Sudden Soap Sensitivity

elisabeth76

Not being someone who is normally sensitive to products, it has taken me till this weekend to work out that the horribly itchy hives mainly on my hands and wrists are most likely caused by my liquid hand soap. I use Carex and Imperial Leather. I have been through an extremely stressful 3 months recently and wonder if this would heighten my sensitivity??
Don't really want to go down the route of formal allergy testing if I can avoid that and if it is just a case of scrutinising labels but wonder if anyone out there knows what the most likely ingredients might be the culprits to be wary of, and what to wash with in the future.
I don't seem to be affected by an overall wash with a shower gel interestingly, or so far, shampoo.

kittendothroar

I used to use carex but found I became sensitive to it. Currently have tesco lilac handsoap without trouble.

Could be stress related, I would monitor it. I had a bad reaction to a facepack the other night not sure why either but burned like hell within moments of applying it!

kittendothroar

I used to use carex but found I became sensitive to it. Currently have tesco lilac handsoap without trouble.

Could be stress related, I would monitor it. I had a bad reaction to a facepack the other night not sure why either but burned like hell within moments of applying it!

System

It could be the SLS or possibly the perfumes? You could maybe try an organic scent-free soap for a while until it calms down.

shandyclover

Probably stress related. I work in cateering where we come into contact with all sorts of soaps, cleansers, anti bac, food acids etc. If I am healthy my skin is fine, as soon as I get run down, tired or stressed in anyway - immediately my hands and wrists flare up. Try and get some good sleep, food and unwind time. Aqueous cream is soothing, I use it instead of handwash when my skin is bad and it tends to clear up in a few days.

lindaj_2

Unfortunately on-going stressful situations cause all sorts of skin problems and may not manifest itself until some weeks/months down the line. But having been there myself I used aqueous cream from a supermarket or chemist - very cheap and can be used as a barrier or soap for sensitive, dry areas.

Avoid soapy products, biological detergents and fabric softener - one of the worst culprits for irritating skin and always to be avoided with eczema and dermatitis!
I suspect your GP would not want to start allergy testing either especially not before excluding products consumed or being used topically. They might suggest a mild topical steroid but you could try a Piriton tablet at night (bought over the counter) if itchy - this helps and Lanacane cream is very worthwhile trying. Good luck

Alton_Towers

Waitrose do a pure handsoap which has no nasties and is only about £1.00 this is the only handsoap I can use. You may also want to check your washing up liquid as I can't go near the stuff without gloves on. I can only use Surcare these days.

Avoid perfumed handcreams, as they can also aggravate it.

It really is trial and error but the above work for me.

elisabeth76

Thank you for all the very helpful replies, you've confirmed my suspicions that stress has played a significant role here. Our bodies are so clever in letting us know we're asking too much of ourselves.
Now to hunt down some organic scent-free liquid soap!