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When it comes to saving your skin in a
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 Dr. Joel Bamford |
According to Duluth dermatologist Joel Bamford, we could do ourselves a favor if we threw out our bar of soap. Soap, Dr. Bamford, explains, removes natural oil from our skin, which causes it to dry and itch.
Soap is often relatively harsh and drying, Bamford cautions. Soap-based wash products can dry and irritate the skin, leading to erythema and itchiness. So he’s fighting a one-man battle against Procter & Gamble, Lever Brothers and the rest of “Big Soap.”
With his tongue firmly in his cheek, Bamford offers his NO SOAP™ bar as an alternative. (The NO SOAP™ bar looks suspiciously like a block of wood.) He even has a Website where the NO SOAP™ bar is for sale (proceeds going to charities). His goal is not to make money, but to make the point that even the mildest soap can dry and irritate and dry out the skin.
Dr. Bamford, who practices at the SMDC Duluth Clinic, isn’t saying you should never use soap. There are some parts of your body that need it to remove bacteria. For example, frequent washing — and moisturizing — of the hands are an important measure to prevent spread of colds and other viruses. And, common hygiene practices in the U.S., dictate washing of body parts like underarms. 
But he does recommend that you use the mildest soap available and use it only on those parts of your body that need it. In the winter, your back, legs or arms really don’t need to be scrubbed with soap unless they are dirty.
Tips from the skin mavens
So what’s a Minnesotan to do? The American Academy of Dermatology and Aging Skin Net offer some suggestions.
1. Choose your soap wisely and read the label. It’s not enough to just see the words “natural” and assume that the ingredients are. Most “soaps” on the marketplace are actually synthetic detergent products. True soaps are limited in their ingredients. (See the resources links at the end of this article for more information on soaps.)
Soap that has exfoliating ingredients is definitely not a good idea for older, fragile skin which can be easily damaged. Deodorant bars, fragrance in soaps, and products containing alcohol strip natural oils from the skin, which dries it. Look for a mild, fragrance-free cleanser that moisturizes. (Remember that everything you put on your body ends on inside it... so even the mildest soap should be used in moderation, Dr. Bamford reminds us.)
You may want to try a liquid cleaner rather than a bar of soap. Studies have shown that emollient-rich cleansers help minimize moisture loss.
2. Use warm, not hot, water and limit the time you spend in the shower or bath. Hot water removes natural oils from the skin more quickly than warm water. The more natural oils removed, the drier skin becomes. (See the pattern here?) Limit the time you spend bathing to 10 minutes or less.
3. Exchange rough towels for soft ones and gently pat (not rub) your skin dry to help retain moisture and prevent irritation of sensitive skin.
4. Apply moisturizer as soon as you get out of the bath. While moisturizer does not really add moisture to your skin (despite what commercials tell you), it does trap existing water in the skin, preventing it from evaporating. To be effective, moisturizer must be applied within three minutes of bathing.
5. Look for a moisturizer that contains lactic acid or urea, which can help alleviate even severe dryness. Hyaluronic acid, which naturally occurs in the skin and diminishes with age, can help the skin hold water. Dimethicone and glycerin also help draw water to the skin and keep it there.
6. Protect your hands, which often show the effects of a dry environment more than any other part of the body. While it is important not to skimp on hand washing, to remove bacteria and viruses, frequent washing often leaves hands dry and cracked, so supply hand cream after each washing. You could substitute an alcohol based hand sanitizer which contains emollients. Clinical studies have shown that the sanitizer caused substantially less skin irritation and dryness than soaps or antimicrobial detergents.
Other measures to take
When outside, gloves or mittens can help protect the skin from the cold, dry air, which can sap moisture from the skin.
We often take our skin for granted, except when it itches or when we worry over a new batch of wrinkles. But skin, the largest organ in our body, plays an important role in our health. It acts as a protective barrier from the external environment – guarding against bacterial invasion, dehydration and ultra-violet light (UVL). Skin helps to control body temperature by distributing heat through the skin and by preventing dehydration and it purifies our system by eliminating waste fluid. As we age, our skin thins, becomes more sensitive to sun damage and injury, and healing takes longer.
Because of the importance of the barrier function, keeping skin supple and preventing dryness and resulting “cracks,” which can not only be painful but also allow bacteria to enter the body, is important. As we age, we sweat less, which can also lead to increased dryness. So taking those extra steps in the winter to keep skin healthy is well worth the effort for Minnesota skin.
And, of course, stay out of the sun!!
And,no discussion of skin care would be complete without a word about sun exposure — limit it! Sunlight is a major cause of skin aging and raises your skin cancer risk. Wear sunscreen, even in the winter. Protect yourself by staying out of the sun when it is strongest, using sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or higher, wearing protective clothing, and avoiding sunlamps and tanning beds.
You not only want to be happy in your own skin... you also want to be healthy.
(Posted January 11, 2009)
Is it a cosmetic, a drug or both (or is it soap)? FDA Website
Learn more about types of bar soaps available
What, exactly, is soap? Wikipedia entry
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