Wendyl Nissen in Rotorua

Grandmother Joan Evans took a step back in time on how to raise a baby when she walked into Rotorua's Paper Plus store.

She was then first in line to have a copy of a guide to raising babies chemical-free for her daughter-in-law, Melissa, signed by the author Wendyl Nissen who was in town yesterday promoting her latest book, Mother's Little Helper.

It's a book every mother who wants to raise their baby in a green, chemical-free way needs.

Mrs Evans said Melissa, who has a 3-year-old daughter and 4-month-old son, would find the book invaluable as she tries to bring up her children in today's world.

"This will be very useful ... She's always stuck to the old-fashioned way of bringing up her babies," she said.

Mrs Nissen, who is a mother of two and grandmother of five, showed the audience how to make chemical-free baby wipes with paper towels, a cup of water and a tablespoon each of food-grade rose water and witch hazel.

The home-made baby wipes are then kept moist in an air-tight plastic container.

Her book provides 84 other natural products to keep harmful toxins, found in everyday products, away from baby.

"Rose water and witch hazel are very soothing," she said.

"You might have heard many of the baby wipes have been taken off the market because they have harmful chemicals in them. Mothers don't need to use these. "There are about 80 or 90 harmful chemicals and toxins found in baby products today that weren't there years ago."

The book is selling for $29.95.