Thread: Best soaps for Excema?

Hey all!

I suffer from eczema outbreaks on my face, mostly my beard growth region. I have a topical medication to manage outbreaks when they occur, but of course my preference is to prevent outbreaks from happening in the first place. I was wondering if anyone with similar problems had any advice on which (if any) shaving soaps worked better at treating their skin and preventing outbreaks. Whether it's specific brands/products or types of products, any advice is helpful.

I currently us Van Der Hagen's deluxe shave soap with aloe vera and shea butter for dry skin. When I first started straight shaving several years ago I bought Van Der Haven's starter kit (bowl, brush, soap), and then then when the soap was used up I ordered one of their bulk packs. That pack is now down to two remaining bricks, so figured now is the time to start looking to see if there is something better suited to my skin condition.

I also use a non-alcoholic cooling balm for sensitive skin. On second passes (and first passes if I have missed a shave or two) I prep with one of The Art of Shaving's pre-shave oils. I've used Art of Shavings shaving creams as well and enjoyed them but they haven't really been my regular shaving cream, they've been more of an occasional indulgence so I'm don't have enough experience with them to tell if they're resulting in better skin condition than my regular soap.

I also only shave every other day so that my skin isn't being constantly irritated and has a chance to recover between shaves (applying the same mentality behind the advice that eczema sufferers shouldn't shower every day).

So if anyone has any advice regarding other products that may be better suited, I'd greatly appreciate it. Thanks and have a great day!

I am not a dermatologist and what I suggest might be completely wrong for you; therefore, take my thoughts with a grain of salt.

First, lay off oils for pre-shave. Also, get yourself a better soap than Van der Hagen. If I may suggest, try Castle Forbes for pre-shave; it is water soluble and gives good protection for the skin.

Try Baum.Be shave cream. This helps with sensitive skin. It might help with your eczema. Baum.Be also has a pre-shave gel. Taylor of Old Bond Street has a "natural" shave cream that might work. Although Baum.Be is scented, I find it easy on the skin.

Overall, try a quality, and unscented, shave soap or cream. Meisner Tremonia has an unscented shave soap that might help. I am sure others will join the conversation with suggestions. Take a look at the First Tiers Soaps and Creams thread, where you might get more ideas.

Also, try a soft synthetic brush that will be easy on yor skin. Try the Angel Hair knot; that is sweet on the skin.

One of the funny things with psoriasis and eczema, is everyone has different sensitivities. When everyone was at home, we had two people with skin issues. There was no universal bath soap, or shampoo, that everyone could use. I think if you could find some samples of unscented soaps that would help a lot.

Originally Posted by RezDog

One of the funny things with psoriasis and eczema, is everyone has different sensitivities. When everyone was at home, we had two people with skin issues. There was no universal bath soap, or shampoo, that everyone could use. I think if you could find some samples of unscented soaps that would help a lot.

I certainly agree that everyone might respond differently to different products. I think Obie's recommendation for Baume.Be is a good one, as it's an outstanding product that is terrific for the skin. My own favorite is La Savonnière du Moulin, a donkey milk soap, and they offer many other skin products. I enjoy their shave soap but use their skin moisturizer on a couple of small areas of psoriasis on my legs and it nearly cleared it up, whereas topical steroids and other professional products barely kept it in check. There is something about that particular product with donkey milk that has worked wonders for me. It's a great shave soap, and I'd at least consider giving it a try, and I hope you find a product that works well for you.

Being its new on the market,,,, i find the "after the shave feel" of wholly kaw to be very soft and smooth. Think they have lots of butters in the soap that create this feel. They also sell a scentless one. Just an idea to share. I dont have skin issues on my face, only my scalp. So shave soaps dont come into this. I think your going to need to try a few and do some testing.

We have to be careful not to diagnose medical conditions on a shaving forum, but cosmetic skin redness is a common condition when you scrape your face with a piece of sharp steel every day, so here goes.

I suffer from some small reddish spots on my forehead and upper right cheek from hereditary factors, my father's side were from England and had the usual milk-pale skin and redness associated with that lineage. My uncle was nicknamed 'Red'. My general practioner (and insurance) have stated that this is not a medical condition but a cosmetic one, and they're right. I tried a topical prescription cream that was very expensive because insurance did not cover it, it had some possibly significant side effects, and was moderately effective.

What worked as well or better was Acqua di Parma shaving cream and Moisturizing Face Cream, and ABC shaving cream. Whatever is in these 3 products almost eliminates the redness with frequent use. I also at the same time went to a non-alcoholic or low alcohol AS, Thayer's, Lucky Tiger, or D. R. Harris Pink. I think Harris Pink is a good choice here.

Cheers, Steve

Thanks for the tips, everyone. I'll be checking these out and seeing what works best for me. As mentioned, dermatology in general is "hit or miss" based on your own personal body chemistry and DNA, so a bunch of suggestions is definitely what I was looking for.

Originally Posted by Steve56

We have to be careful not to diagnose medical conditions on a shaving forum, but cosmetic skin redness is a common condition when you scrape your face with a piece of sharp steel every day, so here goes.

This is very true, and I try to be extra careful with how much pressure I use and what angle my blade is at. And while I"m sure that plays a role in outbreaks occurring, the condition itself predates my straight shaving days and was also exacerbated by too frequent shaving even when using a more typical razor.

Thanks again everyone. And now the experiments begin!

Have you ever tried plain coconut oil?