h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Hello,

Here's my question:

Why does soap, or some soap products cause allergic reactions in some people with sensitive skin? What's in the stuff that causes the problem?

Thanks
Kaz.

"Why does soap, or some soap products cause allergic reactions in some people with sensitive skin?"

Most allergic reactions are caused by certain molecules, known as allergens, binding to a type of antibody called epsilon-class. These antibodies are found on the surface of particular white blood cells, and when they bind an allergen, they stimulate the cell to:

* Multiply
* Release free antibodies
* Release chemokines

Chemokines are a large group of hormones which, for the most part, stimulate immune reactions. In an allergic reaction, however, this reaction is kicked into overdrive by exposure to a fairly inoccuous and generally harmless substance.

Thus, I woud guess that that's more or less how soap causes an allergic reaction.

"What's in the stuff that causes the problem?"

Can't help you there. I might have to do with highly alkaline soap.

Sodium lauryl sulfate gets a lot of bad press. It's known to be an irritant, but is included in soaps as (I believe) a foaming agent (i.e. it makes a lot of nice, photogenic lather when you rub the soap into your skin). Sodium laureth sulfate was invented as a less-irritating alternative, but I don't how much less irritating it actually is.

There are also perfumes and fragrances used in soaps etc. that some people may have a reaction to.

Thanks. I wondered if it was the foaming agents as someone told me that before, but I didn't know what chemical it was, so I wanted to find out.

I was always told 'parfum' was a problem too, but cos they never detail what it is made up of it's difficult to eliminate it from the soap you buy because don't the components of it vary from product to product?

Cheers
Kaz.

I would imagine that the fragrances in soaps (particularly the more expensive soaps) are carefully guarded trade secrets. Therefore it will be all but impossible to find out what is in any particular soap...

ah. I see what you mean.
Oh well. Thanks for your help tho

The scents and colouring in a soap are certainly suspects, particularly if not all soaps seem to affect you. I wonder if you can find unperfumed and uncoloured soap easily. Unfortunately from what I can see companies making "natural" soap still scent and colour their products, they just use palm oil and avocado and so on, which is all very well unless you react to those as well.

It's not soap that's a massive problem as I use veg oil soap which's got virtually no chemicals in it at all. It's the shampoos and laundry soap that cause me bother (although I'm not sure if rubber gloves add to the problem with the latter).

"The scents and colouring in a soap are certainly suspects, particularly if not all soaps seem to affect you. I wonder if you can find unperfumed and uncoloured soap easily."

You can get them easily enough. I don't know what is in Imperial Leather, but if I ever use it on my face it feels as if it's on fire. They do a plain version which I never have trouble with. I think it is just bog standard, basic soponificated fat.

Digression: if you google soap, you have to go half way down the third page before you find a hit for the stuff you wash with!

I suspect it might be a biological antigen. They put enzymes in there and it can cause exczema (often "coin" ecxzema which looks a bit like ringworm

Try "non-biological" laundry stuff and baby shampoo.

Of course you need to wash your clothes at a higher temperature so your carbon footprint increases. You are single handedly killing the planet you bastard!

how do you spell exzcema? I know there's some Zs, and some C's in there!

eczema

Try and avoid stuff with parabens in it. Makes my daughter's skin feel like it is burning

thanks