3.12.2011

I gave up using soap, shampoo, conditioner- basically all skin application products about four weeks ago. I stopped using them on E as well. The exceptions are on my hands and face and on E's bottom we still use wipes and bum-bum balm when he has a rash. I got the idea from a post on boingboing which led me to a whole bunch of other places on the internets. I found it is generally well documented on a variety of blogs.
We had been experiencing some issues on E like dry skin spots and way too stinky feet. The reasoning made sense to me: your skin is an organ that can regulate itself, why use chemicals to try and mimic that? instead let nature take its course. So it does take a bit of time for your skin to balance everything. The internet led me to believe it would be about two weeks, but I really wasn't convinced for myself until after three. E's skin was better than ever after about a week.
The hardest effect to overcome for myself was having greasy hair, but the benefits during the experiment kept me from turning to the shampoo. Eliminating soap etc. has totally simplified my life. I wasn't the type to shower everyday or really more than twice a week because soap dried out my skin and hair. Now I can shower everyday which gives me a place to start our daily routine. I don't have to think about what to do first which maybe sounds kind of lame to those who haven't been at home with a baby all day every day, but trust me it's like magic for putting me in an optimistic place mentally. Plus, since I don't have a to-do list in the shower it can be as long or as short as E says :) A bonus- our recent trip to Paris was easier to pack for. This summer we hope to get Marc off soap as well, he needs a few weeks off work where he can be stinky and greasy.
I'm a fan of no soap! And I highly recommend it to everyone, especially new mothers and babies.
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