Advise your contact dermatitis patients to use bar soaps instead of body washes, recommends the latest report published in ‘Dermatitis’ Journal. This is in contrast to the common perception that liquid body washes are better than bar soaps. Chronic allergic contact dermatitis is often tied to hidden allergens found in shampoos, soaps, and body washes. Chronic dermatitis that isn’t responding to treatment or is worsening despite treatment is suggestive to regular contact with such allergens.
In the study which compared ingredients in the top-selling 50 bar soaps and 50 body washes, it was found that shampoos contained far more preservative and surfactant allergens than bar soaps and are a common source of contact dermatitis. This study indicated that liquid soaps were likely the worse choice for sensitive patients. Reference JA Siegel et al. "Comparison of Contact Allergens in Bar Soaps…
