Body Wash, Soaps & Shampoos

Body, scalp and hand skin cleansers, washes and bar soaps are important personal care products for hygiene. They can also be used to treat skin problems.

I encourage you to think carefully about what soap, shampoo or cleanser you use in the shower or bath. Your body cleansing product is exposed to a large expanse of your skin. You want to think carefully about what’s in it.

Three important things to know about body and scalp cleansers:

1. Many body and scalp cleansers contain unnecessary allergens that can create a lifetime of allergic skin reactions.

The classic example is fragrance ingredients, which are potent allergens. Artificial fragrance can even contain hormone disrupting phthalates. Even natural fragrance ingredients such as botanical essences can be allergens, especially at high concentrations.

I recommend hypoallergenic body care cleansers that clean skin without exposing it to unnecessary allergens for you and your entire family. How you CLEANSE your body and scalp skin is the important first step in your body and scalp skin care routine.

2. Soaps and cleansers can over-dry some areas of your skin, especially arms, legs and hands.

Pick a product that gets you clean but not so clean that you've stripped precious body oils to create dry skin.

3. Body and scalp cleansers can offer an efficient multi-tasking step to begin correcting skin problems such as dandruff, acne, age spots and flakey skin.

You can do more than cleanse your skin in the shower! Consider adding:

• an exfoliating shower cloth or exfoliating body wash to your body cleansing and brighten, soften and polish your skin,
  
• a scalp scrubber to lather shampoo, bringing it to scalp skin where it removes sebum and dandruff scale,
  
• a medicated cleanser to treat acne or seborrhea on the body.
  

I offer only hypoallergenic body and scalp cleansers free of phthalates. Even the few products with fragrance contain only hypoallergenic fragrance or natural essences below the threshold likely to create skin allergy. - Dr. B

I'm picky about cleansing products because I know it's important!