What is liniment?
PROPRE sent us their kit. We were not paid for this article, and the opinions are ours. Product links go to the shop that sells each piece; some earn us a small commission, at no cost to you.
Liniment oléo-calcaire is an old French pharmacy recipe: a plant oil, usually olive oil, and limewater, in roughly equal parts. It looks like a thin, creamy lotion and it separates in the bottle, so you shake it first. Modern versions add beeswax or other ingredients, but the idea has not changed.
How do you use it?
Shake the bottle, put a little on a cotton pad and wipe. That is all. You do not rinse it off: the oil leaves a thin layer that protects the skin until the next change. If there is more than a wet diaper to deal with, clean with water first, then use the liniment. Use a little at a time, because too much ends up in the diaper.
You will need more cotton than you think. Buy the big bag.
Why not wipes?
Wipes exist in France, and French parents use them on the go. At home, the changing table usually has a bottle of liniment and a bag of cotton instead. It is the same pharmacy habit as everything else on our French baby registry: a few simple products, used every day.
This or that
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Take the quizWhat is PROPRE?
PROPRE, French for clean, sells French diaper care to American parents: liniment, cotton and the routine, in one box. It was started in Paris by an American mother. Their French Diaper Care Bundle is the one on our changing table.
What we think
PROPRE sent us their kit, and it is the one we have kept. All of our babies have had sensitive skin, and other products irritated it. This one is gentle. It smells clean and natural, not perfumed, and it has not given them a rash. It makes me feel good about what I am putting on their skin.
That is our experience, not a medical promise. If your baby has a rash that will not go away, ask your pediatrician.
Is liniment a diaper cream?
No. Liniment is for cleaning, at every change. For a rash, French parents use a separate cream: Mustela’s 1 2 3 or Avène’s Cicalfate+. Mustela also makes a liniment if you want to try the classic pharmacy version.
Questions, answered
What is liniment made of?
Olive oil and limewater, in roughly equal parts. Some brands add beeswax or other ingredients.
Do you rinse liniment off?
No. You put a little on a cotton pad, wipe, and leave the thin layer on the skin.
Can I use liniment from birth?
Yes. French parents use it from birth until the diapers stop.
Is liniment the same as diaper cream?
No. Liniment cleans at every change. Diaper cream is a separate product for rashes.
Where can I buy liniment in the US?
Mustela sells a baby liniment, and PROPRE sells a French diaper-care kit with liniment and cotton.
Still wondering?
Ask my French husband.
A short ruling in a few seconds. Written by AI from our Journal, in his voice.
He judges America weekly on Instagram, and Le Bulletin collects the best of it.
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