Hypoallergenic Soaps for Eczema

1. Aveeno Moisturizing Bar

Aveeno moisturizing bar is a mild, hypoallergenic body wash bar formulated with colloidal oatmeal.

This soap-free formula is produced from finely powdered oatmeal and a moisturizer to help soften and hydrate the skin. Therefore, it is ideal for the sensitive skin of eczema patients because it contains no harsh chemicals even though it moisturizes and washes thoroughly.

Colloidal oatmeal is an FDA-approved ingredient for treating skin diseases such as eczema and rashes. It is a skin protectant. This means that when applied on the skin, it serves as a second barrier to keep out irritants and toxins.

Besides acting as a physical barrier, oatmeal can also restore the normal pH of the skin as well as supply certain micronutrients to the skin.

Because oatmeal can have a drying effect on the skin, the inclusion of a moisturizer in Aveeno hypoallergenic bar ensures that the soap leaves the skin properly moisturized even as it is cleansed and not irritated.

Aveeno Moisturizing Bar is well-received and highly rated by both users and reviewers.

2. Olivella Face & Body Bar Soap

Olivella bar soap is formulated solely with olive oil. The lathering ingredient is sodium olivate or saponified olive oil while the base is made from virgin olive oil.

This soap contains no chemicals that can irritate the skin. In fact, its color is impacted by its olive oil content. The light green color of the soap is derived from the chlorophyll content of olive oil. Therefore, the composition of Olivella is 100% virgin olive oil.

Unlike soaps formulated with harsh chemicals, olive oil leaves no residue on the skin. It softens and soothes the skin.

Virgin olive oil is used in this soap because of its beneficial ingredients. This oil is rich in minerals and vitamins that can improve skin health. Olive oil contains vitamins A, D, E and K. These vitamins have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.

Of these vitamin A (in the form of beta carotene) and vitamin E are the most important.

They can protect the skin from damage from toxins, harmful free radicals, and ultraviolet light. These are the vitamins responsible for the anti-aging effect of olive oil.

Besides these vitamins, olive oil is rich in antioxidant compounds such as squalene. Squalene is not only an antioxidant but also a natural moisturizer that can penetrate deep into the skin.

Furthermore, olive oil is rich in essential fatty acids. These fatty acids are known for the anti-inflammatory and tissue-building properties.

By using an all-olive oil formula (even the fragrance is derived from olive oil), Olivella Face & Body Bar Soap can help reduce itching and inflammation on the skin even when cleansing, protecting, hydrating and rejuvenating the skin.

The all-natural formula of Olivella soap makes for an ideal bathing solution for sensitive skin affected by eczema and easily irritable by the chemicals found in conventional and regular hypoallergenic soaps.

3. Dove Sensitive Skin Unscented Beauty Bar

Dove soaps are regularly recommended by health professionals including the American Academy of Family Physicians.

There are a number of products under the label, Dove Beauty Bar, but the Sensitive Skin Unscented Beauty Bar is the hypoallergenic soap for people with eczema and anyone with sensitive skin.

Although it contains no added fragrance and is regarded as hypoallergenic, this Dove soap is far from allergen-free. It is formulated from synthetic chemicals much like most of the Dove line and other conventional soaps but it is a milder formula.

Dove Sensitive Skin Unscented Beauty Bar may not contain SLS (sodium lauryl sulfate) but it contains the related sodium lauryl isethionate.

Some of the other common soap chemicals found in this hypoallergenic bar are stearic acid, sodium stearate, lauric acid, and tetrasodium EDTA. These are low-hazard ingredients included to increase the cleansing power of the soap, to prevent the formation of scum and to separate the inactive ingredients from the active ingredients.

However, the most controversial ingredient of this soap is cocamidopropyl betaine.

Cocamidopropyl betaine is a known allergen. This compound has been shown to contribute to the impairment of the immune system.

Still, there are safe ingredients in this Dove hypoallergenic soap. Examples of these are sodium cocoate (derived from coconut oil) and sodium palm kernelate (derived from palm kernel).

In summary, Dove Sensitive Unscented Beauty Bar may be a milder formula than the rest of the Dove line and, therefore, hypoallergenic for some eczema sufferers but it is more likely to itch and inflame the skin that the natural soaps described above.

4. Basis Sensitive Skin Bar

Basis Sensitive Skin Bar is also recommended by the American Academy of Family Physicians. It is described as a non-soap cleanser specially formulated for people with eczema and acne.

With regards to ingredients, Basis soap contains more natural ingredients than the Dove soap described above but it is also not an all-natural formula.

The Ingredients of Basis Sensitive Skin Bar

There are 16 ingredients in Basis Sensitive Skin Bar. The 4 major cleansers found in this hypoallergenic soap are sodium tallowate, sodium cocoate, sodium palm kernelate, and pentasodium pentetate.

While sodium cocoate and sodium palm kernelate are safe ingredients made from natural plant oils, sodium tallowate is obtained from the animal oil known as tallow. Studies have found that sodium tallowate carries a small risk of causing acne comedones and triggering eczema even though it is gentle on most skin types.

Besides cleansers, Basis Sensitive Skin Bar includes 5 moisturizers. These are glycerin, lanolin alcohol and the extracts of aloe vera, chamomile, and almond oil.

Of these, lanolin alcohol is the only controversial ingredient since it can potentially burn, blister and trigger itching and hives on the skin.

Two other ingredients that may react negatively with sensitive skin are petrolatum and titanium dioxide.

Petrolatum is an excellent emollient that can prevent the dehydration of the skin but it can also promote oxidative damage to the skin at high concentrations. Similarly, titanium oxidizer is a sunscreen but it can also make the skin more sensitive to sun damage.

Basis Sensitive Skin Bar is not only well-reviewed but also well-received by eczema and acne patients who are super-sensitive to the harsh chemicals in conventional cosmetic products.

Therefore, this soap demonstrates the true definition of a hypoallergenic product. This means that while it does contain potential allergens, there are present in sufficiently low concentrations that do not negatively affect sensitive skin for the majority of users.

5. Neutrogena Extra Gentle Cleanser

This Neutrogena cleanser is a soap-free lotion cleanser. It is a regular pick of skincare experts too.

Neutrogena Extra Gentle Cleanser is a fragrance-free, hypoallergenic, moisturizing cleanser. It is a mixture of synthetic ingredients and plant extracts.

On one hand, this Neutrogena cleanser contains safe, natural ingredients such as chamomile extract, castor oil and vitamin E. On the other hand, it contains potential chemical allergens such as tetrasodium EDTA, BHT, and parabens.

However, like the Basis soap described above, the formulation of Neutrogena Extra Gentle Cleanser seems to strike a near-perfect balance between these 2 groups of ingredients.

This cleanser not only avoids the normal lathering ingredients that may irritate sensitive skin, but it also replaces them with gentler alternatives that do not leave filmy residues on the skin.

In addition, it uses a combination of effective moisturizers that keeps the skin hydrated even as anti-irritants such as chamomile relieve itching and antioxidants such as vitamin E reduce skin inflammation.

Unfortunately, this cleanser is getting rarer to find as Neutrogena replaces it with the Ultra Gentle Cleanser that some users claim is not as hypoallergenic as this product.

6. Lather Exfoliating Body Soap

Lather exfoliating body soap with oatmeal & bamboo extract has a unique formula.

Besides titanium oxide and sodium citrate, it is formulated with natural ingredients. These include oatmeal, shea butter, wheat bran, bamboo stem powder and extract, olive oil and citrus peel oil. The result is a rather blocky bar soap that provides gentle exfoliation of skin cells and does not irritate the skin.

The oatmeal, wheat bran and bamboo extracts included in this soap have similar roles. Their fibers help exfoliate the skin without irritating it. However, they also release antioxidants on the skin.

The antioxidants in oatmeal are vitamin E and flavonoids while wheat bran supplies the antioxidants, lignans, ferulic acid and also vitamin E.

In addition, these ingredients can serve as natural sunscreens and protect the skin from sun damage.

Bamboo powder and extract are common ingredients of Asian soaps. Bamboo can absorb odor from the skin even as it keeps it moisturized.

Other ingredients of this soap such as olive oil and shea butter act by softening and smoothening the skin. They also moisturize the skin and give it a supple, full appearance.

In conclusion, Lather exfoliating body soap provides an effective alternative to soap-free bars and liquid cleanses. It produces a rich lather derived not from harsh chemicals but from natural ingredients used in traditional soaps.

It is a mild exfoliant and, by mostly using natural ingredients, it is a hypoallergenic soap for sensitive skin. Therefore, it produces a satisfying cleansing action even though it is gentle on the skin.