Gentle to my sensitive skin
I got this bar after an itching spell had lasted too long... I still do not know what sets my skin off, but every so often I go a good couple of weeks just being itchy - everywhere! I have changed my laundry soap, and gone to gentler cleansers and been careful around cleaning products, but I have not ever figured out exactly what it is that sets my skin into what I guess is a type of flair-up. There is not any particular redness or rash, with the exception of where I have scratched and the only thing that seems to cause an immediate reaction during one these episodes is direct sun light... it makes me feel a little like my skin is on fire and then I will get a small rash that only last a short time. I have gone through this now a few times and have finally figured out a routine that seems to stop the flair-up... I use three different products - Glyderm gentle cleanser (a face cleanser with glycolic acid meant for sensitive skin) - I use it full body and let it sit about 5 minutes to exfoliate the top layer of my skin in case the itching is being caused by an irritant that has been deposited on my skin. I then use the an anti-fungal soap called PediFix FungaSoap Liquid - it has a strong smell that might turn some off, but I use it in case I am having a mild yeast or bacterial type of reaction in my skin. I let it sit a few minutes and then rinse. I do not use antibacterial soap on a regular basis, because I have an awful time with yeast infections if I do, so my normal cleansers would not necessarily catch a bacterial skin issue. And then last, I use the Vanicream soap. It is gentle and it is able to rid my body of the scents of the stronger cleansers... it also leaves my skin feeling clean, but neither tight or slippery. It is a mild soap meant for gentle skin, but I think it has a mild scent - it does not smell perfumy at all, though. I might repeat the above process a couple of times, but then I continue my daily showers with the Vanicream. Of the cleansers meant for sensitive skin, it is the one that I prefer in terms of scent and how my skin feels afterward. Oh, and I also use a high quality calendula oil, cream or lotion after bath or before towel drying to moisturize and calm my skin. The oil alone will help the itching stop temporarily; but whatever is causing the itching does not go away until I go through the whole routine two or three times. I still have no clue what sets my skin off, but I have a pretty decent arsenal of "go-to" stuff to quickly start dealing with the situation. And in between, I use this soap and maybe the oil to keep my skin calm. The first couple of times it happened, my routine would also include a soak in RID, in case the itching was being caused by some unseen parasite, but it did absolutely nothing to stop the itching and I surmised that my itching is not due to any type of body lice or pest. Mind you, I never saw symptoms of such, but by the time you itch that long for no apparent reason; you really are ready to try anything to just make it stop. Glyderm Gentle Cleanser http://www.amazon.com/Gly-Derm-GlyDerm-Gentle-Cleanser/dp/B0041EATDO/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1299267590&sr=8-3 PediFix FungaSoapLiquid with Tea Tree oil, 6 oz http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002DUTHY Read more
