Shopping for personal-care staples over the last several weeks has, like much else, become fairly complicated. You notice you’re running low on body wash, for example. But when you hop online to search for your go-to, it’s out of stock everywhere. Not wanting to run to the store just to buy soap, you order something you’ve never tried before. When you use it for the first time, it feels the same. But, later on, you start feeling dry and itchy all over.
It’s not uncommon for skin to become irritated by certain products, particularly a body wash. Here’s how to tell if your new body wash is inflaming your skin and what you can do about it if it is.
What to look for
An allergic reaction to a body wash is different from one you may experience in reaction to another beauty product. A reaction to a beauty product will usually be limited to a red, itchy rash at the site of the exposure. But since a body wash is used all over and then rinsed off, it’s more likely to present as a patchy and diffused rash.
Allergies are a funny thing. They can develop over time, which means that you could have an allergic reaction to your body wash even if you’ve been using the same one for years. If your skin suddenly becomes inflamed, pink, scaly, and itchy all over and you’ve never been diagnosed with an inflammation-based skin condition like eczema, you might be allergic to your body wash. Or, more specifically, an ingredient in your soap.
The best way to confirm that is to visit a dermatologist and get patch-tested. The dermatologist may be able to narrow it down to your body wash based on the distribution and timing of your rash and the inclusion of any common allergens on the ingredients list. If trial and error doesn’t work, they may proceed to patch testing, which would entail placing a bunch of allergens on your back and seeing how the skin reacts to each spot after a couple of days.
Keep in mind, just because your skin becomes irritated after using a certain product doesn’t necessarily mean you’re allergic to it. Irritation and an allergic reaction can appear the same, but they’re caused by different things. Irritation stems from the surfactants in soap, the ingredients that make the lather. They have a higher pH than skin and can, as a result, strip the skin of its essential oils and proteins. In that case, just switching to a non-foaming body wash might help.
What to do about it
Unfortunately, correcting the matter isn’t as simple as singling out a couple troublesome ingredients because the list of ones that could potentially cause an allergic reaction is pretty long. There are, however, a few other important things on the label you can home in on. The first is fragrance. Fragrances are the most common source of contact dermatitis, according to clinical studies.
But the words fragrance and parfum are blanket terms cosmetics companies for thousands of undisclosed chemicals that can cause a range of skin reactions. Still, avoiding fragrances in skin-care products never hurts. Even natural fragrances, such as essential oils and plant extracts, can cause an allergic reaction.
Also try to avoid body washes that contain high levels of alcohol, which can damage your skin’s barrier protection and make oily skin worse because your skin overcompensates from being stripped of oil. It also promotes redness and irritation.
If, even after replacing your body wash, you’re still experiencing skin irritation, consult a dermatologist.
Your Dry Skin May Not Be What You Think It Is
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I don’t know why it took me so long to realize that the body wash is my problem. Possibly because my symptoms are different. With dove I had rashes on my arms. With Aveeno I have itching in specific spots. I had also been using Aveeno moisturizer with it.
I don’t know what else to try. I am very scent sensitive and am sensitive and also respond negatively to anything containing oils. When I was younger I went into anaphylactic shock from using bath oil.
Looks like we both have the same problem
My only solution is just water and a wash cloth now
I recently had a skin rash from using Magic in the air body wash from bath and body works. I used apple cidar vinegar in shower on arms and rash start disappearing within days and then I added oatmeal soap after I washed arms in apple cidar vinegar and rash was gone withing 5 to 7 days. The company reimbursed me money as well. I’m so glad I kept receipt.
I just broke out around my neck, and have used Magic in the air too. I wonder if that is what’s causing my break out?
I used it at bedtime after showering, and then, my neck felt stingy, then I got overheated in the kitchen while I was cooking, then the itchy burning rash developed.
I have the same problems since I was 11 and baby shampoo, the original regular one no special scents or anything, works for me. Also I have found that using shampoo instead of body wash works. it’s not like body washes have a special ingredient to not clean that shampoo doesn’t have so I figure it’s okay. Depending on your skin type whether or not it would break down your skin oils. Just use a *green/natural” shampoo if you go that route.
Try using some shampoo to wash your body cause it is washing your hair that what I do sometimes it does work or when all things try dawn. dawn is best for everything but this just happened to me today good luck
My doctor told me the following: after wetting my body in the shower, apply Selsin Blue to my entire body and wait two minutes before rinsing off. He said it eliminates bad flora. Only my back was itchy but I wash my entire body with it. It really does help!
Hi, I’m trying to figure out what ingredient I’m allergic to in body wash, Tone Beauty Bar, Caress body bar, spray tan and self tanner, and the moisturizing strip on Venus razors for ladies.
I can use all deodorant soaps, any kind of lotion, men’s disposable razors, and almost any kind of shampoo and conditioner but there are a couple brands that the scent makes my head itch.
I think it might be DHA or some softening agent.
Does anyone have any information about theses products that might help?
Methylchloroisothiazolinone and Methylisothiazolinone are two ingredients to look up. Once I found out that what was causing rashes and irritation for me, I was shocked that it was in Dawn dish soap, my liquid detergent (unscented and supposedly for sensitive skin..) it is in lotions, shampoos, conditioners, sunscreens, wet wipes for babies, especially prevalent in Bath & Body Work’s body washes, gels and hand soaps.
I am not a medical person, this is just from my own experience and research. I think they started using this ingredient in tons of products when people did not want parabens – so it was replaced with MI ingredients as a mold preventative so they can say it is “paraben free”. It is banned in Europe due to so many skin reactions. I have found it in Seventh Generation products, Mrs. Meyers, Aveda, Tide, Dawn, Suave, Bath&Body Works, and most hand soaps you find in restrooms out in public. It helps to just always check the labels – the long word is pretty easy to spot even though it is hard to pronounce.
I hope this will maybe help, or at least bring awareness to this ingredient in case you or others react to it in the future.
I’ve been itching on back, neck, face, arms for 4 days now after what I think was a reaction to the Dove sensitive skin Body Wash. How long will this itchiness last?
I’ve had a bad reaction to Dove sensitive skin body wash for the last month & it won’t go away yet. I have random red spots random places on my body. It’s just a kinda big red circle that’s dry & looks like it will definitely scar. Have you had this too? I stopped using the body wash about a month ago
Have been using Aveeno body wash for over a month, and the itching is worse, especially on my back. I can see a red rash on parts of my side and of course can’t reach the itch to apply an itch creme. Any ideas which brand to use to stop the itching.
Informative pointers on what to do and to keep in mind when a body wash creates any allergic reactions.. Good read!
I’m using Dahlia by Bath & Body Works. My neck, back and arms are irritated from it. That’s the only fragrance that irritates me. I don’t know if it’s Dahlia Petals or the Tonka Bean. I stop using it until I find out for sure what’s the problem