Natural body products question

kjoy_
kjoy_ Posts: 316 Member
in Food and Nutrition
My skin has been breaking out on eczema lately, and my derm advised me to switched to natural skincare products: aka no sulfates, dyes, or artificial fragrance.

However, browsing the natural section of whole foods, most of the body washes, shampoos, deodorants smell horrible. Like Patchouli, lavender, peppermint or lemon. I do not like these strong scents at all, they remind me of cleaning products.

Any recommendations for natural product with a softer or no scent? I would really appreciate it.

Replies

  • thisismeraw
    thisismeraw Posts: 1,264 Member
    Check out online for making your own products. There are TONS of stuff out there that you can make at home with fresh stuff. I make my own face wash (oatmeal with raw honey). I make my own body/face scrub (olive oil, lemon juice and some sugar).

    Check out the baby section in any store and see what the ingredients are in those products. They are usually a lot less harsh than the other stuff on the market. For deodorants I'm not sure of alternatives. Can you use something like Ivory soap? The Ivory bars are pretty decent as is Dove.
  • ea101367
    ea101367 Posts: 175 Member
    Does the line of Aveeno products fit the bill? They smell pretty decent.
  • allisonrinkel
    allisonrinkel Posts: 224 Member
    I suggest the following brands: Avene, La Roch Posay
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,416 Member
    Unrefined Coconut Oil. A good sized tub is about $8 on Amazon, very little smell to it once it is on. You can use it for skin, hair, and cooking!
  • eganita
    eganita Posts: 501 Member
    One of my sisters good friends growing up opened a soap and candle shop with her mom. They make the products themselves. I'm not sure if it meets all of your requirements, but I know they have an emphasis on natural products.

    Here's the site if you want to check it out (not sure if you wanted to order stuff online, but that's the only option for you here, unless you want to drive to Scranton, PA! haha!)! I have some of the products and have liked them. Just let me know if you have any questions :)

    http://www.fancifulfox.com/about-us/product-info/
  • nshidi
    nshidi Posts: 10
    Also try to go Gluten Free if you are not already Gluten Free or really reduce it. No wheat, barley, rye. Avoid oats too.
  • kjoy_
    kjoy_ Posts: 316 Member
    Also try to go Gluten Free if you are not already Gluten Free or really reduce it. No wheat, barley, rye. Avoid oats too.

    got allergy tested and not allergic to wheat. i could possibly be intolerant to it, but i've never had any issues with it. skin issues run in my family and i have been doubling up on harsher products on my face lately, so it's probably the culprit.
  • VickiZei
    VickiZei Posts: 32 Member
    I'm a school clinic aide and there are some kids that have terrible eczema and nothing seems to help. I have a neice who had all sorts of allergies like to grass and pollen etc. She also has eczema and needed to bathe every night and use Vanacream on all of her skin before bedtime. At about 8 years old her mom took her to a new doctor who told her to go dairyfree for 3 months and see if she saw any difference in her skin problems. Guess what? ALL of her skin problems went away. She no longer has problems with eczema and she no longer breaks out if she sits in the grass. She's a new girl and she'll be dairy free until she tries to add small amounts back in gradually to see what the results are.

    I decided to research this a little bit more and there are recent studies that do relate dairy and eczema and have found that people do much better on a dairy free diet.

    Good luck, I hope you find some relief.
  • conniedj
    conniedj Posts: 470 Member
    Unrefined Coconut Oil. A good sized tub is about $8 on Amazon, very little smell to it once it is on. You can use it for skin, hair, and cooking!

    This!!! Plus a good quality probiotic to help with calming down the eczema! Edit to add: I use coconut oil as my facial moisturizer as well!
  • eep223
    eep223 Posts: 624 Member
    You can do well making your own stuff. Much much cheaper too! Check out http://www.crunchybetty.com/. She's got some great tips.

    P.S. -- I swear by washing your face with honey! Check out her posts on the subject.
  • Legs_McGee
    Legs_McGee Posts: 845 Member
    I'm very sensitive to fragrances (meaning I hate nearly every perfume, cologne, air freshener, or stinky candle ever invented) and the Aveeno line works for me.
  • lmc8009
    lmc8009 Posts: 9,190 Member
    I have a lot of the same skin issues.

    I really like the Nature's Gate shampoo & conditioner. I found it at Whole Foods (I think Amazon has it too). The Pomegranate Sunflower is my favorite (and smells good). I have thick, curly, dyed hair and this product works really good for me. It does not irritate any of my skin allergies even after using it for over a year.

    Hope this helps!
  • jewel22887
    jewel22887 Posts: 72
    I have psoriasis which is a dry skin condition as well as having some local skin allergies and I have found using dove body wash works great I've used it for years. Also if you are having problems with your skin you might want to use a different detergent it is often over looked by doctors as a cause but tide original or any hypoallergenic detergent will help. My college roomie washed my clothing in gain a few times and though they smelled pretty good I had dry spots and rashes on many parts of my body not even covered by the clothing because it messed me up so bad. It is also always a good idea to drink LOTS of water. :)
  • Carnivor0us
    Carnivor0us Posts: 1,752 Member
    Plain olive oil soap. Also called castile soap. I make it myself, and use it in my hair and skin. It's easy to make. I also second the coconut oil idea for skin. Dr Bronner's is the most available brand as far as I'm aware.
  • Jxnsmma
    Jxnsmma Posts: 919 Member
    Gooooooooooooooooooo Paleooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!
  • Lauracharder
    Lauracharder Posts: 141 Member
    I use cetaphil soap
  • Nalelini
    Nalelini Posts: 3 Member
    You should only use a medical liquid paraffin cream from the pharmacy. It has no chemicals in it and no smell at all. It's the only thing I will put on my skin after an allergy outbreak. It's the only product that will not irritate your skin even more and it will keep it hydrated. Especially since the skin gets very dry and it starts cracking.

    You can also get a fragrance free body and facial wash - Aveeno does them.

    The only other non-irritable product that I can use is a natural aloe vera gel. Not aloe vera mixed in creams, but the actual 100% aloe vera gel. It helps with inflammation of the skin and has no smell.

    Don't use any fragrance stuff as long as your skin is irritated or it will just get worse and it will slow down the healing process.

    I hope this helps.
  • ladyjay71
    ladyjay71 Posts: 28 Member
    I started breaking out with eczema as well and after 3 doctors and a few tests I found out that I'm allergic to PPD which is the chemical used in most hair dyes. I use products like Cetaphil and from a company called 100% Pure, it's online. I also found the only hair dye without ppd is CHI, thank goodness and I've been doing much better. Good Luck!
  • eep223
    eep223 Posts: 624 Member
    I know a lot of folk are using Cetaphil, but it's not actually sulfate free. When my skin was at its most sensitive, it stung like crazy! If you are already having issues, be aware.
  • CLFrancois
    CLFrancois Posts: 472 Member
    Vanicream - recommended by my derm because I have a reaction to way too much and so does my son.
    they have soap, cream, lotion, shampoo/cond, and lip protectant.
    Nothing to smell.
    Nothing burns.
    Can put the lotion on right after shaving and there is no pain or razor burn.
  • lyndabyh
    lyndabyh Posts: 187 Member
    third or fourth the coconut oil, great moisturizer, as well as the honey. Also Method does a great pure body wash, all plant based, very light fragrance.

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