HELP!! We Think Our Son Has a Sensitivity to Baby Soap

Updated on June 11, 2008
K.B. asks from Oklahoma City, OK
18 answers

My husband and I have noticed off and on that whenever our son gets out of the bath he has a little rash on his back and tummy, last night he was scratching and he said "itchy" and was rubbing his hands all over his tummy and neck. We have noticed little red dots in these areas, and then red welts where he is scratching, sometimes breaking the skin, he usually goes to bed about 1 hour after his bath and I think he is scratching more in his sleep because we don't notice him scratching too often. Anyway, we have used the Johnson and Johnson's lavendar bath wash and I thought well maybe its something in that so I got Aveeno bath wash and that made it worse. I know that he inherited this from me, as a child I could only be bathed with soap every 4 days, also, we only bath him every other day to help control this. So, my question is... does anyone have any idea what type of soap I can use that is for super sensitive skin that is all natural? Thanks for your help!!

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K.S.

answers from Dallas on

My daughter has the same problem... has he been diagnosed with excema? She has the triangle of excema/allergies/asthma all at 2 yrs. old. What we found that works best is bathing every other day if possible and using cetaphil which you can get over the counter. We try not to get it in her eyes though (kinda hard with a 2 yr. old) Her doctor also gave us a prescription lotion Pramosone that worked well. Hope this helps. PS she is a fair skinned red-head as well :)

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S.W.

answers from Amarillo on

Do you know of someone who makes homemade soap? Usually one with olive oil will help as it is the most gentle of soaps. It dosen't bubble like commercial soaps but lathers nice and is gentle. Just a thought. The other S. Give me a shout if you have questions.

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M.T.

answers from Dallas on

Make sure to have your baby tested. I have a friend whose son is allergic to sunflower seeds and some of the natural products contain seed oil, therefore, he is reacting to even the natural soaps. If you are interested I sell Arbonne and would love to share samples with you of our baby line. I hope you find what you are looking for for that sweet baby :) M. www.m3vno.myarbonne.com

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J.G.

answers from Dallas on

K.,
I just told another momma about Arbonne--natural swiss care. It is a little expensive but my whole family uses and loves it. They have baby care as well that is known for not causing rashes etc. It is very gentle. Go to Arbonne.com and look under the baby section. They have baby lotion, body wash, and sunscreen. It's so worth it! It's all I use for my son. Good luck.

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D.B.

answers from Dallas on

I highly highly recommend the Arbonne baby products. They work wonders. And I'm not saying that b/c I am a rep. However, I do know someone right now who is running a special...buy $100 get a $100 free. I always take advantage of that and buy $100 worth of the baby lotion and soap to get twice as much if that tells you anything. If you don't want to order arbonne I'd go with the california baby that you can get at Target. Basically you need to go FRAGRANCE FREE b/c that is probably what is cuasing the itching. I would NOT use the lavender no matter what. I know several adults and babies who have problems with the Johnsons lavender wash and lotion. Also check out the following link about other products by the EWG - environmental working group. There are tons of awful chemicals in the stuff we put on our babies. The less you use the better!! And choose wisely.

http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/special/parentsguide/

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K.M.

answers from Dallas on

We had the same problem and our doctor suggested we use Cetaphil lotion and body wash. I actually use the Walmart brand Equate and it helped my son alot. Hope this helps!

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G.W.

answers from Dallas on

My son had severe eczema and we stopped using all soaps. We use skin cleansers. Cetaphil makes one that you can use with or without water. It's expensive but you can find a store brand for much cheaper that work as just as well. He might need rice or soy milk products too.

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T.D.

answers from Dallas on

Eucerin makes Aquaphor - which is great for diaper rash, etc..but they also make a soap free cleaner iwth the same name!

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M.C.

answers from Dallas on

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R.

answers from Dallas on

I have two of my three children who have extremely sensitive skin and we use Dove Sensitive Skin soap and that seems to help them both. If we do have any "itchies" or burning, we have a prescription cream that we use. Also, we can ONLY use ALL Free & Clear Laundry Soap and only one particular Downy fabric softner. One last thing, sometimes the heat of the water and the longevity of the stay in the water can cause itching...just a thought. HTH

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S.W.

answers from Dallas on

Has he always had this problem or is this new? When it gets warmer outside, my husband has reactions like that sometimes after a shower and it's usually because his skin is super dry and just needs lotion. Once the lotion is on, he's okay. He has sensitive skin, so we use is fragrance-free everything - detergent, fabric softener, etc.

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L.S.

answers from Dallas on

I don't know about the soap but use some OTC hydrocortisone cream or ointment to help with the rach and to take away the itch until you find a new soap. I think it is the j & j soap. I would find something else from some of the other suggestions. I know that I can't use alot of things on my middle son because of skin issues. We use Melaleuca products. They are great. He gets a rash if I use anything else but their laundry soap. Sometimes I can get away with Purex, but not for long. We are allergic to tide, gain etc. So we use quit a bit of Melaleuca products in our house. I buy them but am not a rep. But can put you in touch with someone who is if you are interested. Just give me an email and I will point you in the right direction. Some benadryl or claritin might work to help the rash get healed and take away some of the itch also.
Good luck,

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K.C.

answers from Dallas on

I would suggest using a line of products called California Baby. It's all natural and hypoallergenic. They sell limited products at Target, but have more of a selection at Whole Foods, Central Market, etc. They also have a website www.californiababy.com

They have a body/hair shampoo for babies with sensitive skin -free of fragrance or scent-masking agents, hypoallergenic that does not contain any nut oils, gluten, soy, oat, dairy or alcohol. I was introduced to their Calendula cream for my son's eczema and it worked far better than anyting else I tried.

I use all of their products on my 7 month old son. He has sensitive skin like his Mommy and we have no problems. It's definitely worth giving it a try. Hope this helps.
K.

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D.O.

answers from Dallas on

We use Koala Pals body wash & shampoo on our boys. They all 3 have very sensitive skin & it works very well for them!

D.

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J.S.

answers from Dallas on

California Baby brand has some great soaps that have very little in them for kids to be allergic to. You can get the brand at Target, Whole Foods, Babies R Us (I think), and some other places. It does not get very sudsy is my only complaint. It does the job, though.

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W.R.

answers from Dallas on

I would try either California Baby or Dr Bronner's Castile Baby Soap (his products ROCK, and are reasonably priced).

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S.R.

answers from Dallas on

Hi, I found this website helpful when looking for toxic free products for my girls that have skin issues. It is a data base created by Environmental Working Group

http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/browse.php?maincat=babycare

Also, I have the best luck with products that have just a few ingredients so as to alleviate a chance for problem. Mostly you can get these products from small companies who make small batches. The smaller companies may not be listed on the site above but you can use that database to search specific ingredients. Once you start getting familiar with what is in certain products you will know when you find something good. Sometimes it is trial and error. (personal experience.. just look in my closet full of bottles.)

Johnson and Johnson products typically are bad for children with skin issues. They have many toxins in them. I love the way they make a baby smell but.. they never worked for my girls either.

Good luck. I know first hand how it is.. hang in there mama.

S.

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J.J.

answers from Dallas on

My son has very sensitive skin, and we swear by Bert's Bees products.

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