Nelson Lee Novick, M.D.
Warren Dotz, M.D.Soaps
If you have dry or irritated skin, we recommend gentle soaps. Additionally limit soaping only to the "hot" spots: face, under arms, breasts, belly button, groin, feet, hands.
Suggested Gentle Soaps
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Learn more about Soaps and Lotions from Dawn Sammons, D.O. of Oakview Dermatology in Athens, Ohio.
Toilet Soaps
Toilet soap, which is available in opaque bars, is plain old soap and is composed of the salts of animal or vegetable fats and olive oils (tallow). Palm kernel or coconut oils are often added to enhance lathering. About half of all currently available toilet soaps are milled soaps. Milling is the process by which soap chips are thoroughly blended and then compressed by machinery into bars to ensure that moisture is removed and the basic ingredients and additives are evenly distributed. Ivory is probably the best- known brand of toilet soap.
In general, toilet soaps do what they are supposed to do—that is, they help to clean off grease, grime, and cosmetics. They also tend to be quite inexpensive. However, these soaps as a rule are rather alkaline and have the potential to be irritating; overusing them can lead to irritation by affecting the skin’s acid mantle. Fortunately for most people with normal skin, natural skin acidity returns to normal very shortly after the soap is rinsed off. If you have especially sensitive skin, or if you are using drying acne medications, however, you may find basic toilet soap too irritating.
Finally, there is an additional problem with toilet soaps for those who live in a hard-water area—that is, one where the water contains naturally high amounts of calcium or magnesium minerals. Sticky and potentially irritating residues resulting from the chemical interaction between toilet soap and hard water may be deposited on your skin and in sink basins. If you choose to use toilet soaps under these circumstances, I advise you to rinse your skin with copious amounts of water.
Learn more about Soaps and Lotions, including toilet, superfatted, soapless, and deodorant soaps from Nelson Novick, M.D. of Skin Savvy in New York City.
Moisturizers
There are many moisturizers available to address the skin's many needs: nourishing dry skin, preventing fine lines and wrinkles, improving skin tone, and protecting sensitive skin. Moisturizers work by hydrating the skin (or preventing water loss) to make it more soft and pliable. Moisturizers generally come in three formulations: lotions (the lightest form, for mild dryness), creams (slightly heavier), and ointments (the thickest, designed to stay on the skin as long as possible).
To get the most out of your moisturizing regimen, observe a few simple tips:
- • Before trying a moisturizer on a large area of skin, patch-test it on a small part of your face or wrist to make sure your skin doesn't react to it.
- • The most expensive moisturizers aren't always the best ones.
- • Moisturize your skin immediately after bathing, ideally within three minutes.
- • Don't ignore your hands when moisturizing—try to apply a lotion or cream to your hands each time you wash them, exercise outdoors, or bathe.
- • Avoid using heavy creams or ointments on your face unless you have exceptionally dry skin there, or you could clog your pores.
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