Toddler Bath issue

enigma wrote:
[snip]
my hair is mid-back. i don't think it's typically considered
"shorter" (i consider it short, but i'm not genetically
programmed to grow it longer apparently). it doesn't appear
greasy or sticky unless i haven't washed it for a week. i
typically wash it twice/week. no, i'm not one of those people
who bathes daily, except in summer when i've been working
outside. that's generally unnecessary & dries the skin too
much.
perhaps (probably, really. areas with soft water are less
common) you have hard water. in that case, a good shot of
vinegar will make sure all the soap scum is removed from your
hair. if you don't like the smell of vinegar, you can steep
herbs in it (rosemary for dark hair & chamomile for blonde &
red), or cut it 50% with water (and use more).
seriously, shampoo is one of those unnecessary indulgences of
modern marketing. nothing wrong with using it, but you don't
really *need* it.

If you need to faff round with vinegar or baking soda, it seems that
you are making life hugely complicated to avoid buying shampoo.

I'm not saying that one needs shampoo, and if you live in the middle of
nowhere maybe avoiding it is simpler then shampoo. OTOH, if I was
only to buy one product for body and hair, I'd be more inclined to buy
a liquid body-wash or shampoo.

--
Penny Gaines
UK mum to three

"toypup" wrote in message
. net...
Of course, we don't "need" it, but it sure saves your suggested step
of vineger or steeping herbs. I'm all for convenience.

Lol -- I agree! And I think it depends on your hair too. Mine is dry
enough as it is without the drying properties of regular soap. I've
used it in a pinch, but give me the quick lathering, quick rinsing
properties of shampoo any day. My gym has "hair and body wash" in its
stalls, and even that leaves my hair feeling like straw.

Bizby

"toypup" wrote in
. net:

Of course, we don't "need" it, but it sure saves your
suggested step of vineger or steeping herbs. I'm all for
convenience.

do you use a 'creme' rinse or detangler?

lee
--
Question with boldness even the existence of god; because if
there be
one, he must more approve the homage of reason than that of
blindfolded
fear. - Thomas Jefferson

Penny Gaines wrote in
:

If you need to faff round with vinegar or baking soda, it
seems that you are making life hugely complicated to avoid
buying shampoo.

well, Ivory soap is around 33 cents per bar, which lasts 3
people about a month. a gallon of vinegar is $1.29, which
lasts about 3 weeks, because i use it instead of fabric
softener in the laundry, plus hair rinse, plus cooking, plus
cleaning the drains...
a 12 oz.bottle of shampoo costs around $3-4. rinse/detangler
costs about the same.
so i spend maybe 50 cents per month washing my hair, as
opposed to $3-4.
there's nothing "complicated" about putting vinegar in an
empty squeeze bottle. it's barely more complicted to stuff a
sprig of rosemary in the bottle for the added scent.
if i actually have the water softener in the basement
switched so the well water is getting softened, i don't bother
with the vinegar anyway. i just don't like the taste of
softened water (and, yes, i'm the only one in the house that
can taste it)

I'm not saying that one needs shampoo, and if you live in
the middle of nowhere maybe avoiding it is simpler then
shampoo. OTOH, if I was only to buy one product for body
and hair, I'd be more inclined to buy a liquid body-wash or
shampoo.

but i'm a Luddite cheapskate i'm against paying a lot of
money for softened water & detergent, with horrible perfumes &
dyes added.

lee
--
Question with boldness even the existence of god; because if
there be
one, he must more approve the homage of reason than that of
blindfolded
fear. - Thomas Jefferson

In article , enigma says...

Penny Gaines wrote in
:

If you need to faff round with vinegar or baking soda, it
seems that you are making life hugely complicated to avoid
buying shampoo.

well, Ivory soap is around 33 cents per bar, which lasts 3
people about a month. a gallon of vinegar is $1.29, which
lasts about 3 weeks, because i use it instead of fabric
softener in the laundry, plus hair rinse, plus cooking, plus
cleaning the drains...
a 12 oz.bottle of shampoo costs around $3-4. rinse/detangler
costs about the same.
so i spend maybe 50 cents per month washing my hair, as
opposed to $3-4.
there's nothing "complicated" about putting vinegar in an
empty squeeze bottle. it's barely more complicted to stuff a
sprig of rosemary in the bottle for the added scent.
if i actually have the water softener in the basement
switched so the well water is getting softened, i don't bother
with the vinegar anyway. i just don't like the taste of
softened water (and, yes, i'm the only one in the house that
can taste it)

I'm not saying that one needs shampoo, and if you live in
the middle of nowhere maybe avoiding it is simpler then
shampoo. OTOH, if I was only to buy one product for body
and hair, I'd be more inclined to buy a liquid body-wash or
shampoo.

but i'm a Luddite cheapskate i'm against paying a lot of
money for softened water & detergent, with horrible perfumes &
dyes added.

lee

But wait - wasn't the rosemary a perfume to cover the vinegar smell?? (And I'm
pretty skeptical that it covers it...)

And Ivory soap is *extremely* drying. Which maybe explains your desire to not
bathe everyday.

Look, if you ask a doctor about medical concerns only, we don't "need" a bath
hardly at all! Maybe once a week was the practice in my family just three
generations ago. Even if society today were more accepting of body smells, I'd
be feeling uncomfortably skuzzy after about the second day.

I agree that we dont' need quite all the stuff we use, but I'm also old enough
to have learned of a lot of, um, "alternative" things, from personal effects to
food, to insect control strategies, and I have tried a lot of these, to find
them just plain ineffective, and/or with awful drawbacks. Or they substitute
unrefined (and untested) plantstuffs that bring up the same 'extra ingredient'
issues as any synthesized thing Proctor and Gamble may add, plus more because
they're untested.

Also, I do place some value on my time, so, though it doesn't seem so much to
you, it seems to me that mixing up stuff and keeping herbs on hand for it adds
more hassle than it's worth.

In my family we don't use fabric softeners at all (let alone one leaving us
smelling like vinegar!), and use perfume-free detergents and personal hygeine
products wherever possible due to mild ezcema issues. But there are some
products that are worthwhile. Bath soap on my head, with very fine but also
rather curly shoulder-length hair, over time, leaves it frizzy. Bath soap on my
son's buzz cut on the other hand is just as well.

Although some of my ancestors braided their hair in many braids, leaving it that
way for months, moisturizing fisrt with sheep's tallow. Maybe you should try
that..

Banty

Banty wrote in
:

In article ,
enigma says...
but i'm a Luddite cheapskate i'm against paying a lot
of
money for softened water & detergent, with horrible
perfumes & dyes added.

But wait - wasn't the rosemary a perfume to cover the
vinegar smell?? (And I'm pretty skeptical that it covers
it...)

i have no idea. i don't use rosemary. i can't grow it & i'm not
going to buy it shrug. i just read somewhere it adds sheen or
something. i also doubt it covers the vinegar smell.

And Ivory soap is *extremely* drying. Which maybe explains
your desire to not bathe everyday.

is it? i thought the drying effect might be another hard water
thing. i don't have drying issues with it anyway.
maybe i just have really oily skin, since i also use a scrubbie
sponge to wash with (you know, the ones with the white "pot
scrubber" side? i use the scrub side), along with my Ivory soap.
i have done so for years. i'm 52 & look early 30s, so i don't
guess i have terribly dry skin. i also have never used make-
up...

Look, if you ask a doctor about medical concerns only, we
don't "need" a bath hardly at all! Maybe once a week was
the practice in my family just three generations ago. Even
if society today were more accepting of body smells, I'd
be feeling uncomfortably skuzzy after about the second day.

i do bathe more often in summer, when i'm likely to be sweaty.
that just isn't a very common occurance here in winter though.
if i'm doing heavy housework, i just turn the heat down for
the most part, i'm chilly. if i'm feeling warm with a sweatshirt
on, the heat is too high.

Also, I do place some value on my time, so, though it
doesn't seem so much to you, it seems to me that mixing up
stuff and keeping herbs on hand for it adds more hassle
than it's worth.

like i said, pouring vinegar from a gallon jug into a squeeze
bottle is not very time consuming. i don't add herbs, but it's
possible to do so if one wanted.

In my family we don't use fabric softeners at all (let
alone one leaving us smelling like vinegar!), and use
perfume-free detergents and personal hygeine products
wherever possible due to mild ezcema issues.

i use dye & "fragrace free" laundry detergent, although that
fragrance free just means it doesn't have some awful heavy
perfume. it *is* fragranced because without no one would use the
stuff. it reeks
the clothes don't smell like vinegar. what does that rinse cup
in the washer hold? maybe a quarter cup, if that much? for a
full load, that's not nearly enough vinegar to smell. i am
*highly* sensitive to any detergent left in my clothes. i use
about an 1/8th of the recommended amount of detergent & rinse
with vinegar to make sure none is left in the clothes.

Although some of my ancestors braided their hair in many
braids, leaving it that way for months, moisturizing fisrt
with sheep's tallow. Maybe you should try that..

why? i don't have dry hair. i also don't have sheep. if i'm not
wasting money on creme rinse, why would i go buy sheep tallow?
(which *is* really good for dry hair & you don't have to braid
it first either. that sounds more like a lice treatment...)

lee
--
Question with boldness even the existence of god; because if
there be
one, he must more approve the homage of reason than that of
blindfolded
fear. - Thomas Jefferson

"Tori M" wrote in message
...
Xavier is totaly afraid to have his hair washed. I try not to wash it
often but there are times when it HAS to be done. Bonnie went through it
a little but she got better after I let her start washing my hair. Xavier
wants no part of it. Does anyone have suggestions for making this a
little easier? he screams like I am trying to chop off his arms.

We have had problems washing my oldest son's hair and then I bought a foam
visor in the baby section at Target for him to wear. First, I get the sides
and back of his hair wet and then I put the visor on him and wet the top of
his head. It keeps the water out of his eyes and he's very cooperative. I
remove the visor to shampoo his hair and then when it's time to rinse, I
"squeegee" out as much shampoo first, rinse the sides and back of the hair,
and then put the visor back on and rinse the top of his head. He gets
freaked out if water gets on his face and this works like a charm.

good luck

lisa
micksmom2

Tori

--
Mom To:
Bonnie (03/20/02)
Xavier (10/27/04)

I guess it's not what you take when you leave this world behind you,
It's what you leave behind you when you go.
~Randy Travis

On Feb 9, 10:51�pm, "Tori M" wrote:
Xavier is totaly afraid to have his hair washed. *I try not to wash it often
but there are times when it HAS to be done. *Bonnie went through it a little
but she got better after I let her start washing my hair. *Xavier wants no
part of it. *Does anyone have suggestions for making this a little easier?
he screams like I am trying to chop off his arms.

Tori

--
Mom To:
Bonnie (03/20/02)
Xavier (10/27/04)

I guess it's not what you take when you leave this world behind you,
It's what you leave behind you when you go.
~Randy Travis

I knew someone who laid a towel on the kitchen counter for their child
to rest on with their head over the sink for hair washing (child on
his back and they had one of those faucets that changed to a shower-
like dispenser with a click of a button that also pulled out toward
the child for rinsing). It worked for them. My kids didn't have that
hair washing issue, although one temporarily developed a SEVERE fear
of getting into the tub that we had to work on. lol. When they were
too big to lie down onto my arm for rinsing and were old enough to
understand "look up at the shower head," they did and still do.

On Feb 11, 2:05 pm, enigma wrote:
Penny Gaines wrote :
.

well, Ivory soap is around 33 cents per bar, which lasts 3
people about a month. a gallon of vinegar is $1.29, which
lasts about 3 weeks, because i use it instead of fabric
softener in the laundry, plus hair rinse, plus cooking, plus
cleaning the drains...
a 12 oz.bottle of shampoo costs around $3-4. rinse/detangler
costs about the same.

Suave and WhiteRain shampoos cost $1. (And I find that Ivory soap
dries my skin horribly. I'd hate to see what it would do my hair!)
(We've using Yardly Oatmeal soap lately -- about $1.50/bar.)

Naomi

The world divides into two classes. On one side (which seems to be
male-dominated) you have the head forward rinsers, and on the other
side (the female one) the head backward rinsers. Hairdressers want
your head back, and my mother similarly wanted mine that way.
However, I would point out that head back, water on forehead is
Chinese water torture, as anyone who watched spy movies knows. Child
Psychologist Lawrence Balter agrees with me, and I still rinse my head
from the crown down, not the forehead. Children feel more in control
looking down than up.

Robert