Feet allegic to organic soap? Advice?!
Question: I'm allergic to most commercially available body soaps, so I use an organic olive oil soap, and it works great. The problem is, whenever I scrub my feet, they get itchy later! There's no rash or anything gross, they just itch and it's really annoying. So I just basically rinse my feet. They don't stink or anything obnoxious like that, but I was wondering if anyone else had this problem and if anyone has any recommendations. I also use castile oil soap occasionally, and I get the same result! 0_o
Answers: I'm allergic to most commercially available body soaps, so I use an organic olive oil soap, and it works great. The problem is, whenever I scrub my feet, they get itchy later! There's no rash or anything gross, they just itch and it's really annoying. So I just basically rinse my feet. They don't stink or anything obnoxious like that, but I was wondering if anyone else had this problem and if anyone has any recommendations. I also use castile oil soap occasionally, and I get the same result! 0_o
You probably aren't allergic, what you are is exceptionally squeeky clean. Soap cleans because of a chemical reaction that causes oils to break down and allow it and the dirt to be rinsed away. The soap doesn't differentiate between the oils your skin made and needs and those that just landed on you from elsewhere. Pure soaps are usually pretty good at stripping the oils from the skin, leaving you with the dry itchy feeling afterwards. You can either use a nice lotion on yourself after bathing, or find a soap with an oil in it. The castile soap is mild for skin, but still tough on oils- and the olive oil soap has been changed chemically so that you don't get quite as much benefit from the lubricative quality of the oil as you might expect. You can use what soap you prefer, you just need to rinse it off well, and use a lotion afterwards. And if you have hard water- what you may think is irritation from your soap may also be due to the hard water combining with your soap. It forms a sort of soap curd that is nearly impossible to rinse off completely. If this is the case, any soap you used would cause the same things to happen. Unrinsed soap is irritating to skin for everyone, some are just more sensitive to it than others. If you have a problem with fur on the tea kettle or glasses get filmed after washing- this may be your real problem. The only cure for the hard water is a softener- either added in the bath or as the water comes into the house.
I have very sensitive skin, too. The only soap that does not make me itch is Oil of Olay unscented.
Many of the so-called organic soaps contain dyes and other irritants. Since they don't fall under the purvey of the FDA, they can add anything they like and not tell you.