Deodorants for Children.

[jellybeanjump]

Hiya,

My DD who is 5years old needs some form of deodrant and I would like suggestions of safe ones to use.

In an ideal world I would not try and use one but I need to.
After a hot day or after physical activities such as football and dance she smells, obviously the hotter and more vigorous the exercise the worse it is.

For example as soon we get home from football, we have to dash upstairs shower her off and then dash off to dancing. It is very noticable and I always say things like "just going to give you a quick rinse off because you are all hot and sweaty". Luckily her 7yr old sister (who does not have the same problem) has not realised yet but she will and I don't want to hurt her feelings or make her self conscious.

I don't want to blast her with chemicals so, can someone suggest a mild deodorant that could help.

Thanks

JBJ

Definitely check with your GP, but in the meantime I find Crystal works well - you can buy it from Boots, it's based on mineral salts and although it doesn't contain any anti-perspirant, it does work well as a plain deodorant.

A bit shocked when DD started to be a bit whiffy at 7.5. We use Tom's of Maine which works quite well!

ds is 6 and ive noticed he smells and his bedroom stinks despite frequent cleaning its not a normal bo smell just a not nice smell not using anything other than frequent baths at the moment though

My dd is 7 and have noticed for a while that she gets sweaty-she has daily showers,deodorant applied and change of clothes every day.

She is a lot taller than the other girls in her year (always has been) and feels quite embarrassed about it at times so I didn't make a big deal about the sweating to her,just explained that we all sweat and need to keep ourselves clean and fresh.

I was going to post on here for advice because she has now got several hairs-quite long and dark-growing on her underarms.

It looks from the posts like a visit to the doctor is needed, I wasn't sure if I was being neurotic over it.

Definitely speak to the GP in case there is a medical problem; at the very least the GP can reassure you as to why your DD has started to need deodorant so young.

You aren't 'neurotic' - it's normal to be concerned if a child starts puberty at a very young age.

A female GP may be more understanding purely because it's a female issue...(sorry male DRs!).

Best to give DD daily showers & hair washes to wash off stale sweat; clean undies daily; check other clothes for odour & wash accordingly.

At 9 i started wearing a roll-on Anti-Perspirant Deodorant which my Mum bought me - probably for the same reason as your DD.

Ironically the brand was 'Mum' i think (but that was the late 80s!).
I've never had a problem with BO after i started using Anti-Perspirant Deodorant at 9.
Mum never worried about chemicals in toiletries; but all parents have varying ideas.

I would look at her diet too, my dd who had a lactose intolerance had a very strong smell about her and also When I was a very young child, I could not eat very acidic foods like onions, sibies, chives garlic etc as I would have very strong BO. i think ensuring she is drinking lots of fluid will also help.

It is probably not very usual, but I would not think abnormal. I recently went a school trip with y1 class and it was a bit wiffy.

It could well be related to the food you are giving her. Does she get far too much protein in her diet. That can lead to sweat smelling like wee which is why the gym can reek if they protein shake types are in. Try cutting down the amount of protein you give her and upping the carbs and fats if the diet is not to well balanced.

I think I'd start with a shower every day tbh rather than every 2 days with washes in between - just gets her into the habit without making a big deal of it.

Pit rock would be an excellent option. I am not sure if crystal and Thai thing mentioned above are the same - pit rock comes either in hard rock form which you've to wet and use or it comes already dissolved ready to be sprayed. It ia an antibacterial and not an anti prisparent. Bye since it is bacteria that causes smell and not the perspiration this thing really works. Also it is not carcinogenic, which most anti preapirants are.

There's an aluminium free one by Dr Organic that is very good - it's a roll on - get it in holland and barrett - some nice smells - she can choose it.
You'll need to shower her every night, taking care to gently wash her pits, and dry her underarms thoroughly before putting on the deodorant - drying the underarm completely is very important.

Dress her in cotton or other natural fibres - through out any/all the polyester stuff she has.

Is she developing pubic hair or breast buds, or does she have vaginal discharge. If yes to any one of these, then you will need to be referred to a paediatric endocrinologist ASAP.

Also stop giving her dairy, and up her green vegetable intake, and if she eats anything with sulphites, like salami, or dried fruits, try stopping that also.

We shower her at least every 2 nights

Er shouldn't she shower at least once a day? And more if she is doing sports / ballet.

Or could you use baby wipes just to clear off the sweat?

A 5 year old shouldnt really have smelly sweat that they need deodorant IMO yes children sweat but it shouldnt be excessive and it really shouldnt smell , a shower should do her

I'd be inclined to up the showers to every day to see if that helps too.

No child needs to shower more than once a day, most don't need a daily one either. Most children don't sweat or get smelly, its very unusual for one so young.

I agree with a Dr visit.

In the meantime, nightly shower using something with a naturally mild antiseptic action, such as an organic tea tree soap or shower gel, wash underarms in the morning, and again after a sport or dance class. Apply organic or crystal deodorant after each wash or shower.

Natural fibre clothing, and change often. Look at her bedding, could that be changed for natural fibres as people sweat a terrific amount during sleep.

If she showered everyday she most probably wouldn't smell.