Laundry care
People suffering from chronic skin conditions such as psoriasis are advised to avoid using conventional detergents or fabric softeners. This is because some can contain harmful chemicals and dyes which aggravate psoriasis and in turn can worsen the condition.
Dead skin cells and chemical residue left in laundry can often be the cause of skin irritation, particularly in those prone to conditions such psoriasis.
Non-bio, hypoallergenic, dermatologically tested laundry products can provide all the cleaning power you need without the bleaching agents, perfumes and fillers found in many modern laundry products that can cause irritation and sensitisation of the skin.
 |
As detergents/fabric softeners are required to be used frequently it is very difficult to avoid using them, therefore it is very important to find the right product/s that work for you. You will need to determine which products aggravate your psoriasis and then avoid buying those products. When you are trying out a new laundry product, don’t wash all your laundry using that product, test one or two items and see. |
Finding washing detergents that clean your clothes without the use of chemicals is very difficult, mainly because detergents are by nature made with chemicals for this purpose. An alternative to detergents are soap nuts. The term soap nut refers to legumes, the fruit of soap nut trees grown in India and Nepal. The nuts contain saponin, a product that contains detergent like properties. They are entirely natural and biodegradable and are free from harmful toxic chemicals, artificial colours or fragrance. The use of soap nuts has been established and used for centuries.
Just place a few them into small muslin bag and add it to your washing machine. These can clean equally as well as your conventional detergent.
Always check with your GP or dermatologist before trying any new products.
Information written by talkhealth medical panel
Last Reviewed: 20 Januaury 2011
Next Review Date: 5 November 2013
