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The thing is, so far, we haven’t had to use soap of any kind on Axel. He’s never had his hair washed, nor has his body been scrubbed with soap. He hasn’t even been exposed to baby wipes, except for a very small amount of the chemical free variety for a few days after he was born. The extent of the chemicals his skin has been exposed to goes only as far as what’s in our tap water. (I’m not pleased about the chlorine issue, so we’re looking into shower filters at the present time.)
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Surprisingly (to most, at least), he does not smell bad. He is perfectly clean – naturally clean. We have basically proven that babies do not need to be bathed in smelly chemicals, at least before one year old. (I’m sure it’s longer, but I don’t have experience with a child beyond that age.)
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Of course, some could make the argument that not all shampoo and body wash are heavy laden with chemicals. That’s all fine and dandy, but that’s not at all the point I’m trying to make. The fact is, why would one waste money on all of these natural “cleaning” baby products, if they aren’t necessary?
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They shouldn’t have to, but I really believe that people simply don’t know that they don’t have to use them! That’s where my family’s experience comes in. I’m thrilled to share this with you all, because maybe, just maybe, someone will benefit from it.
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Infants are naturally clean. They don’t need to be washed with soap. A rinse in the bath or shower is truly all that needs to be done. (I don’t think that most babies even need that, but Axel tends to get dirty, so the quick rinse helps!)
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If you have a baby, or are expecting one, please try the no soap method. It is working so great for us, and I haven’t had to spend a dime on baby bathing products!
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(I’ve decided to make this a bit of a mini series. I have plenty more to rant about on this topic, so stay tuned!)
Related posts:
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quality post…
I have spent a bit of time going through your posts! ,i had a good read….
So sorry I haven’t responded Terilyn! Things have been INSANE this past week- I’ll get into that later. I didn’t use wipes at all, except for the first week. After that, we started EC, and even when he did pee in his dipe, we just changed him immediately, without using any wipes or anything. On the very rare occasion that he pooped, I would just use a wet cloth to clean it up. He’s never had any problems!
What did you use in place of baby wipes? I plan to not use packaged baby wipes and am just wondering what you wiped and smeared the weeman’s bum with?
Awesome! Thanks! This is exactly what I was looking for and I’m excited about whats to come.
I also have a question I’ve been thinking about… I am really into birthing videos. I know that some people think that watching other people’s birthing videos is wierd, but I think birth is great and mothers are connected through this incredible experience. I don’t feel dirty or uncomfortable, and I only watch public ones in films or on youtube so I figure they must not mind other people watching. Anyway, in some of the hospital births, even the drug-free ones, the babies are washed so quickly after birth. You know, to get that gross ‘cheese’ off and make them look ‘pretty’. I think that’s so sad. I have done a little bit of research and found that the ‘cheese’ or white film that they are born with on their skin is really beneficial to their new skin and should be left alone or even rubbed in like lotion, not rinsed off. However, whenever I mention that I don’t want my baby washed after he/she comes into the world people look at me like I have two heads and am advocating for filthy living! Luckily, my husband and midwife are fine with it, and I’m having my baby at home where I can make those sorts of choices, so I don’t need to worry. But still, I was wondering… what did you do? What do you think?
Also, do you find that after bathing Axel with plain water his skin is dry afterward? The water in Texas is not so great and I often need something after getting out of the shower or my skin itches (and we even have a filter on our shower head!). What about olive oil on their skin? Anything to moisturize post-bath?
Again, thanks! I love all this info and am looking forward to mini series to come!
I also do not use soap or shampoo nd my son. We have actually started using no soap on ourselves in the shower. We just use hot water and a washcloth and scrub. We do on occasion use soap if we get dirty with something that needs a bit more cleaning (ex: poop), but that’s not often. When we do use soap we use Dr. Bronner’s unscented baby mild liquid castile soap mixed with water in a foaming dispenser.
I did a post in January disclosing the fact that I don’t even bathe my kids very often, and when I do I often don’t use soap. It was wonderful to find a number of moms coming forward who were glad to hear they weren’t the only ones, and of course those who were shocked. I do use soap once in awhile, but I don’t rely on it like I used to. But you’re right. If we go way back in time, human beings washed with water and sloughed with sand or whatever was on hand. We don’t need soap, we just like it. Have a read of the post if you are interested.
http://www.breastfeedingmomsunite.com/2010/01/how-often-do-you-bathe-your-baby/