We can make our bathrooms more green simply by reducing the number of products we buy, try, and then discard or store in the back of the cabinet. By not purchasing that extra unnecessary bottle you can cut down on the pollution caused by its production, packaging, transportation and disposal. Thinking green can be that simple.

The first and best way to protect the environment and your own child is to ignore the worry and the hype about needing so many baby cleansing products, at least throughout your child’s first year. With skin that is highly permeable and sensitive, most babies…

• Do not need a daily bath. A gentle sponge bath to clean the genitals and buttocks is all that is needed.
  
  
• Do not need to be washed often with soaps of any kind. Warm water is usually just fine for such delicate skin.
  
  
• Do not require slathering with diaper creams and lotions. Frequent diaper changes and a daily dose of fresh air is often the best preventive.
  
  
• Do not need antibacterial soap and wipes. The excessive use of antibacterial chemicals inhibits the development of our natural resistance and can contribute to creating resistant bacteria!
  
  
• Do not need to be doused in baby powder. Talc, in fact, is a known problem for baby lungs.

When you feel you must use cleansing products on your baby, be sure to think before you buy. Try to find products without artificial colors, synthetic fragrances, toxic preservatives or cancer-causing chemicals and irritants.