Learn how to quickly make camping body wipes with paper towels and 4 simple ingredients. They’re perfect for no rinse full body cleansing, head to toe!
We’re so excited to share our favorite camping wipes with you. In fact, these no rinse body wipes have been Pinned over 62K times!
DIY body wipes for camping are so simple and easy to make. We carry them along with us on every dispersed camping trip.
Whether we’re on a shorter weekend trip or a longer trip, these homemade bathing wipes come in so handy, especially when a shower just isn’t feasible.
Ok, so I can hear you groan, saying, “Ew, gross! No shower!” Let me tell you, I love my showers too; but we rarely shower when we’re camping, though I will admit, we do sometimes use our camping shower.
I promise it’s not as bad as it sounds, thanks to my handy dandy container of shower wipes for camping.
How Did I Come Up with This Camping Wipes Recipe?
We used to make our own homemade baby wipes, so my recipe stems from that. We also love to make our own natural cleaning wipes.
I also noticed a similar body wipes recipe in Melissa Poepping’s book, The Chemical Free Home, though my recipe is a little bit different.
I did a lot of research to come up with these cleansing wipes. I really thought about which oils I wanted to use, considering we weren’t showering for days at a time, and I knew I wanted us to be able to use these wipes for our hands if we needed them.
So I decided to use both Tea Tree Oil and Thieves Oil, two of my favorite essential oils and both very versatile in the ways they can be used.
Supplies You’ll Need for Homemade Camping Wipes:
I usually just pull supplies right out of my working pantry. Here is what you’ll need to make the best body wipes for camping…
- Paper Towels – I love and recommend using Member’s Mark Super Premium Paper Towels or Viva paper towels (the full sheet rolls), for making any kind of wipes. Both of these brands have that thick quality that works well for homemade body wipes.
- Warm water
- Baby wash – I recommend using a more natural baby wash; I prefer to use Koala Pals Body Wash from Melaleuca.
- Tea Tree Oil
- Thieves Oil
You’ll also need to choose the best container for wet wipes…
Here are a few suggestions…
- I prefer to use a plastic canister like this; the bigger canister holds an entire half roll of wet wipes and keeps them sealed well too.
- You can also buy actual wipes dispensers; the only problem is, you’d have to make your wipes in a separate container that’ll hold all the liquid and the cut paper towel roll, then tear each wipe off and stack them in the dispenser… That’s too much work for me, hence the canister above.
- Another handy option would be a small bucket with a lid. Super convenient because you’d have a handle to carry it.
How to Make Camping Body Wipes
These wipes are so easy to make. In fact, you can find a printable recipe below with all of the ingredients and instructions.
- Cut the paper towel roll in half and set it aside.
- Add the warm water to your plastic canister.
- Add the body wash to the water inside the canister.
- Then add the drops of essential oils.
- Stir the mixture well, and drop in the half roll of paper towels, cut side down.
- Once you mix them up, it’s a good idea to put the lid on the canister and turn it upside down so the liquid can really absorb into the entire paper towel roll.
We’ve used baby wipes in the past, but I always felt super gross, not to mention the funky smell that just adds to the funk you already combat when not having showered in awhile.
These homemade full body wipes are so much better because they don’t leave the funk behind that baby wipes do. All it takes is a little freshening up with these camping wipes in the morning, along with washing my face, brushing my teeth, and maybe dry shampooing my hair if absolutely necessary… And I’m feeling clean, like a whole new woman. They really are the bomb. They work great for camping travel with the whole family because they don’t have a girly scent; and with my three guys, that’s important, don’t you know.
It’s always good to test a small area before using them all over your body. And always be careful using them around more private parts because certain areas of our bodies are definitely more sensitive (especially to essential oils) than others. Always err on the side of caution and start small, then work your way up, so to say.
Looking for More Camping Tips and Ideas?
I always appreciate your feedback. Be sure to leave a comment, and follow me on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. You can subscribe to my email list too.
Camping Body Wipes
How to quickly make camping body wipes with paper towels and 4 simple ingredients. Perfect for no rinse full body cleansing, head to toe!
- 1 knife
- 1 container with lid
- 1 1/2 cups warm water
- 1 tablespoon baby wash
- 10 drops Tea Tree essential oil
- 10 drops Thieves essential oil
- 1/2 roll paper towels
- Cut your paper towel roll in half.
- Add the warm water to a sealable container.*
- Add body wash and essential oil/s to the mixture in the container.
- Stir the mixture together well.
- Drop the paper towel roll into the liquid, cut side down.
- Seal the container with a lid and place it upside down, so the liquid will absorb into the paper towels. Let sit for 15-20 minutes.
- Once all the liquid has worked its way through the paper towels, pull the cardboard tube out.
- Your body wipes are ready to use!
Can I use them if I have sensitive skin?
It’s always good to test a small area before using them all over your body. And always be careful using them around more private parts because certain areas of our bodies are definitely more sensitive (especially to essential oils) than others. Always err on the side of caution and start small, then work your way up, so to say.
*(Disclaimer: Everything I share about essential oils on Adventures of Mel is based on personal experience and has not been approved by the FDA. Please do your own research, and never use essential oils in a way that would make you uncomfortable. Also, take special caution for those pregnant or nursing, as well as children. Read the Full Disclaimer.)
Leave a Reply