How often do kids *really* need to take a bath?

It seems like there’s an ongoing debate about how often is really necessary to give your child a bath. The American Academy of Pediatrics says that newborns, especially, do not need a bath every day. While parents should make sure the diaper region of a baby is clean, until a baby learns how to crawl around and truly get messy, a daily bath is unnecessary.

So, why do we feel like kids should bathe every day?

Here’s how often you actually need to bathe your child.

Bathing frequency

There is no scientific or biological answer to how often you should bathe your child. During pre-modern times, parents hardly ever bathed their children. The modern era made it a societal norm to bathe your child daily.

Many babies and toddlers, especially those who aren’t walking yet, don’t need to be washed with soap every day. If a child has dry, sensitive skin, parents should wash their child with a mild soap once a week.

On other nights, the child may simply soak or rinse off in a lukewarm, plain water bath if they are staying fairly clean. Additionally, parents can soak their children in a water bath without soap most nights or as needed as part of a routine.

Cause of skin sensitivity

Many problems with sensitive, irritated skin are made worse by bathing habits that unintentionally dry out the skin too much. Soaking in a hot bath for long periods of time and scrubbing will lead to dry skin. Additionally, many existing skin conditions will worsen if you over-scrub your child or use drying, perfumed soaps.

Some skin conditions, like childhood eczema (atopic dermatitis), are not caused by dirt or lack of hygiene. Therefore, parents do not need to scrub the inflamed areas. Scrubbing will cause dry, sensitive skin to become even more dry.

Tips for bath time

Some best practices for bath time for kids who have dry, itchy, sensitive skin or eczema include.

• The proper temperature for a bath is lukewarm
• Baths should be brief (5-10 minutes long)
• To avoid drying out your child’s skin, use mild, fragrance-free soaps (or non-soap cleansers)
• Use small amounts of soap and wash the child with your hands, rather than scrubbing with a soapy washcloth.
• Do not let your child sit and play in the tub or basin if the water is all soapy.
• Use the soap at the end of the bath, not the beginning.
• When finishing the bath, rinse your child with warm fresh water to remove the soap from their body. Let the child “dance” or “wiggle” for a few seconds to shake off some of the water, and then apply moisturizing ointments, creams, or lotions while their skin is still wet.
• Simple store-brand petroleum jelly is a wonderful moisturizer, especially if applied right when the child leaves the tub while the skin is still wet.
• Avoid creams with fragrances, coloring agents, preservatives, and other chemicals. Simple, white, or colorless products are often better for children’s skin.
• Do not use alcohol-based products.

Originally posted on Children’s National Health System’s Rise and Shine .

Here are some favorite products for bath time.

Baby Dove

Calming Moisture Sensitive Skin Night Time Wash

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$7.49

For starters we’ve never smelled anything as soothing and pleasant as this wash. It makes us feel clean and instantly transports us to a tranquil bed of chamomile. The formula is pretty awesome, too: it’s a tear-free, hypoallergenic and made with 100% skin-natural nutrients. It gets the job done regardless of where your baby falls on the dryness spectrum.

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Babyganics

Daily Lotion

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$7.99

You don’t need to worry about your infant waking up in the middle of the night with itchy skin. Their proprietary blend of tomato, sunflower, cranberry, black cumin and raspberry seed oils gets the job done every time. Babyganics also only uses 100% natural fragrances in their products and it’s gone through extensive testing from pediatricians and dermatologists. Clearly it’s a great baby product behind a budget price tag.

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Puj

Bath Treads

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$15

These colorful bath stickers make bath time fun and safe by preventing slips and falls. Their low profile makes them easy to clean while teir innovative stickiness keeps them secure but completely removable once you’re ready to change your decor.

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Bebe Au Lait

Hooded Toddler Towel

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$40

This super-plush 100% cotton terry hooded towel is a bathing essential. Trimmed with cotton muslin and a double layer hood, it’s the coziest way to end a tubby.

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We independently select and share the products we love—and may receive a commission if you choose to buy. A version of this story was originally published on Nov. 19, 2018. It has been updated.