Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-07-02
THE BABY'S DAILY BATH.

Scrupulous cleanliness is the first
requisite toward good looks in any
child, and so soap is necessary, as
! mere water will not get out all the
stale oil and dust that have accumulat-
ed in the pores of the skin. But chill
dren have a distaste for soap, small
children especially, and so the sapona-
ceous bath becomes an agony for both
mother and child.
The reason for this is obvious to
anybody who looks back to the miseries
of their own little days. If a cheap soap
is used, as is more often the case than
not-the writer has known mothers to
use laundry soaps on little faces-the
sharp alkali smarts the tender skin,
and if bubble or two gets into the
eyes the agony is intense, while the
roaring caused by the soapy water that
is allowed to fill the ears brings in
a little breast the feeling of positive
murder. Only to see a cake OF soap
after one such experience is to awaken
all the fear that is in the heart, and
so, of course, the kiddy yells for help
when it comes to be applied.
The soap and water path. then, can
not be given with too much care In
order not to cause this physical ana
mental torture, for once doubt OF the
hard to quell. Cleanliness is very i'm
portant point to encourage in cnllds
mind, for it brings not only improved
looks, but health and moral well being
as well.
Bath Must Be Joy.
The daily bath must be made JOY
not a sorrow, with warm, soft water
and soap as dainty and delicate as. can
be had. In applying this, the mother
should first battle the little eyes with
plain water and soft cloth kept for
the purpose. and, when using the soapy
cloth, go nowhere near them. AS to
the spoonfuls of water which is al
lowed to run in the ears it is dangerous
in the extreme, as the sudden shock OF
this may, in some extremely sensitive
case, cause deafness, wholly or par
TALLY. When the cloth is to go into the
ear it should be wrung out and a little
soap rubbed on it. The rinsing is also
done with cloth freed of superhuous
water, and all the drying OF the sensl-
tive little organ must be accomplished
with the end of a soft old towel wound
over the forefnger.
That q soap which is used upon
little face should be pure goes without
saying. The cheap soaps are all strong
with alkali, and their constant use will
alter in time the entire texture OF
child's skin. The perfect soap for both
the face and body is mild an emollient
that is, it abounds in vegetable oil;
and, though there are many magnih-
cent soaps on the market, when in
doubt as to the purity of the cheaper
thing, or unable to reach the more ex-
pensive ones, the harmless soap may
be made at home without too much ex-
pense or bother.
A very excellent soap, whose very
form would be encouraging to the
small ones who have been appalled, by
the sight of the cake, is made by shaw
ing a cake of good old CASTLE and boil
ing the powder in one quart of water.
This is soft and it may be delicately
perfumed and kept in a jelly glass that
has cover, and when using 1t all fears
may be allayed by dissolving a spoon
full of the jelly in the warm water be-
fore the child is brought into the bath
room.
Almond Soap Softens Skin.
An almond soap which is extremely
softening to the skin is made of white
curd soap and CASTLE, in quantities of
one-seventh of the latter to six
seventies Of the former. One ounce Of
oil of almonds will perfume four
pounds and half of this exquisitely.
These two soaps are shaved and melt