Sometimes contact of clothing with the skin causes irritation or allergies. Some of these irritations are linked to the nature of the textile. In our article on psoriasis and textiles, we advise you to favor materials such as cotton. But it is also common for this irritation and itching to be linked to the detergent you use. Be careful though, under no circumstances can laundry be the cause of a chronic illness such as eczema. As part of the tips on eczema, here is our breakdown of detergent for eczema.
Laundry and eczema, aggressive agents for the skin
The detergents found in supermarkets seek to meet several criteria at the same time. Among them, we find: washing, perfuming, removing stains, revitalizing whiteness, taking into account the material of the textile (special wool or special cotton), etc. Your child is stained with mud, your cat has rubbed itself on your sweater (read our article on the domestic animals in case of sensitive skin), your white dress becomes dull...so many challenges to overcome when it comes to laundry. We can easily imagine that to meet all these objectives, the compositions of these detergents are quite complex.
When you suffer from eczema, you need to adapt some of your daily actions. Laundry is therefore one of those actions to adapt in order to relieve this inflammation of the skin as much as possible. This article seeks to decipher the different detergents, to favor or avoid, when our child suffers from this chronic illness or ourselves.
Tips for using detergents distributed in supermarkets
To minimize the risk of irritation, you can reduce the dose of detergent used per machine. In principle, by reducing the dose by a third compared to that recommended by the brand, the washing quality is identical. This tip helps reduce the deposition of harmful agents for sensitive skin. And the good news is that it saves you money.
Avoid allergenic substances as much as possible! It can be essential oil of lavender, sweet almond, intense citrus fruits…etc. In “supermarket” detergents, these different scents are easily identifiable because they are always highlighted on the packaging. Perfumes are often too harsh for our skin. Read our article on perfumes for eczema.
Furthermore, we recommend that you limit the use of softeners. Difficult to ban, of course, but not using them systematically can greatly limit the number of agents harmful to your skin placed on your clothes.
Finally, not overloading your machine allows you to optimize rinsing and therefore eliminate as many substances as possible that can cause irritation. Two rinse cycles will not harm your laundry and can reassure you that perfumes and strippers will disappear.
Alongside these actions, to limit eczema flare-ups, daily hydration is necessary to soothe the skin. We recommend that you use the Pso Natura Rich Restructuring Cream.
This natural treatment relieves and soothes itching, while hydrating and helping the skin to regenerate thanks to its high content of Carapa procera oil and aloe Vera. You can consult our guide to chronic illnesses to learn more about this pathology.
Tips for deciphering laundry more easily
Choosing between powder or liquid detergents
According to the Eczema Association, this variety of detergent is more aggressive than liquid detergent. Furthermore, it appears that the flakes of the washing powder may have difficulty diluting. Our opinion is that you should take what you find practical, and then look for a healthier base in this type of detergent.
The hypoallergenic label
This label is on the rise. But what is it really? A hypoallergenic detergent has undergone advanced dermatological testing to certify that it does not trigger allergies. Detergents benefiting from this label are therefore recommended for sensitive skin, skin suffering from eczema and baby laundry.
Be careful though, some detergents display the words “hypoallergenic fragrances”. It is not the same thing, because the detergent formula is not composed in a hypoallergenic way.
The Ecolabel label
According to 60 million consumers, the Ecolabel ecological label respects a precise list of ingredients and bans many harmful to health and the environment.
It is a label regulated by the European Commission.
This label also guarantees a minimum threshold of recyclability of the bottle and a certain biodegradability of the components of the formula.
The Ecocert label
Unlike the previous label, it is a private organization which created and regulated this label. It is much more restrictive than the Ecolabel because it prohibits the presence of methylisothiazolinone (criticised preservative) in laundry detergents.
A small selection of non-aggressive detergents for sensitive skin
Before continuing, we would like to point out that we have no interest in naming the brands below.
Le chat Sensitive 0% perfume, preservative, coloring. You can easily find this detergent in supermarkets. It is recommended by dermatologists for sensitive skin. Available in 2L format at 9,95 euros.
ECOVER ZERO laundry detergent is guaranteed to be dye-free, allergenic-free and fragrance-free. It is dermatologically tested and suitable for sensitive skin. This detergent offers a reduced impact on the environment because it is made from ingredients of mineral or vegetable origin.
Arbre Vert liquid laundry detergent for babies is an ecological laundry detergent that does not contain any allergens or aggressive agents for the skin. On the other hand, it is enriched with Aloe Vera. This detergent is guaranteed to be made in France and not tested on animals. You can also find Liquid Detergent for Sensitive Skin from the same brand. The latter is formulated without substances responsible for skin allergies.
Persavon Bébé glitter is made from Marseille soap. They are coloring and fragrance free. Be careful, however, to choose the Persavon glitter carefully, as the tube contains two allergens.
Detergents made at home
It is therefore clear that a large number of industrial detergents are not healthy for health and nature. And to relieve irritation, while controlling your impact on the environment, we have selected some detergent recipes to make yourself. These recipes are simple and also help relieve household savings.
Homemade laundry detergent with Marseille soap and baking soda
Here are the instructions for 1 L of detergent:
- 50g of Marseille soap in shavings or grated. Please note there are several types: white Marseille soap is made from peanut oil, green Marseille soap is made from olive oil. Marseille soap is hypoallergenic and can therefore be applied to sensitive or suffering skin. For laundry, choose a soap composed of at least 72% vegetable oil and without perfume, coloring or glycerin. And above all a preservative-free Marseille soap.
- 1 tablespoon baking soda
- 1 liter of water
- Start by heating the liter of water, then add the Marseille soap shavings. Mix gently until the soap dissolves in the water. Once the household is warm, add the baking soda.
- After cooling for 15 minutes, pour everything into a detergent container or a glass container.
Be careful, the laundry can become compacted. To avoid this problem, you can put it in a blender. Otherwise, just stir vigorously.
And presto, let's go for your washes! A standard amount of detergent will be enough for each wash. In case of eczema, we recommend that you do not add essential oils to perfume it.
Laundry with black soap, bicarbonate and soda crystals
- 1 glass of liquid black soap. Black soap is a multi-purpose cleaner. It degreases and removes stains. Black soap has a high concentration of vegetable oils, whether olive or sunflower oil.
- ½ glass of baking soda
- ¼ soda crystals
- 3 glasses of water
Boil the water, add the liquid soap and mix. Next, add the baking soda, then the crystals. Don't stop mixing. Leave to cool then transfer to a container.
Did you like our article on eczema and laundry detergent? Also discover our articles on:
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sources:
CFU what to choose: detergent Allergies and sensitive skin
