Washing Powder or liquid and sensitive skin

Nicki

My DD has developed a skin condition which the doctors are having difficulties identifying and even more difficulties treating. It has struck me that it may help if I changed to a very mild washing product for her clothes, and abandon soaps and bubble baths in the bath for the time being.

At the minute I just use whichever biological Washing tablets or gel sacks that are on offer, and don't use conditioner unless in TD when I use half a bounce sheet, but in this lovely weather not using TD very much at all. I also only use half or a third of the recommended amount, as if I use more it does not disperse in my machine.

Can anyone with sensitive skin recommend a good product for washing clothes? She is disabled and can be incontinent so tends to make quite a mess of her clothes so something more effective than just a washing ball would be required I think. Also if the clothes are really bad after a toileting problem, would it be counterproductive to soak them in something like Nappisan (which I do at the moment) then wash them in milder stuff?

All help very gratefully received

rubytwilight

Nicki wrote:

My DD has developed a skin condition which the doctors are having difficulties identifying and even more difficulties treating. It has struck me that it may help if I changed to a very mild washing product for her clothes, and abandon soaps and bubble baths in the bath for the time being.

At the minute I just use whichever biological Washing tablets or gel sacks that are on offer, and don't use conditioner unless in TD when I use half a bounce sheet, but in this lovely weather not using TD very much at all. I also only use half or a third of the recommended amount, as if I use more it does not disperse in my machine.

Can anyone with sensitive skin recommend a good product for washing clothes? She is disabled and can be incontinent so tends to make quite a mess of her clothes so something more effective than just a washing ball would be required I think. Also if the clothes are really bad after a toileting problem, would it be counterproductive to soak them in something like Nappisan (which I do at the moment) then wash them in milder stuff?

All help very gratefully received

I have sensitive skin and have found changing to a non bio product helpful. For any marks i spray / or soak with diluted stardrops or starclen (if more difficult to shift) before putting in the machine. Most non bios have been fine but I like Sainsbury's non-bio perform liqud gel with aloe vera. Leaves a nice clean smell and no harmful effects on my skin. Sometimes I only use half the amount and add some soda crystals in the dispenser drawer .Good luck!

Also, has your daughter been referred to a dermatologist? Went to doctors so many times and wasted a fortune on inappropriate products.

Coupon-mad

My Mum has sensitive skin and always asks me to get her Surcare washing powder and fabric conditioner.

I think the powder is about £2.49 for a small box and the fabric conditioner about 75p, in Tesco. Surcare is white with blue lettering.

My Mum can't be wrong, she's a wise one!!

Penny-Pincher!!

Hi Hun

DD has quite poorly skin, gets worse depending on weather but super sensitive anyway. I have recently switched to Makros own powder. You get a hug tub (140 washes) for about £10, but a couple of months ago they were doing 2 tubs (280 washes) for £15 + VAT...excellent price! It has really helped her skin and I am VERY impressed with the stain removal aid in it too.

Fabric conditioner is Fairy and like you only use a small amount.

DD has nothing in her bath except Oilatum or a very mild baby bath. I buy the soap from Ebay and is a natural one and has helped also. DD also has slight incontinent problems and this can irratate her skin. She only has 30% vision in one eye and the other not much better so in the night if she cant find her glasses she has an accident...so I kind of know what you mean.

Wha about foods she eats? We find certain foods trigger a flare-could this be possible? DD had allergy tests done and these were helpful.

BTW, I also find drying on the line is kinder on her skin than the TD

HTH

PP
xx

BASIL

i get a rash with various washing powders but i now use fairy... have been ok since i switched.... best advice is to avoid anything with perfume in as it is an irritant to those of us who are a bit delicate!!! good luck x

s4cha

I would def recommend you switch to a non bio detergent. Both myself and my daughter have eczema. I have used Fairy powder or liquid on her clothes since she was born. And for me I use Persil non bio. I also use comfort pure for the both of us. I also use vanish spray for any stains and haven't had any probs with it.

As you said it would probably be a very good idea not to use bubble baths etc too. Even the most popular baby bath washes can be very irritating to the skin.

By the way my mum tried bounce a few times when I was younger and it made me itch like mad!

If you cut out these products and then re introduce a different product one at a time, you can see if she is allergic to it or not.

Hope that helps. Good luck.

Nicki

rubytwilight wrote:

I
Also, has your daughter been referred to a dermatologist? Went to doctors so many times and wasted a fortune on inappropriate products.

Yes - the problem began at Easter and since then she has seen 5 GPs and 4 consultant dermatologists and tried what seems to me to be every cream under the sun, plus anti-biotics and anti-fungal oral meds. She had the area scraped and analysed but other than saying it wasn't infectious, they weren't able to identify it. Although they say its not infectious, and no one else in the family has caught it despite the fact she is very tactile, it is spreading quite alarmingly over her body, hence why I am now looking at other ways of tackling the problem.

Penny-Pincher!!
Wha about foods she eats? We find certain foods trigger a flare-could this be possible? DD had allergy tests done and these were helpful.

I'd be really interested to know what foods are common triggers. I haven't spotted anything which I think makes things look worse, but she has a fairly limited range of foods which she will eat, and it's hard to monitor what she is getting at school as the school provides lots of snacks for her in addition to her school dinner, so there may be something which is sparking all this off. Obviously the food intake will be a lot easier to keep an eye on once the holidays start at the end of this week.

impy78

Hiya,
I am allergic to everything, and mostly to washing powder.

But I get equally bad irritation with non -bio (I was very ill, when I used fairy and had bid chicken-pox like scabs all over the place, I thought I had chicken pox, but the doctor told me it was due to my washing powder, and he turned out to be right).

The only powder I can use is surf, but i have no problems with fabric onditioner or tumble dryer sheets.

rubytwilight

I'd be really interested to know what foods are common triggers. I haven't spotted anything which I think makes things look worse, but she has a fairly limited range of foods which she will eat, and it's hard to monitor what she is getting at school as the school provides lots of snacks for her in addition to her school dinner, so there may be something which is sparking all this off. Obviously the food intake will be a lot easier to keep an eye on once the holidays start at the end of this week.

Dairy products are often a trigger, but didnt make any differerence to me personally.

Oatmeal in the bath (can put some in a cloth to save mess) and oil (couple of tablespoons in bath water - olive oil is fine for me) can feel like bliss for sore irritated skin.
Dont know if your daughter has been given aveeno yet( contains oatmeal) and comes in cream or lotion (on prescription) also feels very soothing.
Best of luck, I developed psoriasis in my twenties took ages to diagnose and tried me out on loads of tar based treatments which were of no help. Truly sympathise!
Hope some of the suggestions of the board offer a little relief!

aimeelister

s4cha wrote:

I would def recommend you switch to a non bio detergent.

Me too!

I use Persil non bio. If i use anything else i go all itchy and scratchy and horrible and get rashy bits all over. I never have any problems with stains, if they are really bad they get a bit of stardrops rubbed over them before washing.

Good luck sorting it.

BASIL

the other thing i found brilliant when i had an outbreak was getting acupuncture - it really helped the ithching and heat... i also had a course of herbal tablets which was fab....x