The good news is that children’s bodies are really good at taking care of themselves – just add water! Soap can dry out young skin and should be limited to hand washing. Their hair doesn’t need washing often – once a fortnight is plenty – and the rest can generally be taken care of with water and a soft cloth.
When you use products sparingly on children you can afford to make sure they’re of a high quality – gentle and free from potentially harmful chemicals. Research indicates that children and infants are far more vulnerable to chemical exposures than adults are, and even very low levels of exposure early in life can have profound and lasting effects. Fortunately you don’t really need much to keep your kids smelling ‘sweet as’.
Baby Care
Weleda’s Nappy Change Cream and White Mallow Cream are excellent choices for maintaining a happy baby bum. It protects babies’ delicate skin from dampness using bee’s wax and oils to repel fluids. Many of the Weleda baby care products contain calendula which has traditionally been used in skin care products for its antimicrobial and skin healing properties.
We also have a range of baby-wipes to keep your nappy routine as chemical-free as possible. Our Wotnot and Natracare wipes are biodegradable and certified organic. They are free from parabens, alcohol, synthetic preservatives and are totally chlorine free. We also have Wendyl's Baby Wipe Solution to use with any reusable gentle cloth you choose to reduce your waste even further - it contains only filtered water, preservative-free witchhazel and preservative-free rosewater.
Babies thrive on gentle touch; they may find a massage relaxing and therapeutic. You will love the massage oil for mothers and babies from the Artemis range.
Tui Baby Balm is also a great way to moisturise your baby's skin without any nasty chemicals and contains a blend of olive oil, organic beeswax, coconut oil, aloe vera, vitamin E, essential oils of calendula and chamomile. For the prevention and treatment of nappy rash, cradle cap and dry skin conditions. It's also good for mum's cracked nipples and stretch marks.
We have a full range of eco-store baby products including bubble-bath, body wash, baby shampoo and baby moisturiser. They are formulated for sensitive skin and contain no nasty chemicals, ensuring your baby's skin has the best start possible.
Hair Care
Brushing your child’s hair regularly helps to shed the general detritus built up after a busy day being a kid. If your child’s hair gets knotty, we love this new Detangler spray from Ecostore - simply spray on wet hair and brush out (we have it on good authority from our head office parents of small kids that brushing their kids' hair has never been easier!)
You can also use leave-in conditioner as a detangler, and both Giovanni and A'kin have a product in their range. Be wary of cheaper products marketed directly for children’s use as sometimes these products can be of a lower quality than those directed at adults.
When the hair does need a wash, use a gentle shampoo such as our Sukin range. For babies we also love Weleda’s Calendula Shampoo and Body Wash but children can safely use any of the shampoos and conditioners we stock. For a plastic-free option, Ethique have developed a special oat and lavender based shampoo and body bar for babies.
Nits! To treat head-lice we love the Holistic Hair Showdown range as a natural and reliable killer of these tiny vermin (and it smells great too!). We also stock metal nit combs.
Teeth
For babies and toddlers: try this wonderful finger brush from Jack n' Jill. Getting your finger to their little teeth might seem less invasive for your little one than a bigger toothbrush. And using this, you can be sure that their teeth are being brushed correctly from the start.
Children: While they’ll probably want to brush their own teeth from an early age it’s hard to figure out how well your toddler is doing. Ask to have a turn and make sure you get right at the back. We stock a wide range of BPA-free, colourful toothbrushes to get your children excited about buying their first one.
At first kids will swallow a lot of toothpaste. Ensure that what goes down is safe for their systems by opting for one that is free from chemicals (like sodium lauryl sulphate) and contains only natural ingredients, such as the ones from Weleda, Jack n’ Jill, Grin, Phytoshield and Baby Organics.
Body
Our naturopaths recommend cleaning simply with water to support the healthy development of tender young skin. Use your hands or a muslin cloth to gently wipe around the chubby folds and crevasses of your baby. Our Konjac Sponges are a gentle natural sponge, sustainably sourced and home compostable when you're done with them.
As your child ages, when you choose to begin using soap, we offer a wide range of Ecostore gentle, natural unwrapped soaps. We also stock a wide range of castille soaps for sensitive skin.
Bath time is also a great opportunity to talk to your child about their bodies to help them understand what all the various bits are called and what they’re used for. Kids start off loving their bodies and being completely fascinated by them (and other peoples!). Teach them the correct words for their genitals and encourage them to clean and care for them properly themselves. You may find this awkward but remember that they are little sponges ready to absorb as much factual information as you can give them. It’s really important to encourage them to continue experiencing their bodies in a positive way – knowing that their bodies are beautiful, fascinating and extremely useful – in order to support their general health and wellbeing.
Puberty
This is the time when all of the encouragement you provided them when they were younger (as recommended above) kicks in to support their dramatically changing bodies. Letting them choose their own toiletries is an effective way to give them ownership of their bodies and hygiene routines.
They will start to become a little bit smelly and will also need to wash their hair more regularly. Antiperspirants stop the natural perspiration function of the body so supply your children with chemical free options which work to support rather than stifle their developing bodies. We have a wide range of deodorants designed to appeal to both boys and girls. Take a look in-store and online.
For girls we have a range of chemical free, organic menstrual products – pads, tampons, period underwear and menstrual cups from Hello Cup, MoonCup, My Cup and Lunnette – so you're able to support them at whatever stage they are comfortable at. Take a look at our online range here.
Make Up
We realise a section on make-up really has no place in an article about kid’s hygiene but here’s some advice for those unwanted items that will inevitably find their way into your home. Whether they come “free” with a magazine purchase or a well meaning birthday gift, often kids get hold of cheap lip balms, lipsticks or nail polish that you would really rather they didn’t have. Many of these products contain a whole lot of nastiness best kept as far away from your kids as possible. To make confiscation easier we suggest swapping out the unwanted product with something much better for them. At $7.00 each the Hurraw! vegan lip balms are a great option for this and come in many delicious flavours. We also have a wide range of essential oils and many ingredients and pots which you can buy to make your own natural lipbalms and deodorants at home. Check out The Rubbish Trip's page here for some awesome recipes!
More questions?
We have qualified naturopaths and natural health professionals in each of our 6 stores. If you have any further questions please feel free to come in-store and and they will be happy to assist you.