Wash & Protect Hands: Skin Saving Soaps-Lotion Combo

What is Drying Your Skin?

Washing hands literally saves your skin in more ways than one, especially when healthy skin is often our first line of defense. But are you paying attention to what is aggravating your skin other then the act of frequent hand washing?

Blisters on the back of my hand caused by an enzyme base laundry detergent

Few years back, I had a spell of skin break-out from using a new laundry detergent. I got better after switching back to my old detergent but I noticed my hand washing and dish washing soaps also caused tiny blisters and persistent dryness despite the constant application of lotion.

I went through various products until I found these three natural/organic items and have been using them more than a year.

Happy You, Happy Skin

And of course, when you take good care of your mind, body, and spirit, your skin bounces back faster. As I recovered from the break-out, I’ve eliminate certain food and used various methods to heal myself.

And now, unless I am washing my hands or dishes from cooking all day long, I only need to put the lotion on my hands once before bed.

Hand Washing Soap

Dr. Bronner’s Pure-Castile Baby Unscented Liquid Soap

Dr. Bronner's Pure-Castile Baby Unscented Liquid Soap for Hand Washing
Dr. Bronner’s Pure-Castile Soaps are Made in USA

[Unscented] If you have any kind of skin or respiratory issues, always start with a clear, fragrance free version.

[Customizable] The beauty of the unscented soap is that you get to make it yours by adding essential oils you already have. This way you get to change it up as often as you like.

If you are like me, you’ll need this list of trusted and not too expensive brands recommended by a friend experienced in using essential oils. All three companies list the country of origin, a good thing!

[Money Saving] One 32 oz bottle will last you a while because you really need to dilute it. I didn’t knew about this the first time I tried it and it took me a while to wash it all off. So, check their dilution cheat sheet before first use.

You can adjust the ratio to your liking. I do 1 part soap to 5 part water, only pump out a few drops each time so I don’t have to refill as often. Again, it may feel very watery but it foams up well.

Dish washing Soap (for washing by hands)

ATTITUDE Dishwashing Liquid, Fragrance Free, Sensitive Skin, Hypoallergenic

The colloidal oatmeal is the key ingredient that keeps my skin happy. I also noticed that I don’t need to use extra amount just because it’s an “eco” soap.

I had a sticker shock when I first saw it on Amazon. So I tried using Dr. Bronner’s for dish washing for a while but I didn’t like it and it dried my skin out more than I expected though it did not cause blisters.

Out of desperation, I bought one bottle to test. Lucky for me, I like how my skin was not nearly as dry as using other products. I then ordered direct from Attitude (Canada) to get it at the actual price. I also bought in bulk to save on shipping and get the discount.

If you are new to Attitude online shop, you can get $20 off and I get 10% off after you completed a purchase.

Or, if your skin is not as “princessy” as mine, you might consider other options they offer. These have a more reasonable prices.

[ UPDATE 4/30/21 ] ATTITUDE no longer produces “ATTITUDE Sensitive Skin, Hypoallergenic Dishwashing Liquid, Fragrance Free” that I recommended. Instead, I have replaced and tested the “Baby Bottle & Dishwashing Liquid” under their Sensitive Home Cleaning line. The image shown is the latest look which may be different from it’s Amazon product page.

Hand Lotion

Gabriel (White Seaweed) Healing Hand & Body Lotion

Gabriel Organics are Made in USA
  • Fast absorption, not oily
  • A drop the size of a dime covers both hands and wrists. a little goes a long way.
  • Keep skin moisturized longer (no frequent application needed)
  • Gabriel Green” recycle program: send empties back and get a free product

Find Your Own Combo Set

Even though these products work for me, they may not be for you. In this case, a safe start would be to search on EWG.org (The Environmental Working Group) in Skin Deep guide and Cleaning Product guide.

P. S. Want more USA made goods? See what else I actually use or shop at my Made in USA Amazon Store.

How Safe Is Your Eco Liquid Dish Soap?

Rashes from Laundry Detergent

As I was recovering from horrible reaction from a well-known brand of enzyme based laundry detergent, my skin was worse after I washed dishes. So, I began my search for a new hand wash dish soap. Since I don’t have a dish washer, a good and safe dish washing soap is very important.

EWG.org Rates “C” on My Old Dish Soap

EWG (The Environmental Working Group) assessed my dish soap as a “C”, siting concerns on water pollution and skin irritation/allergies/damage.

I never thought an well-known eco brand would put out products like this. I was so shocked, I had to pick up the bottle and read the ingredients myself.

Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS)

That’s when I realized I had been washing my dishes with SLS in the soap. I had been avoiding SLS in my body care products, I never thought to check my dish soap. I just blindly trusted the brand.

And if I don’t want to use SLS on my skin, why would I put it in my body?

Switched to Attitude

ATTITUDE Sensitive Skin, Hypoallergenic Baby Bottle & Dishwashing Liquid, Fragrance FreeLuckily, EWG pointed me to the Attitude brand (from Canada). I purchased one bottle of their fragrance-free natural dishwashing liquid (Though not EWG VERIFIED, it’s rated “A”).

I also found that many of their personal care products are EWG VERIFIED to be “free from EWG’s chemicals of concern and meets our strictest standards for your health.”

Clean Dishes, Smooth Skin

It’s been 3.5 months since I switched to Attitude. It cleans as well as my old brand with the same amount of soap. And I am happy to report that my hands are no longer completely dried out. In fact, my skin feels softer!

Buy A Test Bottle

Both my body and I are glad we found EWG and Attitude but as with every new product, I suggest buying one to try then go from there.

For the test bottle, get it direct on ATTITUDEliving.com, as of Oct. 2018, their flate rate shipping and handling is $8.95 for just 1 bottle. (They ship to Canadian provinces & contiguous USA)

This fragrance-free dish soap seems to be harder to find than their other items on US sites, so the prices are pretty much the same as ordering from ATTITUDEliving.com. But if you rather get it via Amazon, put it on your wishlist and see if a deal comes up.

How to Save on #attitudeliving?

If you are new to ATTITUDEliving.com, you can get $20 off while I get a 10% discount. They also have a reward program once you have an account.