When you shower, do you use soap all over your body, or only for the important bits? How about for your kids? Do they take a bath with soap every single day? Well, Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher’s family have a different approach when it comes to bathing kids and themselves, too. They say they only soap up when necessary – and many experts agree.
Ashton Kutcher And Mila Kunis’ Opinion On Bathing Kids
Ashton and Mila, one of Hollywood’s favorite couples, recently appeared on Dax Shepard’s podcast Armchair Expert. On the podcast, the topic of bathing kids came up. This is when the couple admitted that they don’t actually bathe their kids that often. They also said even for themselves, they only soap up the “the pits and tits and holes and soles”.
For Kunis, regular bathing as a child wasn’t something that she was accustomed to. Their family didn’t have hot water, so they didn’t bathe every day – only when necessary. She has continued this throughout her adult life and uses the method on her children, as well. She explained that she barely washed her babies as newborns, only when they were visibly dirty, and she has kept this principle as they’ve gotten older. Ashton fully agrees with and supports this method.
“If you can see the dirt on them, clean them,” he said. “Otherwise, there’s no point.”
Kutcher says he washes the important parts daily and rinses the salt off of his face after a workout. Kunis has a twice-daily skincare routine for her face but only uses soap for those important parts, as well.
The Memes
Of course, the internet had a hay-day with this one. That is at least the people firmly in the “I shower/bathe with soap every day no matter what” camp. Here are a few of the memes that came out of the couple’s honest announcement:
How Important Is Bathing Your Kids?
While there are some people who listened to this podcast and said “wow, me too!” there were just as many (if not more) who couldn’t believe they don’t soap up theirs and their kids’ bodies daily. Thankfully, some experts have chimed in to let us know whether bathing kids (and frankly, ourselves) is actually necessary. According to California pediatrician Daniel Ganjian, the Kutcher-Kunis family has got the right idea.
“Our body makes natural oils to protect our hair and skin,” he explained. “It’s good to keep those natural oils going.”
These natural oils are what give your skin and hair that deep hydration that it desperately wants and needs. If you are using soap and/or shampoo daily, you are stripping your skin of those oils. This leaves your skin quite dry. For adults, premature aging is one possibility. For children, it increases their risk for skin sensitivity and eczema. As adults, of course, we take daily showers to avoid body odor. Children, however, don’t have this issue.
“Typically, as adults, we take daily showers because of smell and body odor, but small kids don’t have that smell and body odor,” Dr. Ganjian explained.
How Often Should Your Bath Your Children
So, if you shouldn’t be bathing them every day, how often should your kids take a dip in the tub? This depends on their age. For babies still in diapers, two or three baths per week are sufficient. The most important aspect is that the diaper area is clean. On their bodies, you don’t necessarily need to use soap. Ensure the soap you do use is one for babies, as their skin is more sensitive. Just clean, warm (not hot) water. For them, make it a fun, comfortable, bonding experience.
For children ages six to 11, bathing once or twice a week is sufficient. Again, you don’t need to use soap on their whole bodies, just the important bits and if they have actual dirt on them. Still, make sure the soap is one that is not harsh on their soft, young skin. Other times you will want to give your child a bath include:
- When they’ve been playing in the mud and dirt
- After they’ve been in a swimming pool or in the ocean
- When they’ve been sweaty or have body odor
- As directed by a dermatologist for certain skin conditions
If baths are a favorite part of your child’s bedtime routine, the doctor’s advice is to simply skip the soap part. They can still enjoy the calming, relaxing warm water without the oil-stripping soaps. Instead, try an oatmeal bath or something natural in its place. Once they reach puberty, they will likely need to shower more regularly to avoid body odor. Again, soap on the entire body is not necessary – just the important parts.
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