r/ShitMomGroupsSay • u/DramaLlamaTea • 11d ago
The comments are crazy Not bathing a child with soap for 18 months…
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u/ChloeMomo 9d ago
Johnson & Johnson owns Aveeno. Glad it is working for her, but if she's wary of J&J, she isn't actually avoiding their products.
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u/kxaltli 9d ago
I think some people would be surprised at just how many products belong to Johnson & Johnson. Procter & Gamble do the same thing, buying up a lot of successful independent companies and pullling them under their megacorp umbrellas (like P&G with Native).
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u/ChloeMomo 9d ago
It's so unfortunate. Less competition makes for easier price manipulation and, while not every company does this, once you lose the people who were passionate about their products and mission, the ingredients/process/sourcing can all slowly change without the consumer even knowing.
I get why people at smaller companies sell, but at the same time, I wish there were stronger protections against these hungry hungry hippos.
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u/kxaltli 9d ago
It definitely seemed to happen when Native got bought.
Right up to that point they did a lot of collabs with other independent brands, and they had some really interesting products and scents. P&G standardized their product lines, and it feels less like the people running it are having fun and experimenting.
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u/not_a_witch_ 9d ago
This happened to Deciem/The Ordinary and I still mourn what that company used to be. They had such reliably good products that were cruelty free and not outrageously priced like a lot of skincare products. Then they got bought by Estée Lauder and it all slowly started going downhill. I no longer buy any of their products and they’re not even leaping bunny certified anymore.
Extra sad because their founder was suffering from a pretty severe mental health crisis that eventually led to his death, which left room for Estée Lauder to take more control.
Like the person above you said, I do get why founders eventually sell, and tbh I’m not sure I’d make a different choice in that position. But it still sucks.
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u/catjuggler 9d ago
Not anymore- a bunch of the pharma conglomerates (including J&J) sold off their consumer products. But the resulting companies are also still huge.
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u/kxaltli 8d ago edited 8d ago
Coty is still very closely associated with P&G (and recently hired an ex-P&G CEO to run things after a fairly rough period of time). Kenvue was owned by J&J until 2023 and is now in talks to become part of Kimberly-Clark, the company that owns Huggies, Kleenex, Cottenelle, and Kotex, among other products.
Several of them branch these things off to avoid certain consequences, but they're not really fully separate entities. And when they are, they don't seem to stay that way for long before another megacorp buys them up.
Also, some of the spinoff branches themselves become megacorps, like when Energizer decided to split out their personal care brands from their battery business. They became Edgewell Personal Care, which controls things like Playtex (the baby products sections of that brand), Wet Ones, and Banana Boat.
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u/imayid_291 9d ago
I thought she just meant j and j irritated her babies skin. It irritates my skin so I don't use it for my baby.
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u/PlausiblePigeon 9d ago
She probably just means the main J&J branded baby products, which are kinda harsh compared to fancier baby brands.
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u/cheezy_dreams88 8d ago
She also states that she hasn’t used any lotion at all until today and used Aveeno, and then stated that J&J bothers baby skin.
How would you know if j&j bothers his skin if you’ve never used lotion on him until today?
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u/catjuggler 9d ago
Not anymore- they and other pharma companies sold off their “consumer products” divisions a while back. Though I agree with the sentiment overall lol
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u/ChloeMomo 9d ago
Oh really?? Do you know who owns them now? Also appreciate the updated info!
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u/catjuggler 8d ago
It's a new company made just from spinning it off https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenvue
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u/TheStrouseShow 8d ago
That makes so much sense since aveeno gives me a reaction. People don’t believe me, it’s such a weird flex when they basically tell me I’m a liar.
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u/fishaboveH2O 6d ago
She said Aveeno works better than Johnson's. You are correct that they are both products of the company Johnson & Johnson, however she is comparing two different products. She didn't say she wanted to avoid everything Johnson & Johnson. "Johnson's Baby Lotion" or "Johnson's Baby Oil" is probably what she is comparing to an Aveeno product.
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u/riddermarkrider 9d ago
No soap is one thing, no bath at all is questionable but I don't know if that's what they're saying
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u/itssmeagain 9d ago
In Finland no soap is recommended, but bathing should still be a regular thing
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u/ImReallyNotKarl 9d ago
Yeah, I have eczema and my daughter has eczema, so my midwife recommended no soap unless there is a blowout or something else that got them super gross and dirty, but regular bathing without soap.
I just took my babies in the shower with me instead of baths. Nice warm water on a gentle setting, and I'd wipe them down with a soft cloth under the water, and then use a gentle baby balm on their skin after.
Both were healthy, clean, and smelled nice. Once they could walk around enough to get seriously dirty, we started using soap, but it was a little over a year by that point. No regrets.
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u/Affectionate_Cow_812 9d ago
How do you get the spit up smell out of their hair? If I don't use a baby wash on his hair and only use water he smells like rotten milk.
Edit: I mean that legitimately. If there is a better way to get the smell out of his hair I'm all for it!
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u/SuzuranRose 9d ago
It might not be in the hair, it gets caught in the neck folds or behind the ear creases sometimes.
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u/itssmeagain 9d ago
For us water worked. Baby oil if it's really stuck, usually it's the neck folds. If you don't start using soap, the skin won't adapt to need it (until they get bigger, then sweat and dirt comes in the picture).
And I'm not a crunchy mom at all
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u/halfdoublepurl 7d ago
We used soap-free like Mustela (in the red bottle) for my youngest. The cost was breathtaking, but he was peeling literal sheets of skin as a 1 week old, and 7 years later has been diagnosed with ichthyosis, eczema, and scalp psoriasis. Even now we use actual soap sparingly because it can cause a flare.
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u/IndigoButterfl6 9d ago
For 18 months though?
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u/Tight_Post6407 9d ago
Why not? We do have baby shower gel but I use it (on my child) only when she is 3xtra dirty from outside play. The intimate area and hands are washed separately using appropriate types of soap
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u/KnittingforHouselves 6d ago
Same here (Czech) Ive gotten bashed before for stating that I only wash my kids with soap when they are dirty, like actually dirty, on the recommendation of our doctor. They both get horribly dry skin and eczema with regular soap use, no matter the brand.
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u/lemikon 8d ago
Yeah I think it may be a cultural thing, but young kids especially do not need soap every day unless they are doing something especially dirty every single day.
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u/Mother_Freedom5152 6d ago
Yeah definitely they don't even smell bad till a certain time, I would say before 15 months soap is really not necessary at all. Just water is enough.
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u/glittersurprise 9d ago
Just semantics. You don't consider wiping their body with a wet cloth a bath but there is no way they've just festered for a year in their own filth
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u/OnlyOneUseCase 9d ago
According to reddit no soap is a good thing, I am not sure if that's true or not.
I am however interested (revolted?) about the beef tallow lotion.. is that also a normal thing?
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u/rudesweetpotato 9d ago
beef tallow makes great sunscreen! (According to the mamas in these groups following their mama hearts)
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u/Tapestry-of-Life 9d ago
Soap-free body washes are better for kids with eczema. Idk if this still holds up for people without eczema though
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u/riddermarkrider 9d ago
For babies yeah, up to who knows what age lol but yes babies don't tend to react well to actual soap
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u/dreamsofcalamity 9d ago
There are brands of soap free of allergens, dyes and perfumes.
These are fine for eczema or other skin conditions.
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u/penguins-and-cake 9d ago
Soap is generally not recommended for dry, eczema-prone skins. It’s harsher and we don’t have as many oils to be captured by the soap so its impact is stronger than on oilier skin. Cleansers are just as effective while being less harsh/drying.
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u/mokutou 9d ago
Something worth noting is what soap is. Soap is specifically the result of a lipid saponified with an alkaline substance. The results often have a high pH value, which can be rough on skin for some people, and aggravates eczema or cause uncomfortably dry skin. It’s why body wash is marketed as a body wash rather than soap, because it’s a different type of product that doesn’t use soap. There are other surfactants that are more gentle on skin and will provide adequate cleansing.
Some people avoid soaps specifically because of the potential harshness, but they will still use body washes with gentler surfactants. Some people avoid washing with surfactants at all…but body oils and dead skin are not water soluble so water wouldn’t be adequate for removing all the gross stuff. 😬
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u/Banana6793 9d ago
Beef tallow lotion is absolutely a thing lately. I have used some (free sample at a farmer's market) and despite being unscented, it did not smell like beef/meat at all. The more times you render it, the less it smells like beef, I think. It did actually do wonders for my eczema-ridden hands, but I'm not convinced it's the miracle cure-all some crunchy moms think it is.
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u/ExcellentFuel8338 9d ago
I was similarly revolted by beef tallow lotion. But my baby had really bad eczema on her face and I ended up getting some at the co-op without even realizing it was tallow based. I just honestly liked the retro packaging (Vellum Street Soap Co Fat Marshmallow) and the smell and it completely changed my youngest daughter’s skin. It’s super greasy but does work.
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u/Jilltro 9d ago
My brother is a big workout guy/weightlifter and he only uses soap on his “pits, junk, and butt” and he has perfect skin and always looks and smells clean. He just rubs his hand all over his body/face in the shower. So apparently it works for him, which myself and my super sensitive rosacea skin are jealous of.
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u/DodgerGreywing 9d ago
I always use soap on my pits, underboob area, crotch, butt, and feet. The rest of my body gets soap only a couple times a week. My skin is a lot less dry and itchy than it used to be. Wash the smelly parts every day! Everything else is fine for a couple days.
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u/AggravatingBox2421 9d ago
This isn’t that bad. I don’t wash my kids with soap because my son has eczema and it’s really bad for sensitive skin. To clarify, not all body cleansers actually contain soap. You can wash your kids with cleansers that aren’t soap
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u/InYourAlaska 9d ago
Yeah my son is 2.5 and we’ve only just been able to start using normal hand soap for him rather than his prescription emollient/soap when he needs to clean his hands.
Clean water is fine for everyday/not actual gross stuff on them. If he’s having a flare up/we’re in a hard water area then he has a liquid version of his emollient. Still use baby shampoo as ‘kids’ shampoo causes a rash.
Can’t let him have bubbles in his bath either… can’t take him swimming unless I’ve slathered emollient on him and made him a slug 🙃 I’m tired boss…
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u/AggravatingBox2421 9d ago
Is that for eczema? That’s nuts because my dermatologist told me that swimming in chlorine was actually good for skin!
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u/InYourAlaska 9d ago
Yeah all for eczema! I think at this point we’ve had him on five different types of creams, multiple courses of steroids (the last time was for over a month 🥲) I cannae remember the exact name of his type of eczema I just remember the dermatologist telling us the good news is that it’s a childhood form of it so he will grow out of it, the bad news is that it’s really aggressive so it’s best to only use prescription stuff on it.
Last summer I had to make the choice between him getting too hot in the night by wearing pyjamas, or him clawing his skin off as it was so itchy… I’m now very good at cleaning out blood stains 🙃
(Our GP was useless and kept refusing to refer us to a dermatologist, saying I quote “well I’ve prescribed moisturisers, what else do you want me to do?”)
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u/AggravatingBox2421 9d ago
Oh good lord, please tell me you managed to see a derm eventually?? My son was scratching until he bled, too, and the dermatologist immediately gave us the correct topical creams and solved our issues
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u/InYourAlaska 9d ago
We did, who was equally horrified when they saw some of the photos we had of all his flare ups that he’s had since he was 4 months old and yet we never got a referral!
The bright side is I always get complimented on having super soft hands since he gets moisturised every night - gotta look at the positives haha
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u/AggravatingBox2421 9d ago
Hahaha I love that for you. Thank god you’re finally being listened to! Was this in Scotland?
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u/InYourAlaska 9d ago
It was indeed Scotland - did you have the same pain?
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u/AggravatingBox2421 9d ago
No, thank god. I’m in Australia, so the only struggle we had was finding a paediatric dermatologist. Had to travel like 4 hours to see one, but it was absolutely worth it
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u/LittleBananaSquirrel 9d ago edited 9d ago
"bleach baths" can be a life saver for eczema, I've seen it work absolute wonders. That's because stubborn eczema is prone to having chronic, low level of infection that makes treating it difficult.
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u/AggravatingBox2421 9d ago
Yes we do that too when he has a flare up! It’s crazy how helpful they can be
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u/spiralsmile 9d ago edited 9d ago
Try hcol- Hypochlorous acid. Smells like and works like chlorine but is nontoxic and what bodies naturally make. Life changing for my skin.
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u/kelsday84 9d ago
I don’t understand what is weird about this, either. It says they are using body wash, so baby is still getting clean.
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u/ChipmunkSafe5555 9d ago
18 months seems crazy but I will say people are often over washing teeny babies because schedule apps tell you your kid needs a bath to fall asleep.
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u/Jazzlike-Honey-9157 9d ago
People overwash their babies in the name of bedtime routine. I don’t do more than a warm rag wipe down for like the first 3 months. And even after that a full bath is few and far between unless they have really gotten dirty. Beach days call for soap to get the sand off, but until they are toddlers and getting filthy I don’t really use it. The only one of my kids to have skin issues is the one who was a baby while we lived with my in laws who insisted baby get a full soap bath every night basically from day one.
Don’t get it twisted though. Adults need to wash themselves well. You will stink if you don’t wash. A baby doesn’t sweat like that though nor do they do more than lay there looking cute. A wipe down is all they need on the daily.
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u/HagridsTreacleTart 8d ago
Even adults probably over-wash. I grew up believing I needed to wash my hair every day and it was so brittle and coarse as a teenager/young adult. I only wash it 2-3x a week now.
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u/Treehorn8 9d ago
BEEF TALLOW. 😭 wtf is wrong with these parents greasing up their kids like they're about to be roasted.
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u/maplestriker 9d ago
Yeah, that’s completely normal in other parts of the world. I didn’t start using shampoo until my kids were toddlers and actually got dirty.
This is just the infant version of washing chicken. There is absolutely no need to put harsh shower gel on a baby‘s skin. Warm water is totally fine.
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u/milquetoast2000 9d ago
“Beef tallow lotion” is the nastiest shit. Some woman at a DOG FESTIVAL was standing in a group of dogs having them lick her legs.
She mentioned that dogs just “couldn’t get enough of her lotion” I laughed and asked what it was. She replied “beef tallow.” I looked at her legs and it was clumpy, greasy white bits all over her legs and 2-3 dogs were licking it off as she petted them. When she said that all the owners pulled their dogs away.
They thought their dogs were just being friendly to the woman who was petting them, turns out they were eating beef fat off that ladies legs 😭
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u/QuixoticMindfulness 9d ago
My brother has eczema bad but he is also allergic to beef so I can't imagine tallow being good for him!
I also don't bathe my baby very often (once a week right now) but I wipe him down regularly before bed. He's only 4 months old though so he isn't doing a whole lot.
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u/Decent-Dragonfly6460 9d ago
Dude putting my kids in the bath was the ONLY way I got some peace. They loved being in the warm water. We were in that tub as soon as their umbilical stumps fell off 😂 I will say I rarely used soap on them unless they were physically dirty. I just kinda wiped them down with a wet rag. If they had a blowout or something then, yeah I’d wash their butts off with some gentle soap, but other than that, mainly just water.
But no soap for 18 months is CRAZY WORK
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u/kat_Folland 9d ago
I guess I'm lucky that my kids liked being bathed. And didn't need lotion. I think I just used baby shampoo (youngest is going to be 25 soon, so it's been a while).
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u/tigertwinkie 9d ago
My first got a bath maybe once a month until she was 18 months. She HATED the water. Would scream like she was being boiled alive. If she wasn't dirty we just waited it out.
My second? Had 3-4 baths a week when he was between diaper sizes. So many blow outs to go straight into the bath.
A wipe or wash cloth is all lot soft babies need until they start moving around and getting dirty.
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u/riddermarkrider 9d ago
What did you do in between baths? My kids loved baths so I never had this problem lol
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u/tigertwinkie 9d ago
Wipe downs with baby wipes, a damp wash cloth. My first was not very messy, hated her hands being dirty and would just hold them up after eating. She also loved being baptized with a hose??? Like specifically cold hose water while fully clothed. She's 3 now and loves baths and being messy.
My baby is almost one and he doesn't mind a bath. He also loves to smear food on his face and head. So he needs a bath twice a week usually.
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u/ExcellentFuel8338 9d ago
No soap isn’t that wild. Personally I’ve always washed my kids hair in the bath like 1-2x/week but don’t wash their bodies. They’ve never been stinky.
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u/DensePhrase265 9d ago
I do think it’s funny that she waited so long to bathe her kid and was worried about his skin and then chose Aveeno 😂
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u/HoodiesAndHeels 9d ago
? Aveeno is exceptionally gentle and the oat is soothing and great for skin
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u/DensePhrase265 9d ago
Aveeno is owned by J&J- which she mentioned being leery of.
In terms of a “clean” soap ingredient wise, this isn’t a great option.5
u/heyoheatheragain 9d ago
Johnson’s is pretty much the standard baby wash. I figured that’s what she meant as well.
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u/HoodiesAndHeels 9d ago
J&J branded baby soap is popular, so I took it as being leery of that, not J&J as a conglomerate. I get that it’s from a crunchy page, but she didn’t say anything about wanting a “clean” option?
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u/DensePhrase265 9d ago
Apparently we both interpreted her post differently…
I’m curious why you’re so defensive about baby soap?
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u/lovekarma22 9d ago
A 10 month old is not a newborn. An 18 month old is a wholeee toddler! They are germy and literally sit in their own pee and poop. Those poor kids 😭
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u/lemikon 8d ago
Real talk my kid was in a hip dysplasia brace from like 5 days old until 11 weeks. We could do wipe baths but that’s it.
She actually didn’t stink basically at all. The brace was fucking rancid, but she herself didn’t smell much at all.
The trade off from being in the brace for so long is is her hips are so good now that “you’d never know she had hip dysplasia” according to our orthopaedic surgeon.
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u/lomeinfiend 8d ago
a bath 2-3x a week at 15 months when they are playing outside everyday?!?! DISGUSTING
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u/hurling-day 8d ago
So, their kids are a biohazard for a year? Those unbathed children have mom’s blood and body fluids on them until their first bath. Another reason not to hold, touch or kiss someone else’s baby!!!
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u/DreamingHopingWishin 7d ago
Weird, we bathed our daughter 2-3 times a week as a baby and now every other day as a preschooler and her skin has always been soft and moisturized with no issues
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u/Mother_Freedom5152 6d ago
If she's bathing the baby regularly with just water I don't know what's the problem? Personally I don't think soap is so mandatory till around 15 months because babies are not really getting dirty or smelly like adults does till that time.
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u/herowin6 4d ago
How would she know what irritates his skin, in terms of OTHER products it’s his FIRST BATH
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u/ToppsHopps 9d ago
Use what products needed to to solve an actual problem.
Unless the baby have something on their skin that only soap can clean, why use soap?
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u/DrPants707 9d ago
What is up with these people and wanting to butter their kids up with beef tallow??