Soap For Sensitive Skin & Eczema: What To Look Out For

Thorough and regular hand washing has never been more essential and while a strict hand hygiene regimen is important, having dry, cracked and simply unhappy skin on your hands isn’t something you should have to deal with. Those with problematic and irritable skin will know the struggle of having to wash your hands, despite how dry and painful the soap can make your skin. Whether you struggle with a specific skin condition like eczema or dermatitis or your skin is just prone to irritation, finding a soap for sensitive skin has never been easier. There are plenty of hand soaps out there full of natural, moisturising and balancing ingredients that can keep your hands happy and germ-free.

Which is the best soap for sensitive skin?

Just like the face, each person’s hands have a unique make-up and type of skin that will react differently to certain types of formulas and ingredients. We wash our hands multiple times a day, making it super important to find a hand wash that works with your skin type. You might need a hand wash that’s primarily moisturising, protective, soothing or all of the above. While you might assume that opting for a liquid hand soap for eczema or similar skin conditions would be less harsh and more nourishing for the skin, the opposite is actually true. Bar soaps are growing in popularity and can be far more gentle on problematic hands as they usually contain far fewer ingredients. Certain chemicals like preservatives and emulsifiers used to create consistency in liquid soaps are not present in bar soaps, which are usually milled using natural oils. Not all liquid soaps will be damaging but if you’re after a hand soap for sensitive skin, sticking to bar soaps with minimal ingredients is the way to go. 

Properties of soap for sensitive skin:

There are a number of key properties to look for when finding the best hand soap for eczema and sensitive skin. 

Non-synthetic

Synthetic ingredients are common, particularly in liquid soaps, and are used to add colour, fragrance or to create a certain consistency. These hidden nasties can strip natural oils from the skin, causing dryness, rashes or even flare-ups of underlying skin conditions like eczema. It’s best to stick to all-natural and plant-based hand soaps with ingredients like lavender and aloe vera which are soothing by nature and smell lovely without the need for added chemicals. When looking at ingredients in soap for sensitive skin, avoid any with a mention of SLS or other sulphates. These foaming agents can be found in many common soaps on the market, used to make sure the soap creates a nice lather when used. However, SLS also strips all the natural oils from the skin on our hands, which can wreak havoc for sensitive and problematic skin that requires much gentler ingredients.

Anti-inflammatory

If you’re looking for the best hand soap for eczema or another skin condition that won’t aggravate your skin any further, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant ingredients are key. You need a hand soap that soothes your poorly skin and keeps it as calm as possible, so you can forget about it and get on with life. A common anti-inflammatory ingredient is aloe vera which can effectively reduce redness, relieve itchiness and calm down any swelling. 

Moisturising

Next, think about how moisturising a formula is. While it may be tempting to keep yourself safe from germs with a highly antibacterial hand wash, this will only cause your sensitive skin to give you grief. Avoid harsh soaps and be on the lookout for moisturising and nourishing formulas that stay active even after use to soak up any moisture from the air and reduce the amount of water that escapes from your skin cells. Betty Hula offers a range of all-natural and vegan hand washes, packed full of skin-loving ingredients like mangosteen oil and prickly pear oil.

Natural oils

Essential oils like Aquaphor ensure that the hand wash adds moisture while also creating a protective barrier and wrapping all the beneficial ingredients as close to your skin as possible. Lavender is another key oil in hand soap for eczema, dermatitis, rosacea and more, soothing the skin and alleviating your hands from any discomfort. Scottish Fine Soaps has recently launched the Scottish Fine Naturals range, including a hand soap and hand wash. Formulated with specially selected natural oils, these skincare products are kind to the skin but tough on germs.

Low pH

It’s important to keep the pH of our hands balanced at around 5.5. This way, our hands can be effective in fighting bacteria and keeping moisturised. Look at the pH of soap for sensitive skin before purchasing to make sure you don’t end up with one that’s overly high and drying. 

Soap for sensitive skin & eczema — which product is right for you?

If you’re on the hunt for a natural, soothing and high-quality hand soap to relieve your sensitive skin and keep skin conditions at bay, take a look at our wide range of hand soap and bar soap products. Or, get in touch with the team for further advice!