Hand-wash when having an extremely eczema breakout?

[GhibliCat]

I need to wash my hands after the toilet but I can't use my normal bar or pump soap.

What can I buy that will allow me to keep my hands clean and pain free please?

OP just seen your reply too!

My flares seem to be heat, stress and possibly SLS.
There's an active Reddit group for sufferers.

I think I had it on my foot in my twenties. I've had it on my hands in cycles since I caught covid in 2021.
A tip for face cream is to get some of those rubber spatula type things from Amazon so you can put things on your face without touching your fingers!

When my skin was really bad years ago I could only use E45 body wash. I'm now ok with the really sensitive body wash but the cheapest I can find. I hope it calms down for you soon.

My son has recently developed an allergy to hand wash and can only tolerate dove hand wash weirdly.

I have pomphylyx exzema, so sore currently

Mine is really bad at the moment too. I think it's stress.

Maybe try dermol. It's antimicrobial
https://www.weldricks.co.uk/products/dermol-wash-200ml

Aqueous cream but tbh I'd keep that covered with a dressing,the sort that's used for burns until it's healed ,you don't want anything making it flare up again.

I always found Diprobase and the other emollients you get prescribed so heavy and smothering, they always made my skin worse.

Sympathies for the pompholyx, it's horrible, feels like bits of broken glass under the skin.

I was told to keep it uncovered by the Doctor.

With aaqeous cream do you still rinse with water?

Yes you use aqueous cream as a soap substitute. It's not suitable to use as a moisturiser

Not hibiscrub - it will hurt!
use your emollient as a wash, epaderm, qv wash, dermol (has antiobiotic in it though) or any moisturiser that isn’t fragranced nor has alcohol.

My GP prescribed Hydromol to use as a handwash when I had a flare up of eczema on my hands, can only use it on my hands though as makes my eczema worse on any other part of my body!

The E45 spray is much lighter. It cools the skin too and it’s just as moisturising.

I tried it out of desperation after having problems with heavy emollients. They were blocking my pores and making my skin sweaty and itchy underneath. This solved the problem.

My partner had hand issues (not eczema) for yrs. Finding hand wash without Sodium Laureth Sulphate stopped them. It's in a lot of soap, shower gel etc. TK Maxx had ones like Haan on offer but who knew about that compound. It's not an uncommon issue if you search the internet.

I used to always buy Neals yard's hand wash as my hands get bad in the winter but that's not so affordable atm. The green aloe astonish seems to be ok most of the time but mine are not as bad as yours. The green prescription one is quite good too.

Totally @StormingNorman E45 does feel like a relief for your skin when it's bad

Dermol (got me through the nappy-changing years)
Cetaphil (got me through the Covid handwashing period - my hands are not as bad as they used to be)

You may have to find your own way through the options - I an allergic to all the ‘-base’ options (Diprobase et al) as well as E45.

Poor you OP - it looks really sore. I get this too amd have done for years. Definitely worse when I'm stressed and once it flares, it takes a while to go.

My doc prescribes Dermol. The cream was better than the lotion for me and i used it to wash my hands. It triggers my skin a little bit, but it is much better than soap.

I found I reacted to a lot of the creams and soaps suggested by my gp -it was trial and error. E45 and aqueous cream made my flare ups worse. And oilatum made my skin so much worse. We all have different triggers though.

And I use sensitive gloves for washing up (the one with no inner coating/lining). Thanks for the tip of using a cotton glove for a liner. I'm going to steal that idea!

I hope it heals soon.

Dermol is the gentlest one I've found. Don't try hibiscrub it's very harsh. You can buy Dermol over the counter.

I use Zerobase. It's an emollient ointment - you rub a tiny bit over your hands so that their warmth melts it, wipe with a flannel soaked with hot water and then pat dry with either a flat, not fluffy, towel or kitchen roll.

It's also brilliant for removing makeup and leaving your face soft and glowing the following day.

We use dermol 500 lotion for my little boy as his body wash. It's antibacterial as well as moisturising. Hope something works for you soon that looks so nasty. Eczema really does suck! X

My eczema is no where near as bad as yours (I feel for you!!) but child’s farm unscented is the only hand wash I can use

I get on fine with Hibiscrub which does surprise me.We have antibacterial standard hand wash or Hibiscrub at work and the antibacterial handwash flares my eczema up straight away.
I wouldn't put Hibiscrub on eczema like yours if I hadn't used on healthier skin first though.,

Apologies not read full thread but would recommend QV wash, can be used as replacement hand wash and shower gel, we get it on prescription.