Body wash for sensitive skin: what to look for

A body wash for sensitive skin should be mild and fragrance-free, or you can wash with an emollient soap substitute, a moisturizing product used in place of soap. Keep showers short, use cleanser only where you need it, and put on moisturizer right after. That is the advice of the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) and the NHS. This guide covers what to check on the label, how bar soap compares with body wash, and how to shower when your skin reacts easily. It is part of Skinli's guide to sensitive skin.

Skinli gives general education and is not a doctor. Skinli has tested no body wash, and no source read for this guide tested a product made for sensitive skin, so this page names no brand. Medicated washes for acne on the chest and back are covered in acne body wash. Bathing with eczema is covered in moisturizing and bathing for eczema. Washing the face is covered in face wash for sensitive skin.

Why washing can irritate sensitive skin

The AAD describes sensitive skin as skin that "may sting or burn after product use".

The NHS says contact dermatitis, a rash caused by something that touches the skin, "is most commonly caused by irritants such as soaps and detergents, solvents or regular contact with water." It adds that this rash "may be caused by frequent exposure to a weak irritant, such as soap or detergent." The rash can be made worse by "heat, cold, friction (rubbing against the irritant) and low humidity (dry air)". Water counts as well, the NHS says, "especially hard, chalky water or heavily chlorinated water."

MedlinePlus, the US National Library of Medicine's health site, counts soaps and detergents, which are alkaline, among the substances that irritate the skin. Alkaline is the opposite of acidic on the pH scale, the scale used to measure how acidic something is. The American Contact Dermatitis Society names "harsh soaps" among the causes of irritant rashes. Detergent left on clothes is a separate question, covered in laundry detergent for sensitive skin.

The AAD lists the signs of contact dermatitis: itchy skin, a rash, skin so dry it may crack, tender skin, burning or stinging, hives and blisters. The NHS adds how the rash can look on different skin colors: "Lighter skin can become red, and darker skin can become dark brown, purple or grey."

What to look for on a body wash label

No label word on a body wash has a legal meaning in the US. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) says "There are no Federal standards or definitions that govern the use of the term "hypoallergenic."" It says the same of "fragrance-free" and "for sensitive skin", and advises "carefully reading the product ingredient panel and avoiding ingredients you know or think you are allergic to."

Use these points from the sources to choose:

• Fragrance-free. The AAD's moisturizer page says: "First, select a fragrance-free cleanser or moisturizing body wash." Its dry skin page warns that a product labeled "unscented" "can contain chemicals that neutralize or hide the odors of other ingredients", and that these chemicals can irritate dry, sensitive skin. The FDA says fragrance is common in "shampoos, shower gels, shaving creams, and body lotions". Fragrance-free vs unscented compares the two labels in detail.
• No dyes or perfumes. MedlinePlus advises picking a mild cleanser with no dyes and no perfume.
• No deodorant soap. The AAD says: "Some skin care products, such as deodorant soaps, are too harsh for dry, sensitive skin." Its page for darker skin tones says deodorant soaps and products with alcohol or fragrance "can irritate your dry, sensitive skin."
• No antibacterial claim. The FDA says "soaps and cleansers marketed as "antibacterial" are drugs." The NHS lists antiseptics and antibacterials among the common irritants behind contact dermatitis.
• Soap-free. The next section explains why.

Then read the ingredient list on the back. FDA rules require it, and the ingredients appear in order from the largest amount to the smallest. The FDA says fragrance may be listed as the single word "fragrance" or "perfume", with no detail of what is in it.

Preservatives are the other group to check if you have reacted to a product before. The FDA names fragrances and preservatives among the five common groups of allergens in cosmetics, and lists preservatives to look for on a label. They include methylisothiazolinone (MIT), methylchloroisothiazolinone (CMIT) and formaldehyde releasers such as DMDM hydantoin, diazolidinyl urea, imidazolidinyl urea and quaternium-15. If a patch test at a dermatologist found an allergy, the list of names to avoid comes from that test.

The word "natural" on a label tells you little. MedlinePlus says: "Labels such as "natural" and "hypoallergenic" have no official meaning. Companies can use them to mean whatever they want."

Bar soap, body wash or a soap substitute

The shape of the product matters less than what is in it. A 2018 review in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology sorts cleansers into two groups: "alkaline soaps or the less barrier-damaging synthetic detergents, known as syndets." It links the "lower skin irritation and dryness found with syndets" to how they act on the proteins in skin. NICE, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence in the UK, says syndets are made to have a pH close to the skin's own and are widely sold "in both solid and liquid forms". A bar can be a syndet, and a liquid can be a soap.

A 2002 study in the International Journal of Dermatology tested 17 products sold for dry skin and 12 common soaps on the forearms of 30 people with sensitive skin, for 5 days in a row. The amount of irritation was linked to each product's pH. Most of the products recommended for sensitive skin still caused irritation. Most of the products with a low irritation score were syndets.

The NHS gives a third choice. It says "Everyday soaps, shampoos and shower gels usually dry out the skin and can make skin conditions like eczema worse", and advises leave-on emollients as a soap substitute for dry or itchy skin. Emollient is the NHS word for a moisturizing cream, lotion or ointment. The NHS says these substitutes make no foam and still clean the skin as well as soap.

Type of wash	What the sources say
Regular bar soap	The AAD says regular bar soap "often contains harsh ingredients that can be drying". For children with eczema, it says to skip bar soaps
Liquid soap or shower gel	The NHS says everyday shower gels "usually dry out the skin"
Syndet bar or liquid	Less irritation and dryness than alkaline soap (2018 review). Most of the low-irritation products in the 2002 study
Emollient soap substitute	No foam, cleans as well as soap. Advised by the NHS for dry or itchy skin
Aqueous cream used as a wash	Contains sodium lauryl sulfate, which the NHS says "can cause skin irritation such as burning, stinging, itching and redness"
Deodorant or antibacterial soap	Too harsh for dry, sensitive skin (AAD). Antibacterials are a common irritant (NHS)

How to shower or bathe with sensitive skin

The AAD's dry skin page gives these steps:

1. Keep it short. "Limit baths and showers to five to ten minutes, using warm water." MedlinePlus advises lukewarm water. The American Contact Dermatitis Society suggests "short lukewarm baths or showers".
2. Use a gentle cleanser. "Wash your skin with a gentle cleanser. Dry skin is damaged skin."
3. Use less of it. "Apply enough cleanser to remove dirt and oil but avoid using so much that you see a thick lather."
4. Use it only where needed. "Use the cleanser only where you need it, such as your armpits or groin area." The AAD's eczema page for children says the same: "Use cleanser only when needed".
5. Rinse and pat dry. MedlinePlus says to dry the skin by patting it with the towel, with no rubbing.
6. Moisturize at once. "When you finish your shower or bath, gently pat your skin dry and immediately apply your fragrance-free moisturizer." The NHS also says to apply moisturizer "while the skin is still moist". Moisturizer for sensitive skin compares creams and ointments.

If you shave in the shower, the AAD says to shave at the end, because "The water makes your skin and hair softer and less likely to get irritated by shaving."

How to test a new body wash

A new body wash can be tested before you use it all over. The AAD's instructions for a product you rinse off are to "keep it on your skin for five minutes or as long as the instructions say." Use "a quarter-sized spot on your skin where the product won't be rubbed or washed away, such as the underside of your arm or the bend of your elbow", twice a day for 7 to 10 days. If your skin reacts, "gently wash the product off as soon as possible, and don't use it again." The full method is in how to patch test a new skincare product.

Change one product at a time. The AAD's advice after a rash is to "add the products back into your routine one at a time. Use one product for a week before adding the next one." Otherwise you cannot tell which product caused a reaction.

Reactions can start late. The American Contact Dermatitis Society says allergic reactions "typically develop anywhere between a day to a couple of weeks after exposure", and that they can happen "to substances that you have used safely for years." MedlinePlus says a person can use a substance with no trouble for years, even decades, before an allergy starts.

When to see a doctor

Stop a body wash that stings, burns or itches and rinse it off. The AAD says those sensations mean a product irritates your skin. The NHS says that if your skin stings after an emollient wash "and does not settle after rinsing, ask a pharmacist to recommend a different product." The guide why does my skincare sting explains the common causes.

MedlinePlus says contact dermatitis usually clears in 2 or 3 weeks with no complications. See a doctor or a dermatologist if a rash:

• spreads, blisters or lasts after you have stopped the product,
• keeps coming back,

A dermatologist can do patch testing, a test with small patches on the back that is read over several visits in the first week, to find which ingredient you react to. The AAD says: "The best way to treat contact dermatitis is to avoid what's causing it."

Get medical help right away for swelling, trouble breathing, nausea or vomiting after using a product. The AAD lists these as signs of a life-threatening allergic reaction.