For people suffering from dermatitis and eczema, it is very important not just to wash with regular soap. Unfortunately, most commercial soap contains chemicals that irritate the skin and can worsen eczema. What’s more, regular soap will dry out your skin, even if you use a liquid baby soap.

The good news is that there are liquid cleansers out there that are technically not soap. They basically have the same cleaning effect as regular soap and additionally, they actually moisturize your skin while washing. You will still need to apply moisturizer to your skin after washing, but at least these liquid cleansers don’t dry your skin out as much as normal soap would.

No soap?

Going without soap at all may intuitively seem the most natural way to go… after all, cavemen had no soap, did they?! I even saw some web sites recommending that you don’t use soap at all if you have eczema, or only user soap on your private parts.

However, I have tried going without soap for a while and absolutely cannot recommend it at all. Without soap you will not be able to clean all the bacteria from your body and will thus have a much higher risk of infection, especially if you have some lesions on your skin already. Therefore I strongly suggest you use a liquid cleanser designed for sensitive skin.

Shower / bath temperature

When showering or taking a bath, make sure that the water is not too hot. Hot water will dry out the skin more than cooler water. Lukewarm water in the winter and cold water in the summer is best. Also when you take a bath, resist the temptation to stay in there and relax for hours… Even a lukewarm bath will dry out your skin after a while, so I recommend you limit your bathing time to 20 minutes or so.

My favorite soap for eczema

For washing and showering, I have been using Sebamed Face and Body Wash for many years. I find Sebamed products to be very easy on the skin, they clean just as well or better than regular soap and leave my skin feeling fresh and smooth after showering.

Let’s see what the manufacturer says:

All Sebamed products are “soap free” and suitable for individuals even with the most sensitive skin. Sebamed is recommended by dermatologists in over 85 countries and is supported by over 150 clinical studies.

Therefore if you have eczema or otherwise sensitive skin, I can totally recommend the following products as I’m using them on a daily basis, and have been for years. Also you will typically use only very small quantities per day, so one 33.8 fluid ounces bottle will literally last you months on end.