With my first I started out using Lux soap flakes and got over that awfully quickly, then onto Amolin (or similar), then at about 6 months of age used normal washing powder and she was fine.
I always used a quarter of a scoop of our normal washing powder and a quarter scoop of bi-carb. For a while there, when ds had excema, we went onto the Ark Sensitive washing powder.
i just used our normal washing powder, but only used about half- three quarters of what i would use in a normal wash. i also put the machine on an intensive rinse cycle instead of just the normal rinse cycle, to make sure all the powder was definitely rinsed out. so far she seems just fine!
I'm also using LUX flakes and when I finished this box (it's the second one) I'll switch to our normal washing powder which is OMO Sensitive (which is supposed to be fine for baby clothes anyway).
I have always used the amolin liquid or that other stuff in the blue bottle (can't think of the name of it!) because it is for sensitive skin. For this baby I have been washing with omo sensitive, or a small amount of our regular powder.
It's your choice and I choose to use the Ecostore laundry powder from the health food shop or Woolworths as it is environmentally friendly, but even better, great for baby's skin with no nasties in it.
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