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Whether to use a body wash or a bar soap for eczema is a burning (no pun intended) question for many eczema sufferers. It’s not so much about which one will clean your body better; it’s about which one will irritate your skin less. As with most things in life, it’s not an either/or, black/white choice.

Allergies and sensitivities are a major cause of eczema flare ups. Whatever product you are using now may actually be contributing to your eczema symptoms. If you feel itchier after your bath or shower than you did before, chances are it’s your bath product that’s the culprit. Check the ingredients carefully. If it contains something you know you’re allergic or sensitive to, then it doesn’t matter whether it’s a body wash or bar soap, you need to change brands. Even if your bath product doesn’t contain ingredients you know you react to, it doesn’t mean that you aren’t sensitive. “Artificial fragrances,” for example can cover a multitude of ingredients, any one of which could set off a flare up.

Do you even recognize what some of the ingredients are? Many bath products contain a laundry list of artificial chemicals with long, barely pronounceable names, any one of which could contain something you are sensitive to. Often simpler is better, and you might want to investigate bath products that contain only natural ingredients. By definition, a natural ingredient is one that is found in nature. If it’s made in a lab, it isn’t natural.

Even an all-natural product might not be the right choice if it dries out your skin. You may not be allergic or sensitive to its ingredients and it may get you squeaky clean, but if a bath product dries you out, makes your skin feel drawn, it probably isn’t your best choice. Look for products with natural moisturizers, like coconut oil, for example. Your eczema patches are already dry enough as it is. You want to retain and replenish moisture, even in the bath or shower.

Once you determine which ingredients you want – and don’t want – in your bath product, then it becomes a matter of choice. Do you choose a body wash or bar soap for eczema relief? Some people like the feeling of holding a bar when they shower. Others prefer the lotion-like feeling of a body wash. The bottom line is, whatever works best for you, whichever product gets you clean, moisturizes your skin, and doesn’t cause your eczema to flare up is the right product, whether a wash or a bar.