The way in which we care for our skin can directly cause many rashes and often aggravates rashes from other causes.

The major points of skin care are:
SIMPLE rather than complex.
GENTLE rather than abrasive.

If errors are to be made, it is better to err on the side of doing less rather than doing more to your skin.

SOAP

Soap is a necessary evil. All soaps are irritating, some are more than others. Dove® unscented is the most widely available soap that is the least irritating to the largest number of people. If you are one of the few individuals who cannot tolerate Dove®, good alternatives are Cetaphil Cleansing Lotion, Aveenobar®, and Basis®. Highly fragranced soap and antibacterial soaps such as Ivory®, Dial®, Tone®, Coast®, Irish Spring®, Shield®, Safeguard®, Caress®, Zest® and Lever 2000® seem to be the most irritating and should be avoided.

Body areas that need regular soap cleansing are the underarms, groin, and feet. Regular water rinse is sufficient for the other areas.

BATHING

Hot water is more irritating than cool or warm water. Frequent contact with very hot water can be particularly irritating. Bathing recommendations include brief (less than five minutes) showers with warm to cool rather than hot water. Using small amounts of soap on the palms is the least irritating method of cleansing. Avoid use of washcloths, loofa pads, Buf Pufs®, or other abrasive items.

It is better to bathe only once a day. In fact, individuals with extremely sensitive skin and many older individuals find they do best with bathing only two or three times weekly.

For people who have the time to take a bath, a bath can be good for dry skin if done appropriately. The bath water should be lukewarm, not hot, and you should stay in the bath at least 15 minutes. Bubble bath should never be used. Either use no soap, or wait until the end of the bath to use soap. Right after using the soap, get out, rinse the soap off immediately in the shower if possible, and then apply a thick moisturizing cream or ointment (see below) immediately, before the moisture evaporates from the skin. Bathing in this fashion puts water into the skin and then traps it there. If you don't have the time for a long bath, then don't get in the bath at all. If you shower, keep it short.

EMOLLIENTS (Lotions)

After bathing or showering, gently pat away excess water, and immediately (within 2 minutes) apply a moisturizer or any special skin medications onto damp skin. The skin medication needs to be applied to specific areas first, then apply the emollient to whole body skin surface. Heavy moisturizers such as Eucerin Original Cream®, Cetaphil Cream® and Aquaphor® are most effective in hydrating very dry skin. Aquaphor is more effective, but it is an ointment, which means it is greasier than the creams mentioned above. Thinner moisturizers and lotions such as Eucerin Original Lotion® and Cetaphil lotion® are easier to apply; however, they are not as effective as the heavy moisturizers and should only be used for mildly dry skin.

Urea containing creams such as Carmol® or Ureacin® are often very effective moisturizers and may help smooth rough, scaly skin, but may sting when your skin is very dry or scaly. The same is true of Alpha Hydroxy Acid containing creams such as Aquaglycolic Hand and Body Lotion, or Eucerin Plus. Though they may sting in the beginning when your skin is at its worse, they are great for keeping your skin in good condition in the long run.

ELIMINATE IRRITANTS AND ALLERGENS

Identify and eliminate the things that flare-up your skin. Chemicals, products with fragrance, soaps, temperature change, sweating, scratchy fabrics like wool, and stress are common culprits.

• Wash new clothes before wearing them to remove formaldehyde and other chemicals with a mild detergent that doesn't have dyes or perfumes. Adding another rinse cycle will also remove residue.
• Try to keep the temperature and humidity levels at a comfortable level. Humidifiers and vaporizers if used to increase humidity must be cleaned daily to prevent mold growth.
• Many people are irritated by fabric softener strips such as Bounce® and Cling Free® (the type in the dryer). It is best to use a liquid softener such as Downey-Free in the washing machine.

RECOMMENDED LAUNDRY DETERGENTS

• Tide-Free
• All Free and Clear
• Dreft