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Washing powder eczema

63 replies

Justdowhatyouweretold · 22/04/2021 19:53

DD9. has me eczema. It has got worse recently.

I get a bit obsessed with nice smelling fabric softeners and also add in a capful of Zoflora to the drawer. So, of course this is the likely culprit.

I wash her stuff separately as she has her own washing basket so can use different detergent.

Any recommendations? I normally use fairy which I will use this weekend but will avoid the softner and Zoflora.

Also any good cream recommendations?

OP posts:

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poshme · 22/04/2021 21:44

I have to use Persil non bio with no conditioner or anything else or I scratch my skin raw.

If I have to use vanish for stains, I do an extra rinse and spin afterwards to make sure it's rinsed properly.

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Pedallleur · 22/04/2021 21:58

Surface or Ecover as mentioned above or Wilko liquid soap is v.good. forget perfumes and fabric conditioners. Just more chemicals

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EvilOnion · 22/04/2021 22:01

Fairy is one of the worst for setting off my eczema!

I use Smol pods - I can even use Bio and for the first time in my life I can use Fabric Conditioner too

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mrwalkensir · 22/04/2021 22:03

Eco eggs/balls for goodness sake ( and can do a full load on a half load reduced cycle)

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crocusesandtulips · 22/04/2021 22:06

I've had eczema all my life and Surcare is the only one I can tolerate. So I echo the recommendations of the PPs

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BluntlySpoken · 22/04/2021 22:13

Aveeno cream and body wash both prescribed for ds

Non bio and fairy.

I did the same and used a fragrance comfort. Big mistake. Back to washing seperate

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Nsky · 22/04/2021 22:44

Not glam bio d non fragranced liquid is much cheaper and better

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DotBall · 23/04/2021 00:17

Fairy massively sets ds's excema off

And me! Don’t assume the Fairy is innocent, OP 😄
We use Lidl Formil bio liquid with no issues. All the horse stuff such as saddle pads and fleeces also get washed in this with no problem either.

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UnitedRoad · 23/04/2021 00:31

I use persil non bio, comfort pure, and tumble dry my clothes. It’s helped a bit I think but My back is still very very itchy all the time, and I have eczema on my arms snd legs. I might drop the fabric conditioner and see if that makes a difference.

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FrankensteinIsTheMonster · 23/04/2021 00:49

I might drop the fabric conditioner and see if that makes a difference.

Definitely drop the conditioner — it works by leaving a thin layer of anti-static and fragrance chemicals over the surface of the fibres, some of which can cause irritation to sensitive/sensitised skin.

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Gibbonsgibbonsgibbons · 23/04/2021 00:57

Old fashioned Fairy non bio loose powder here - everything else makes my skin crazy.

if you find what works for your DD it would be a kindness to use the same for your whole house - getting a rash on your face because you cuddled up against someone’s chest while watching a film or because you fell asleep on the wrong pillow is lousy! Oh & towels need to be right too.

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FrankensteinIsTheMonster · 23/04/2021 01:00

Basically, I do this:

No pre-treatment
Small wash loads (allows enough room for thorough rinsing)
Nearly any fairly basic laundry detergent, half the dose it suggests (i.e. 1 tablet, not 2)
Couple of scoops of washing soda straight into the drum (because we're in a hard water area)
Not a cold wash (doesn't seem to rinse off detergent as well)
Rinse as though detergent is poison — the longest wash you have, with an extra rinse
No fucking Zoflora
Tumble dry for softness and to avoid allergens depositing on clothes during drying.

My clothes come out pretty much odourless and I don't end up wanting to rip my own skin off. If I want to smell of things, I buy perfume I like the smell of that doesn't irritate my skin.

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anxietyanonymous · 23/04/2021 01:12

Fairy non bio here and no softener. We avoid anything heavily perfumed at all.

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MixedUpFiles · 23/04/2021 05:18

The residue from the perfume stays in the dryer and contaminates the other loads. You need to stop using it entirely.

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frogsarejumpy · 23/04/2021 05:51

My dd has eczema, Persil non bio here. If whites or stained, wash in bio with vanish then quick rehash in non bio. Currently using cetraben cream and ointment.

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Dollywilde · 23/04/2021 05:57

No recommendations sorry but following! DH has eczema and we’ve used just Fairy for years but DD 8 months also has it and Fairy seems to be irritating her so on the hunt for a new laundry detergent that suits both DH and DD! Will try some of these recommendations...

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Everyday21 · 23/04/2021 06:30

Tesco non bio and extra rinses here

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Footle · 23/04/2021 06:43

Surcare. Nothing else ever in the machine.

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Bookworm19 · 23/04/2021 06:45

My daughter always has a flare up to scented washing products.

The only thing I use is Bio D. For scent, I sometimes add in essential oils but only if I can be bothered!

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amarya · 23/04/2021 06:54

We Use non bio with no fabric conditioner. Emollient for skin, and minimise anything else you put in the skin, always choosing the gentle options such as baby shampoo. No perfumes, face paints or similar. Bad eczema is horrid!

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Londonnight · 23/04/2021 07:13

I use Eco Egg.
Stop using the Zoflora that really wouldn't be helping, I can't believe that you have been doing that.

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redcandlelight · 23/04/2021 07:16

ime any powder will do.
but use a warmer (40 degrees or warmer) and long cycle.
if the machine allows it add a rinse&spin.

check the manual, sometimes pressing 'water plus' will add an extra rinse&spin.

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FrankensteinIsTheMonster · 23/04/2021 10:47

It's no wonder there's so many people with sore, broken skin when we all insist on walking around with a warm sweaty layer of washing/conditioning/fragrancing chemicals pressed against the surface of our skin. I can't think of a more effective way to sensitise yourself to contact irritants than to deliberately deposit them on your clothes :-/

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EvilOnion · 23/04/2021 11:06

@FrankensteinIsTheMonster I use 1 small pod of low chemical detergent for a 9kg load and a half dose of low chemical fabric conditioner for towels/bedding, on the longest wash with an extra rinse and line dried.

I can't use perfume, soap or lotions (prescription or specific brand only) and shampoo/conditioner is a necessary evil
but since hitting puberty I've had flare ups which open, weep and flake when I'm stressed, there's low humidity or is too hot and I need to be covered for work.

Not quite sure what you'd suggest I did to cure myself

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FrankensteinIsTheMonster · 23/04/2021 11:14

Evil my comment wasn't aimed at you, and of course there are people who will still have reactions even when using minimal amounts of the least irritant detergents they can find, and rinsing to buggery. My comment is aimed more at our societal norm of infusing our clothes with cleaning products that are designed to be left permeating the fabric, which will inevitably end up sensitising a good proportion of people who'd otherwise probably never had a problem, just so that clothes can have a scent and be a little easier to iron. I'm pretty sure if I hadn't spent years wearing chemical-infused clothes, my skin wouldn't react so dramatically to small amounts of these substances. Those of us who are sensitised are unfortunate but on a population level it's inevitable, when this is how we choose to treat our clothes. It seems odd to me that it ever became the norm. I fight the same battle you do, possibly at a lower level, and it's very frustrating!