If allergic to soap what do you use instead or in public places?

[porridgeisbae]

I know some people are allergic to soap, but I think my uncle is mostly just a soap dodger. He claims not to be able to use soap- after I nagged him on several occassions to wash his hands at all, the other day he held one hand under a tap for a few seconds (obviously that isn't really going to do anything.) This is in a pub where he needs to come into the ladies due to the layout of the place because of a disability, so this is how I've found out his habits.

If you're allergic to soap, do you have a soap-free product you carry round with you for if you need to use a public loo? Or do you just rub your hands together under the tap for a bit?

What do you use at home, for the shower etc? He claims to have a posh product at home but he probably doesn't use any there either TBH.

Thinking I could get him a last minute prezzie.

Anyone?

I’m not allergic but public toilets routinely don’t have soap so I carry antibacterial gel with me (always have even pre Covid)

People aren't generally allergic to soap but to a common ingredient that's present in lots of soaps. I have an allergy to something, not really figured out to what but those self foaming handsoaps you get in public loos upset my skin. I just carry around a mini bottle of showergel and use that instead (the kind you get in hotels) and refill as necessary. I'd be fine with carex type liquid soap, I think you'd need to figure out what exactly he's allergic to.

@FuckinghellthatsUnbelievable He makes a lot of stuff up so I don't think it's really real in his case TBH. It's not just out of the house but at home too he claims to have this allergy, but he still has a bottle of hand wash and one of washing up liquid by the sink (which he doesn't wear Marigolds to use.)

What shower gel do you use?

I'm allergic to most scented products - I get a horrible burning rash that lasts for days. Out and about, I just give both hands a good rub under the water rather than risk an unknown product. At home, I do use specialist hypoallergenic products.

So your uncle doesn't sound unreasonable if he has a similar allergy. However, assuming he doesn't have a prohibitive disability, then rubbing both hands in the water for a longer period of time sounds more hygienic than just putting one hand briefly in the water.

@Spirael What hypoallergenic stuff do you use for a bath/shower? I don't think he's really using anything sometimes.

I have fragrance allergies and chemical sensitivity so public hand soaps are usually a no go. An infection control nurse told me good baby wipes that get sudsy when you squeeze them are what she uses after public toilets because you can clean your hands thoroughly with them. I also do have a variety of soap substitutes for when I cannot use soap including dermol lotion and la roche posay gels.

I generally use the Simple shampoo, conditioner and hand wash. Which is usually available at the bigger supermarkets, or pharmacies like Boots/Superdrug/etc.

@Spirael water doesn't kill germs, regardless of whether you rinse or scrub.

@porridgeisbae Dermol 500 is the usual soap substitute for people with sensitive skin. If your uncle cared about being hygienic he would carry something. A lot of men (hell, a lot of people) don't wash their hands. It baffles me, especially after 2020.

Right now I have some posh l'occitane stuff verbena from my beauty calender. I just use what I've got in the shower normally though original source coconut so not expensive.

You can get stuff from the chemist which is like a soap free lotion that you use for bathing. Child was prescribed it after mystery rash. Stops the skin drying out. It could very well be he's just hygenically challenged though.

water doesn't kill germs, regardless of whether you rinse or scrub.

@Possimpible In theory it has the same action, it's the friction that gets the germs into the water where it washes away. Hence we were told to wash hands for 20 seconds or whatever during covid. Soap is just a tool that makes that process easier.

A lot of men (hell, a lot of people) don't wash their hands. It baffles me, especially after 2020.

Yep, presumably they were most/all taught as children so it's just laziness. My uncle was definitely taught.

Aqueous cream can be used as a soap (although I’m allergic to that). I can use Dove soap (not the shower gel) but I do go with it in public toilets and sometimes it’s okay other times I end up in hospital with an asthma attack (only once as usually I can get control at home using medications). It’s a bit like a game of roulette.

@TeenLifeMum Sorry to hear that. Obviously that's a whole other level of seriousness.

He just claims his hand could go bright red. I get exzema sometimes so I can understand in theory, but it wouldn't stop me using something in the shower or loo.

Thanks for the tips everyone.

Technically, boiling water would kill the disease causing germs. However I would, admittedly, not be too fond of pouring boiling water on my hands either! 😅The effect would largely be the same as having a reaction to an unknown soap.

Fragrance free, proper soap would generally be better for eczema prone skin than the detergent based handwashes that are usually in public toilets.

https://yorkshiresoap.co.uk/product/fullers-earth-facial-soap/

this is fab soap. I have always suffered with eczema but using this keeps it under control vs red, sore and bleeding.

We have a lanolin allergy which is often in soaps, so use epaderm 50mg bottle when out and about, as suggested by Dr.

Skin emollients can be used instead of soap, but some we react to, others work well

There are product options available if you want them!

Just water does absolutely nothing. I carry hand gel. Castile soap is just saponified olive oil and you can get it unscented and in liquid form so you could just fill a small travel bottle with it. I'm a soapmaker and it's actually really easy and cheap to make. How does this person not smell horrible, as they must not bathe either??

Dove famously isn't soap.

My dd had just had a patch test for ingredients in things like soap, washing powders etc so my life is just reading labels now. There are so many products now with hardly any ingredients or with no fragrance or made for sensitive skin. For example dd has just switched her hair conditioner to a Faith in Nature one as it doesn't have anything in that she reacted to in her tests.

www.faithinnature.co.uk/collections/conditioner/products/fragrance-free-conditioner-400ml

I have bad eczema and can't use proper "soap". I don't think I most liquid hand washes have actual soap in them. I'm ok with most but I always carry a small tube of my emollient moisturiser anyway. If my skin feels sore after washing, a really good rinse and then using the emollient calms things down. It's might still be a bit tingly, but it's bearable.

You are unlikely to change his habits with a purchase that does not identify what he reacting to. I could have finished that sentence earlier!!

You could have a conversation with him about it.. find out what is in the soap / products he does use.. and see if he wants to find a solution and see if he wants your help.

I suspect the present will not be used and you will be wasting your money.

I'm allergic to something in handwash. Since switching to Pears bar soap my hands have stopped blistering. I switched back again to see what would happen and all the old problems came back. If I'm in public I'll use the handwash provided and accept it will irritate my skin. Hand gel isn't effective against certain pathogens so I wouldn't rely solely on that.

I get hand ezcema from soap but if out and about I'll just use the soap provided.

If you wet your hands first then it isn't as drying on your hands.

It honestly doesn't sound like a present that will be used - and a bottle of Dermol 500 or Epaderm is not v Christmassy.