Skin care isn’t all about topical products! It’s about anything that you ingest or allow to touch your skin.  That includes your laundry!

The kind of detergent you use on your laundry needs to be gentle on your skin, especially if you have sensitive skin. If you have dry, sensitive skin or eczema rashes, you’ll want to avoid harsh detergents as they will aggravate your skin! If you are a mom, you probably bought special detergent for your baby’s clothes and blankets but you reserved it for baby. Now it’s time to baby yourself!

Look for laundry detergents that are dye-free, scent-free and hypoallergenic. Yes, the special baby detergents will work too but are likely more expensive! You can also make your own laundry detergent so you know exactly what’s going onto your clothes!

How to find the laundry detergent that’s right for your skin:

  • Sample products when available.  Sometimes larger companies will offer samples, so check their websites or Facebook pages.  The Sunday newspaper also occasionally has samples.
  • Read reviews online.
  • Ask your child’s pediatrician or your own dermatologist to recommend a brand of laundry detergent for sensitive skin.
  • Ask the lady at the store whom you saw remove a detergent from the shelf.  People love to share their experiences so don’t be shy about asking!
  • If a detergent leaves you itchy, write it down or keep a list on your phone so you can refer to it 6 months later when you are in a rush and can’t remember which detergent not to buy.
  • Remember that dryer sheets and fabric softeners can cause your skin to stress as well.  Switch those out if you need to!
  • Go Green, not only is it better for your skin, it’s better for the environment.  Be warned, laundry make take longer as green detergents don’t always clean as well as those loaded with harsh chemicals.  Presoaking and pretreating your laundry is worth the time and effort if you can have happy skin! (just be glad you don’t have to hand wring like in the picture above!)

Good luck!