Allergies to Soap?
I'm making a lot of switches to more natural soaps and shampoos since discovering I have some sort of skin irritation in response to an ingredient in Dove. Trader Joe's brand things seem to be an improvement, and I haven't had any new reactions at my apartment. However, my boyfriend moved into a new apartment a few months ago, and my old skin reactions seem to show up just a few hours into my visits.
When I shower and use Dove, immediately afterwards my lower legs start itching intensely. I often absent-mindedly scratch them, and the skin pretty much instantly gets inflamed and somewhat pus-filled if the skin is broken at all. Benadryl lotion and witch hazel calm them down, but I'm confused about what seems to be a skin allergy that only affects one small part of my body. Has anyone seen this before?
My bf was using Dove (which I discovered by using an unlabeled bar and immediately itching, confirming my earlier suspicions about this brand) but I've replaced those soaps. He also uses my All Clear detergent now and we've washed everything we can think of. But I still get minor leg itchiness here and no where else. Can anyone think of ways to eradicate whatever might be causing the irritation? I have no idea if it's the same chemical somehow or I'm allergic to something else here. He seems to use the same cleaning chemicals as me and is otherwise pretty limited in soaps and that sort of thing.
Also, any recommendations for soap/shampoo/conditioners from people with sensitive skin? Does anyone have similar reactions and know what ingredient actually does this? I'm getting too paranoid to try new things. And I'll be sure to ask my allergist about this when I see him in a few months, but until then I'm scratching my head (and my legs!).
When I shower and use Dove, immediately afterwards my lower legs start itching intensely. I often absent-mindedly scratch them, and the skin pretty much instantly gets inflamed and somewhat pus-filled if the skin is broken at all. Benadryl lotion and witch hazel calm them down, but I'm confused about what seems to be a skin allergy that only affects one small part of my body. Has anyone seen this before?
My bf was using Dove (which I discovered by using an unlabeled bar and immediately itching, confirming my earlier suspicions about this brand) but I've replaced those soaps. He also uses my All Clear detergent now and we've washed everything we can think of. But I still get minor leg itchiness here and no where else. Can anyone think of ways to eradicate whatever might be causing the irritation? I have no idea if it's the same chemical somehow or I'm allergic to something else here. He seems to use the same cleaning chemicals as me and is otherwise pretty limited in soaps and that sort of thing.
Also, any recommendations for soap/shampoo/conditioners from people with sensitive skin? Does anyone have similar reactions and know what ingredient actually does this? I'm getting too paranoid to try new things. And I'll be sure to ask my allergist about this when I see him in a few months, but until then I'm scratching my head (and my legs!).