Deodorant at age 9

[herecomesthsun]

There is a thread elsewhere on Mumsnet by a teacher with year 5 children who need to use deodorant etc.

My DS is 8 and quite a big lad but not in need of deodorant yet. I am thinking it would be a good idea to get him into a routine before it gets t be a problem. He has had eczema, but this is improving.

What would be a good choice of toiletries to get lined up? I am thinking that it would be good for him to choose really and see this as part of getting bigger and more responsible in a cool way, but not sure how best to promote this?

[SpeckledyBanana]

DS is 8 and is worried he smells after football. I don't think he does, but he is noticing something changing. So I bought him a Sanex sensitive skin deo spray (also eczema) as he gets on OK with their shower gel and it smells very light and neutral, like the gel does. I've left it in the bathroom, shown him how to use it and said that he can use it when he wants to. I don't think he's started to, yet.

Otherwise he has:
Toothpaste and mouthwash (latter on advice of dentist)
Shower gel
Shampoo
Conditioner
Hair gel (rarely used)
Aveeno cream (eczema)

[herecomesthsun]

Ah. We have toothbrush, eczema shampoo, eczema bath lotion, a couple of skin creams (protopic and epaderm).

DD has sanex bubble bath, but I am wary of this for DS. I did get some free shower gel, I think it's Sanex, on a promotion.so might try this with him. To be honest, he has never been hugely keen on baths, and I am aware that soap is not great for his skin, so I have been fairly relaxed. As long as there's no obvious hygiene issue I think that's ok. But I would like to start thinking about how to organise things before it becomes as issue.

He is showing signs of being more independent and wanting to look after himself which is great (I have got him a mirror for his room, for example, so he can make sure he has wiped all the breakfast cereal off his mouth before heading to school, as he hated me doing it!)

[herecomesthsun]

Oh, and we did discuss hair gel last time he had a hair cut. It would appear that he is very unkeen on this at the moment!!

I would also like to get him his own manicure kit, but it would have to be obviously a men's grooming thing and not a girly one.

[SpeckledyBanana]

The shower gel is recent, up until about 6 months ago we were still on Oilatum oil or gel, but we've switched to Aveeno cream (used to use Doublebase) and his skin is happier, so we're getting away with the shower gel now.

[PinkSwimGoggles]

my 9yo still is fine with washing. however needs washing daily nowand we need to superwise actual soap use and def changing shirts/vests daily now.
we have nivea dry roll on on standby for when it's needed.
it's perfume and alkohol free and doesn't trigger my eczema.

[NonStopNeuroticCabaret]

DS1 has just turned 9 and I recently bought this for him m.tesco.com/h5/groceries/r/www.tesco.com/groceries/product/details/?id=282248229

He likes it and is happy to wear it.

[CallarMorvern]

DD (11) has needed deodorant for the last couple of yrs. She has eczema, so I'm not keen on anything too harsh, she uses Dr. Organics roll ons from Holland and Barrat, Children's Farm shampoo and conditioner - which she decants into another bottle to avoid teasing at swimming (!) and Pears or Lovely Greens soap. As a family we've given up showers gel and gone back to soap, as I found gel wasn't cleaning armpits very well! (tmi, sorry).