Skin Allergies: skin friendly detergents, toiletries etc

terra_ferma

3plus1 wrote: »

To what?

Without knowing what your daughter is allergic to, it's impossible to make any recommendations. Cheap products and expensive products contain a lot of the same harsh chemicals - unless you know what it is you need to avoid, you may well be wasting your money trying what is perceived to be a better brand.

If you don't know what it is your daughter is allergic to, one of you (not sure how old she is, so whether she sees her GP on her own) needs to ask for allergy testing. It's free on the NHS.

Thank you for your advice (and telling off....), but this is not what I'm after. I've got the medical angle covered, and it's not a serious allergy anyway.
Stress is a big factor for her. Right now she has a lot of stress in her life, and therefore her skin is more sensitive than usual.

The purpose of this thread was simply to find out if there are alternatives to try out that may work better, or be cheaper than what I've used so far. And many helpful posters are providing that.
I also kept it general so that it can be a resource for other people with allergies or sensitive skin.

I must admit that I never realised that what triggers allergies varies so much, and there aren't brands that are suitable for all allergy sufferers.

terra_ferma

Lobell wrote: »

I can suddenly develop sensitivity to something that have used successfully for a long time

That's the main problem for my daughter, it can be contact with chemicals, it can be food (always different ones) and it's related to stress. At the moment wearing wool is a problem, never was before.

It can take the form or eczema, urticaria and even dermatographism (when she carries bags on her wrist/forearm, you can see a painless raised red line afterwards...).
But as I said it's not as serious as it sounds, she is absolutely fine most of the time, only occasional mild symptoms.

If it was a real problem she'd do more about it (she is not a child, although still lives with us). It means spending a bit more money on toiletries/detergents etc, but I'm happy to do it if it helps her (obviously I'm posting here because I would not mind spending less than I currently do...)

xxvickixx

Sodium Laurel Sulphate is a know skin irritant but is in almost all well know brands of Shampoo, toothpaste, shower gel etc, it is a foaming agent so that's why it is used. A lot of people with skin sensitivity and complaints have found that using SLS free products makes their skin much better. Might be worth investigating but I have found that it is more expensive to buy natural products so not very MSE.

xxvickixx

Another thought. If you are in a hard water area, have you thought about using some washing soda (water softener) in your soap dispenser, then you only need to use the soft water area amount of detergent (reducing chemicals and saving money.)

xxvickixx

Ecover liquid detergent - as per previous post - maybe reduce amount and use Washing Soda which is safe and natural.

Softener: Comfort Naturals or Pure only As before vinegar would be an alternative, Softener stays on the clothing and is in direct contact with the skin can block pores and irritate skin.

Bounce dryer sheets: look at stopping as it's more chemicals that will then be against the skin.

Surcare washing up liquid Can she use gloves for this,again reducing chemicals in her skin.

Any sensitive hand-washing liquid Would suggest using a bar of natural soap instead, liquid soaps often contain preservatives and other added chemicals.

Any perfume-free vegetable soap - even natural looking soaps can have added ingredients, check what is in your one, it might be worth a secind look?

Simple facewash - Simple aren't as skin friendly as their marketing suggest, they still have a lot of skin irritants in the products.

Face creams: I'm still trying to find a more natural alternative personally as I have oily skin and need to find one that won't block my pores. Neals Yard do a good range but they are pricey.

Hand cream: I don't use hand cream but sometimes use oil to rub in as a treatment. Hand cream may be OK on the hands but if you then touch another part of the body it may transfer chemicals that cause areaction elsewhere.

Shower gel: Would look into SLS free version or soap instead.

Facial Wipes: Lidl baby sensitive Apparently face wipes are really bad for the skin, would suggest using cotton wool and rosewater or witch hazel for a toning freshening effect. You could add essential oils depending on skin type. Lavendar is calming and soothing on the skin.
Deodorant: Bionsen Aluminium Free. There is a deodorant called pitroc that is chemical free but never tried it.

Another thought is do you use airfreshener or cleaning products in the home. These will be in constant contact with your skin and being breathed in. I switched to using an oil burner and essential oils. For cleaning I use microfibre cloths and soapy water and vinegar.

No one in my household has any health issues so I don't know if it makes a difference I just worry about the long term problems that these chemicals could cause.

Hope that gives you some ideas xx

terra_ferma

Lots of useful suggestions, new things to try! :j

stressedoutmum

I have eczema and have lost count of the products I can't use. For washing and moisturing I use doublebase gel prescribed by my dermatologist. I can't use E45 etc or anything with lanolin in it. Doublebase has the least additives in it. Its a great all rounder for cleansing, washing and moisturising and a little goes a long way as it looks like a cream but once you rub it in it sort of turns oily.

Fire_Fox

I have eczema and contact dermatitis and I find the fewer products I use the better as this limits the chemicals. I use Ecover shower gel on my body and my face, I also use it to remove make-up and as a hand wash! It's really creamy and gentle and keenly priced if you buy the five litre containers. :money:

For many years I successfully used Eucerin 5% urea face cream (on prescription and Boots) but eventually became allergic. This isn't cheap but a lovely texture and the urea is proven to be deficient in eczema: I didn't rate any of the other Eucerin products, the body creams are very greasy. I now use Simple replenishing rich moisturiser, tho I am allergic to many other Simple products. This is very cheap and also contains some sunscreen which saves a second product that I might react to.

IlonaRN

terra_ferma wrote: »

Sounds interesting. What oil do you use?
A few weeks ago she resorted to using olive oil cleanser/moisturiser (the only natural, organic product we could think of at the time) because she did not dare use any creams, her face was so bad.
Is olive oil suitable for OCM?

Olive oil should be fine. That's what I used to start, as that was what was in my kitchen cupboard!
I now use jojoba oil mixed with castor oil (might not need the castor oil if she has dry skin). Sweet almond oil is also supposed to be good.
There's a really good (long!) thread on this forum all about OCM. Definitely read it from start to finish - that's what I did before trying it! (and my skin is really soft and clear since starting OCM)

3plus1

terra_ferma wrote: »

Thank you for your advice (and telling off....), but this is not what I'm after. I've got the medical angle covered, and it's not a serious allergy anyway

I'm sorry if you thought I was telling you off, but I was trying to be helpful. As an example, a lot of people with sensitive skin are allergic to parabens, but some (myself included) aren't, even though they're allergic to lots of other things. There's not a lot of rhyme or reason when it comes to sensitive skin.

Also, a lot of people assume if they have sensitive skin, they must avoid all cheap stuff. Not necessarily true and not very MSE.

What works for one person won't necessarily work for another, but I've used the following without reactions: Clinique, Maybelline, Collection 2000, Johnson's, Vaseline, Simple and Persil. Some prescription moisturisers can be used all over and also as soap or bath soak. It's definitely worth asking about - you can always request a couple of small (will fit into handbag) sized tubs from your GP. Haven't found a cheap alternative to Gilette, but the man's version is ok (and cheaper than the woman's one).

I don't get on with any shower gel (OH doesn't use it either as some residue always stays behind) or fabric softener. But that's just me.