweat on our skin, so I mean it; this powder will be like a selective agar on our skin for bacterias ? I asked this question because I read a few week ago some writes about starch will be reason for reproduce of bacterias on skin. So I wonder to is this powder safe?
I have never found anything reputable to back up such claims, though I have seen them floating around before. I wouldn’t worry about it unless you can find some proper scientific studies on the matter 🙂
Wanting to add some dried ground rose petals! Any ideas for a ratio?
I’d probably start in the 2-3% range. I’d recommend using store bought ground rose petals as I’ve found DIY grinding never gets them to be properly powdery so they’re truly soft on the skin 🙂 Happy making!
Hi Marie, I’ve bought your book and gotta day I’m pretty addicted to DIY health and beauty products now. Love your recipes and suggestions, With this baby powder recipe I’m wanting to add allantoin powder. Is it safe to use this in powder form to apply to babies skin or does it need to be processed with water first. Do you think 1% would be sufficient in the recipe. Thanks
Hey Patrice! I think that’s a great idea 🙂 You don’t need to wet it first, you can incorporate it dry. The recommended usage rate for allantoin is 0.5–2%, so I think 1% is a great place to start 🙂 Happy making!