DH has the itchies!

[Nae]

I have a question, my wonderful DH has an issue with soaps/shampoos. They make him itch like crazy. He thinks it is the PH balance of it, I am suspecting perfumes, but we really don't know. He usually just does a WO wash everyday so that he doesn't have the issue.

The weird part, at least for me, is that when he shampoos, and he loves Pert of all things,:rolleyes: his head/scalp never gets the itchies but if, while he is rinsing, he gets it on his back/neck whatever, the itchies commence. Do any of you soap/shampoo gurus have any ideas? My current theory is that he is just weird, of course that is not helping matters lol.

I thought maybe the sulfates were causing an issue so I had him try a CV soap. (Honestly not sure which one.) It was no use, he was still itchy. He was just talking about buying some Dove soap to try out, but I am skeptical about that solving hte problem.

I give this one over to the community, maybe we can get some answers, so bring on the advice, all you wonderful people! :)

[jaine]

I have sensitive skin and wouldn't touch drugstore brands at all ... they have so many unrecognizable chemicals, in addition to the ingredients that are impossible to tell what they are (like "Fragrance")
I only use brands that are obsessively OCD about their ingredients ... Aubrey Organics and John Masters Organics come to mind ... those are two brands that never irritate my skin. I have horribly sensitive skin.

There's nothing wrong with water-washing though. If your husband likes Pert, then he's probably not going to like paying $10-20 for a small bottle of something less irritating when he can get water for almost-free. :)

[Capybara]

I get the itches something awful when I use certain brands of soap. Olay, for me, is awful. Others seem to be okay, though. Has he been using the same brand of soap for a while, or did he recently switch? I'm in no way a soap/shampoo guru, but I do think that if it makes you itch, it should be avoided :) Maybe try a different brand of soap, or bodywash instead of soap?

For the shampoo on his back, do you think you could convince him to CO wash :p wouldn't hurt to try, it may end his problems. Hope this gets resolved soon :flower:

[little_cherry]

How about liquid castille soap with no perfumes or scent in it?

[smileycat]

Maybe wash his hair upside down so the shampoo doesn't touch the rest of him? Needs to be careful he doesn't get it on his face.

Not sure about soap for the rest of him. Sensitive Dove left me dry and itchy. I've had luck with the CV soaps, but they do include essential oils and other additives that may irritate him. Ever try making your own cold-process soap? I made a super-plain soap with only aloe added to the saponified oils at trace, and my skin loves it! Even my super-reactive rosacea-laden face is calm and clear (yes, using soap). Good luck!

Oh, I just had another thought. You may want to check on the hardness of your water. Some soaps definitely don't rinse well in hard water, and the lingering residue... well, itchy...

[kwaniesiam]

Which CV soaps did you try? Maybe give it another go with a scent-free one. I really like the Coconut Milk shampoo bar.

[Nae]

I think he tried the Mud and Clay CV soap and the Chocolate Almond. I have some Olive and Babbassu hanging around that I may have him try. Usually WO works okay to wash up his body for him, that is not too much of a problem, although sometimes a little more than a rinse is needed ya know? He just tries different soaps out occasionally, when the need arises and we haven't hit on anything good.

I have made soaps in the past but at the moment, I am really super busy with classes and work so I don't think I have the time to manage it, as much as I would love to.

The hard water may be an issue, we have been thinking about getting a softner for a while but my honey is a big penny pincher, it may take some convincing to get him to buy one.

The weird thing to me is what part of his shampoo could be possibly bothering the skin on his back but have no effect on his scalp? It is the weirdest thing. I have some Burt's Bees Super Shiny shampoo that I use occasionally (when I am not using the CV bars) I wonder if that would help?

Thanks everyone for all your help! I really appreciate all the answers!

[swivelhop]

I couldn't guess what is causing the problem, but my neck is 100X more sensitive/allergic than my scalp. I don't think its entirely uncommon, and hey at least a reaction doesn't cause a massive shed.

[christine1989]

I have had "the itchies" for nearly 5 years! For me it is auto immune but before I figured that out I did a ton of research on what irritates skin. When it comes to soaps sulfates was listed as one of the most common irritants as well as alcohal. Does he only itch after using soaps/shampoos or just itches in general? It could possibly be detergent, a particular fabric or even dust mites. Even if you can't pinpoint exactly what is causing his itching, moisturizing helps quite a bit. Even though my itching is auto immune, I have found that using baby oil on my skin helps a lot (and it makes your skin very soft). The best thing to do is to buy products that are moisturizing and say hypoallergenic.

[Nae]

It is only after using soaps or shampoos. He doesn't seem to have any trouble with detergents I use for the laundry. (Frankly he doesn't do enough dishes for me to tell if dishwashing soap causes problems, lol.)

[bellawave]

Dr. Bronner makes an unscented liquid castile soap that's marketed for babies (there is also a bar version) that you could try. I find Bronner products to be really gentle. You can find them at Whole Foods or health food stores. He could try washing his neck/back with that after shampooing, so as to wash off any irritants from the shampoo. Some people can even shampoo with Bronner- he could try that.

Also, is it possible he could just have really dry skin? That would help explain why the scalp isn't affected, since there's more natural oil there. Try rubbing a little jojoba or aloe vera or unscented lotion or cream (such as Eucerin) on his skin after bathing?

[lippleyluv]

My seven year old DD has VERY sesitive skin. If she is in the shower with me and I get any of my CO wash (Alberto VO5 or White Rain) on her, even the tiniest amount then she will itch and break out with eczema. We have fixed this problem by using unscented shampoo, conditioner and bath soap. She has no problems as long as she uses "her" products.

[Nae]

Hmmm, well, no luck on the Burt's Bees shampoo, it made him just as itchy as regular. So it must not be the sulfates that are causing it. Off to look for Aubrey Organics.

He swears there were Ph neutral shampoos in Belgium, but I am at a loss as to what could be considered "Ph neutral." I suppose that would be the Switzerland of shampoo.........haha. Ah......I kill myself. Back to searching google.

[bumblebums]

Hmmm, well, no luck on the Burt's Bees shampoo, it made him just as itchy as regular. So it must not be the sulfates that are causing it. Off to look for Aubrey Organics.

He swears there were Ph neutral shampoos in Belgium, but I am at a loss as to what could be considered "Ph neutral." I suppose that would be the Switzerland of shampoo.........haha. Ah......I kill myself. Back to searching google.

I wonder how a pH-neutral shampoo would work as a cleanser...

A few things to suggest. First, if WO works for him, he should just stick with it. Coupled with mechanical exfoliation, it is plenty cleansing. He can get a natural bristle brush or a special synthetic fiber washcloth or something similar and use it in the shower to rub off the dirt.

Second, if he really wants to use shampoo and thinks that pH is the issue, then just test it! Go to a pet store and pick up some pH strips [ETA: in the FISH TANK area!]. See what the pH of the diluted shampoos/soaps is, and compare it to Pert's. I suspect it will be close, if not the same. The solution to pH problems for skin is to tip it in the direction of more acidic, higher pH. This can be done with a diluted vinegar rinse. It would work both on skin and on scalp/hair.

[pennylane]

I have a question, my wonderful DH has an issue with soaps/shampoos. They make him itch like crazy.

I give this one over to the community, maybe we can get some answers, so bring on the advice, all you wonderful people! :)


I have an answer for you. Go to your nearest Health Food shop and get the purest shampoo available. No color, no sulfates, etc.... I am sure it will be a big help in getting rid of the itchies! :)