Do you have a child that isn’t so keen on taking a bath and getting clean? Well if you do, how about giving them a chamomile tea bath instead of a regular bath?
I don’t know many kids that hate baths. I mean baths are a time when most kids get to play and splash around in water no matter what the temperature is outside. But, if your kid isn’t thrilled with the getting clean part of a bath, then why not skip the soap and try something a bit different. Something that will get them clean and be beneficial to their skin without the stinging or drying effects of typical soaps? Chamomile tea baths are a great easy way to clean your kid without the dramatic ending. Trust me… I know!
Chamomile: A Children’s Herb
First off, chamomile is an excellent children’s herb. Not only does it smell and taste great, but it doesn’t have a toxic upper limit for children. The only thing that you’ll want to be careful about if you decide to try a chamomile tea bath is whether your child is sensitive or allergic to it.
Chamomile is an herb that’s a part of the Asteraceae family of plants. Ragweed is also a part of this family, and we all know that ragweed can cause minor to severe allergies. The biggest issue when it comes to chamomile is pollen. Thankfully, most chamomile is harvested before the pollen is released so that shouldn’t be much of an issue, but that doesn’t mean it’s okay to not test for an allergic reaction to this plant.
In order to test your child’s sensitivity to this herb, you have a couple of options. One, you can rub some chamomile on the underside of your child’s wrist or on their stomach and watch for any redness or swelling. Or, you can make a strong chamomile tea and have your child take a couple of sips. If they’re allergic to it you’ll see typical reactions like a rash, stuffy nose or runny nose, itching, sneezing, swelling, etc. I have an entire post detailing how to test herbs for allergies right here.
After a few hours, if all seems well after testing them for any sensitivity to this herb, you can try making this chamomile tea bath. Not only will it help to clean their skin, but it will help them in a couple of other areas as well.
Chamomile is a natural relaxant that not only soothes away stress and irritability and can help your child have a good night’s rest, but it’s also a natural anti-inflammatory too. That in itself will soothe your child’s skin, especially if they have itchy skin rashes or dry skin.
How To Make A Chamomile Tea Bath
Boil Water
Step 1 – First things first. You’re making tea, so you’ll need to boil some water. You can boil 1-2 quarts of water on your stove in a saucepan as I did, or you can take a quicker road and boil your water in a tea kettle. Once your water comes to a boil, turn your eye off and remove your pan.
Add Herbs & Wet
Step 2-3 – Once your pan is removed from the heat, add 1 cup of dried chamomile to your water and get it thoroughly wet in the water.
Steep
Step 4 – Next, cover your pan with a lid or with a plate and let it steep for 10-15 minutes.
Strain
Step 5-6 – After your tea is finished steeping, it’s time to strain it. If you have a fine-mesh sieve that fits over another bowl, that’s great. Just pour your tea right into it. It will catch your herbs and your tea will come through into the bowl.
Unfortunately, I didn’t have a large enough sieve, and the one I had lost its handle, so I rigged up something instead. Don’t laugh! Just do what you need to with what you have! No one cares, as long as it works.
Put In Bath
Step 7 – So now that your herbs are strained out of your tea, you can compost them and you’re all set to add your chamomile tea to your bath. Just pour this hot water straight into your kiddo’s bathwater and mix it really well.
That’s it! Let your kids play and wash their body and hair off with this awesome addition to their bath. If you want to go the extra mile, you can even add in 3-5 drops of chamomile essential oil into an ounce of sweet almond oil and add that to their bathwater as well. (Be careful though, it will make the tub… and them… a bit slippery, but it’s SO good for their skin!)
Now you don’t have to stick with chamomile, you can use any sort of herb you want. Peppermint, ginger, rose petals, etc. There are lots of herbs and you have lots of choices.
Enjoy! Meagan
I’m intrigued by this: my one-year-old does really great with chamomilla as a homeopathic remedy, and I think both he and my three-year-old might enjoy this bath. Definitely will try this out. Thanks, Meagan!
(Also, this is my first comment, but I’ve been pouring over your website, and learning SO MUCH: we have the plantain/jewelweed anti-itch remedy in my fridge–surprise! both grow plentifully in my yard!–and the bug sprays I made from your recipes in the hall closet. They all work wonderfully, and I know *exactly* what’s in them. Love.)
Awesome Kate! My kids love having “extras” in their baths so whether it’s tea, a bath fizzy, or even my oatmeal milk bath… they love it. It just changes things up and makes it fun for them! I’m sure your kiddos will enjoy it too! Thanks for your comment, and I’m glad you getting some useful info here! And good for you for making all kinds of good stuff for your kids!!
I bought bath tea bags to fill up for my son’s bath. It’s nice because you just throw them in the running water. My favorite for him is chamomile and lavender 🙂
That’s a great idea Jamie… especially if you’re in a hurry. I’ve used tea bags before, but I always try to do them on the stove so I can get the water nice and hot so it pulls out all the herbs properties… then I just add my water to the tub… unless I’m making a bath with super hot water and letting it sit until it’s cool enough for my kiddo. Thanks for sharing your way of doing it… there are so many ways to do these types of things!!
Hi,
Is there a certain amount that should be added to the bath water. We don’t put our son in a full bath tub yet so would we adjust the amount we put in his water?
Thank you,
Sarah
There are no set amounts with herbal baths Sarah. You can use a small amount or a large amount. Whatever works. For regular use, 2 cups of tea in a full bath works well; however, if my kiddo had a rash or something and I wanted more chamomile on their skin, I’d use 6-8 cups. Does that help answer your question??
Hi Meagan. Thank you so much for this amazing post. I am giving my 2 year old son a chamomile bath tonight. I was wondering… I am giving him baths in a big regular bath, should I use more then one cup of chamomile?
I’ve personally found that 1 cup is enough, but I tend to use that with some chamomile EOs so I feel like it’s strong enough. You can always re-steep the used chamomile flowers with fresh water or you can make a whole new batch if you want. There’s really no right or wrong. See what works and how your child handles it. Do you notice them feeling more calm during and after or not? If not, try more next time. Hope that helps Marta!
Does this work for eczema? My 7 month old has patches of it all over, just like I get, and he hates lotions of any kind. What would you recommend for a little little one? P.s. he is very wiggly in the tub so I get in with but still fiil tub maybe a quarter of the way.
A chamomile tea bath can be very helpful if your little one has eczema, but you may want to test him to the herb before bathing him in it to make sure he’s not allergic. Kids with eczema can be sensitive to a lot of things so it’s best to start small and go from there. Also know that it won’t take the eczema away. Chamomile is anti-inflammatory and can help calm the nerves so it can be great for those with eczema. Hope that helps!
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After I bath my daughter in this, do I drain and wash with her soaps? Or use the tea water to wash off her soaps?
She has a bad case of severe eczema and I just want it to go away and her feel so much better
If she has eczema, she may be sensitive to chamomile since it’s in the daily plant family and some folks have allergies to these types of plants. I’d test her for any reaction by using a small bit of tea on a small patch of her skin to make sure it doesn’t break her out before bathing her in it. If she does fine with that, she may not be sensitive to chamomile. In that case, you would use the chamomile tea as the last step in her bath, rinsing her skin with it, then gently towel drying her. Hope that helps!
Is it safe to give an 7week old infant a bath with chamomile To help him relax from his colic and gas?
Chamomile is a very safe herb for babies, and bathing them in it or putting a tiny bit in their mouth to settle their tummies after eating can be helpful when it comes to gas. However, some people have allergies to herbs in the Asteraceae family — chamomile being one — so you’ll want to start by testing baby for an allergy first. You can see how to do that here. Just keep in mind that these dosages are for children and adults, so you’ll want to make them smaller for a baby. Hope that is helpful!