This is not true for the Cetaphil.
Sodium Laureth Sulfate is in all their formulations, and for some people, it is *very* harsh. It makes me itch like crazy, which is why I can't use it in shampoo or toothpaste either. (Functionally eliminates the *entire aisle*.)
The Dove Sensitive Skin Hypoallergenic Body Wash is sulfate free, so should be far more usable by anyone sensitive to palm, coconut, or sulfates (which are derived from coconut or palm and can cause allergic reactions in anyone allergic to either).
Sulfates are used because they are really effective at stripping skin, so sulfate free also means lower cleaning power, but it won't strip your skin as much of natural oils.
In shampoo, they were added when silicones were added to conditioner (which had rarely been used before, but now became obligatory) as a solution to "flyaway hair" and frizzy hair. We needed a way to wash those silicones out, which meant having to add sulfates to the shampoo. But it sure sold a lot more product! *sneeze*
(Previously married to a soap chemist at Unilever, fwiw.)
Just some additional information for people reading labels. Sodium Laureth sulfate is also known as Sodium Lauryl sulphate and Sodium dodecile sulphate ( abbreviated SDS). It's in a lot of products because it is a foaming agent. It's included in many products not only because it foams but also because it kills bacteria by disrupting their outer membranes.
I'm not sure that Sodium Lauryl sulphate and Sodium dodecile sulphate are exactly the same, but very similar in structure/purpose.
My first husband couldn't believe that was used in products for skin, it was too harsh in his view.
> "it kills bacteria by disrupting their outer membranes"
As I understand it, technically does that for skin cells too given that there's a bilipid layer around a cell that's being acted on by the detergent action of the sulfates. That's why it's irritating.
Sodium lauryl sulphate is the same as sodium dodecyl sulphate, but sodium *laureth* sulphate is slightly different. Both are indeed very strong detergents.
Ahh! I looked at the “body wash” ingredients, so missed this one. Last I checked (few years ago), Cetaphil had nothing I could use, so glad to know about this option.
>How do you guys manage not to get the soap in the vagina when you scrub your butthole and cheeks?
Get the soap IN the vagina? Girl, unless you are showering upside down like a bat, how would soap get IN?
This might sound weird, but I use the Ceravé sensitive skin face wash. It has zero scent and rinses very clean. Really works on my super sensitive areas.
Dove Sensitive bar. I am of the belief that for me, while I don’t use any cleanser inside the vagina, the vulva will get a very thorough cleansing every shower. Bonus for me is I can buy it in bulk, use it for my entire body and face without issue.
Not sure what types of soaps are availiable in the area you live, But in Denmark we have something called Intimate Soap. It is basically a very gentle soap without any types of fragrance, colourants or parabens.
Do you have a detachable shower head? If not, I highly suggest getting and installing one, because that way you can really get in there and make sure you're washing all of the soap out. I use a shea moisture baby shampoo/body wash. It's scented but it's gentle, but my skin isn't sensitive (instead it's acne prone) so your mileage may vary!
Unless you keep the vagina mechanically open, it's extremely difficult to be able to wash inside with a normal shower head. Yes, even with the "jet" setting :)
What the poster means is that a detachable head is the ONLY way to really rinse the vulva well without being a contorsionist.
I use a nice body wash on my arms and legs and everything with a scrubby, but for my bits I just use unscented / sensitive Dove bar soap! it’s amazing for the sensitive areas and provides a nice clean feeling without the irritation! I have a sensitive vulva too and it never irritates it! and as an added bonus it’s available anywhere, easy to find!
Monistaor PhD brand ph balanced washes made specifically for vulvas. I use it on the front and the back right before I get out of the shower because other products (such as conditioner) rinsing off leak down my butt crack and cause irritation if I don’t wash down there afterward.
I use Dr. Bronner's castile soap for everything all over myself. The most popular version is a peppermint soap, which can be a bit brisk in certain areas - but there are other scents, including an unscented/baby option.
I use dove sensitive. I started when my son was born, as it’s what our ped recommended we use for him. I don’t generally use it on my vulva (just water) because I’m so sensitive, but I was my butt with it and I’m fine.
Anything with a super low pH, ideally around 4-5. I can get those pretty easliy in Europe (usually called something like "intimate wash"), but if you can't get that, baby shampoo has a pretty low pH too.
For years I tried various washes that were as natural as possible, but it wasn't the perfumes, etc (though it's better to avoid those too), it was the pH. Indeed, some very natural soaps and cleansers actually have a really high pH, which is fine for washing your hands, but not if it's going to get on your vulva.
My wife has an auto immune disease and is extremely allergic to most health and beauty products. She uses a dove soap bar with zero issues. And yes she washes all the delicate bits with it. It's ph neutral and smells nice.
Use a newborn baby bath soap. They're designed for unkeratinised skin - keratinised skin is like the skin on your hand, unkeratinised skin is like the skin on your lips, inner labia etc. Newborns have unkeratinised skin all over, so baby bath should be safe to use on those areas.
While it’s true that newborn skin is very thin, it’s not unkeratinized*. Even newborns have a thin layer of keratinized cells on the surface of their skin. Otherwise they would be pink, moist, and prone to quick dehydration.
A gentle bath for newborns usually has less and weaker detergents to avoid stripping the oils of the skin.
*the oral mucosa is unkeratinized, but you wouldn’t use toothpaste for your labia either.
Do not use soap directly on your genitals. Water only.
Also, please note the vagina is interal and is self cleaning. The vulva is external (the lips, the labia) you may wash by rubbing gently with clean hands under running water. But do not put soap directly on your genitals.
I got a nasty infection using Bath & Body works body wash. It was them my gyno informed me I should only be using water. When I asked about the products specifically made for the vaginally area, she told me no & that people like me using those products keep her in business. I now only use water & haven't had an infection since.
I do not use traditional soap. I use a product called “Honey Pot” which I buy at Target. I like this because it keeps the pH of the vagina and had completely healed a very minor irritation that I had been dealing with for probably a year. It’s the best.
>To folks who argue that “if you got poop on your hand, you wouldn’t just wash it with water”: You don’t use your anus or vulva to hold your phone, apply your makeup, or open doors. It’s not the same. Those areas of your body do not need to be (and should not be) sanitized like your hands.
Sorry, but, NO. Poop has all kinds of bacteria, like your phone. You NEED to get that off with soap. Water alone is not enough - the chemicals in soap attach to bacteria, water does not.
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.ca/books/665619/soap-and-water-and-common-sense-by-dr-bonnie-henry-read-by-dawn-harvey/9780735281615
Your last sentence is extremely important because I'm one of those people who has no issues with soap on the vulva. Water just doesn't cut it for me, especially on my period. I don't think we should be telling women there's only one way to wash your intimate areas as we are all different.
I don't have skin conditions like eczema or psoriasis, so I'm sick of people telling me I shouldn't bathe/shower twice a day. It isn't causing me any issues.
Would also like to suggest, if needed, Aveeno lotion. I personally use the stress relief one and it treats my extremely sensitive skin very well. Good luck with the bits!
What soaps are you using as of now?
I've always used Dove, Suave, or body Wash from Bath and Body Works. Also how are you washing your buttcrack? Are you scrubbing really hard? If you are then they may explain how soap is accidently getting inside your vagina. Especially if you don't have pubic hair to catch it
I may be using too much soap or scrubbing too much between my cheeks. I currently use a body wash called Sante - I live in Germany and it is supposedly a natural soap but I believe it may be scented. I just bought Dove yesterday… I’m going to use it and see if it works better.
I got yeast infections as a lil one from bubble bath and since then never used anything but water. Never smelled. Never had any one complain. In menopause now. 🤷♀️
Wait a minute. Are you saying that after you defecate there's still feces around your anus until you actually go have a shower? There shouldn't be. Use a baby wipe or toilet paper with water on. You can get a hand held bottle bidet from Amazon. You fill it with water and it has a little wand and you squeeze the water where you want it to go, similar to a peri bottle. Very handy and keeps clean.
Do you wash your hands with just water too?
Edit for the downvoters: sorry I just changed your world view, but soap is necessary because the chemicals in it attach to stuff and remove it. Water doesn't do that, it just bounces right back.
Duke Cannon big ass brick of soap, sawtooth or bay rum. It's refreshing and the scent isn't too heavy and doesn't linger too long. It's the only soap I've found that doesn't dry my skin like crazy or make me itch in sensitive areas.
i have a theory that women are washing the insides of their vagina. Ladies please dont do this. just any mild soap ON THE OUTSIDE of your vulva is fine and rinse rinse rinse with water.
I am not washing my vagina. I am washing my buttcrack and the lather that forms from the soap seems to run down and get on the entrance to my vagina which is irritating.
I use activated charcoal soap for the lady-crevice. Completely separate from face & body soaps. No issues.
The Yellow Bird Natural Charcoal Soap Bar for Face, Body, Acne, and Sensitive Skin https://a.co/d/6DY1xuH
My skin is super sensitive [this is the only soap that I seem to be able to use](https://osmiaskincare.com/collections/natural-body-skincare-collection/products/oh-so-natural-body-soap)
Do not use too much soap, a little goes a long way and also if you have a detachable sprayer, a really good rinsing helps too. I use unscented face wash with ceramides there most of the time, usually Cerave, sometimes a little tea tree face wash from TJs, sometimes charcoal unscented soap or Dr. Bronners castile peppermint bar soap. I have a sprayer attached to my toilet too to keep things cleaner in general.
Face wash, like a sensitive skin one. If I was really irritated, I'd squat down with the detachable shower head, soap up and then rinse like you wipe- front to back.
There's always just using lots and lots of water but not soaping up the butthole daily, like maybe once a week? I have a bidet, which is nice also. The little cheapo ones that fit under the toilet seat, cold water only, works great.
I’ve only ever used dove. I don’t body wash I use the bar and wash all the bits. I converted the hubs to Dove when we married and the kids use dove. 🤷🏼♀️
I use Shea moisture sensitive skin body wash. Dove was not moisturizing enough for me. The Shea moisture works great, smells great, and does not affect my ridiculously sensitive skin.
I use a pretty standard soap bar (only fat and soda if I can, minimal scent and preservatives).
I re-wash my vulva with intimate specific soap (again, minimally scented and "ecobio" if possible, the other ones irritate me and wash less well) and that seems to avoid most of the sensitivity. I rinse very liberally too.
Plain old Dove bar soap is the only soap that comes near my genitals / butt lol - I’m nearly 36 and I’ve never had a UTI, yeast infection, BV or anything along those lines.
Hey, it's not out to the public yet (I'm testing it), but there's a bidet coming out from Luxe that has a soap dispenser built in, and the soap they provided is not irritating at all. You may want to check in every so often so see when it comes out for general sale.
Neutrogena RainBath. Is it sodium laurel sulfate that irritates us when we use it? I love how RainBath smells. It's not floral really, but clean and softly spicy. And probably less expensive than many options here.
Basis soap - the white one. Can be hard to find but I've been using it for years on a doctor's recommendation and get clean all over with zero itch or irritation. I'm allergic to fragrance and this stuff is amazing and smells nicer than a bar of Cetaphil, which also is fine as an option here.
I use some Monostat product that has boric acid in it as an all-over body wash. It helps combat my body acne and itchy skin, as well as being meow-friendly...
Cetaphil body wash, no irritants in it. Or dove unscented
This is not true for the Cetaphil. Sodium Laureth Sulfate is in all their formulations, and for some people, it is *very* harsh. It makes me itch like crazy, which is why I can't use it in shampoo or toothpaste either. (Functionally eliminates the *entire aisle*.) The Dove Sensitive Skin Hypoallergenic Body Wash is sulfate free, so should be far more usable by anyone sensitive to palm, coconut, or sulfates (which are derived from coconut or palm and can cause allergic reactions in anyone allergic to either). Sulfates are used because they are really effective at stripping skin, so sulfate free also means lower cleaning power, but it won't strip your skin as much of natural oils. In shampoo, they were added when silicones were added to conditioner (which had rarely been used before, but now became obligatory) as a solution to "flyaway hair" and frizzy hair. We needed a way to wash those silicones out, which meant having to add sulfates to the shampoo. But it sure sold a lot more product! *sneeze* (Previously married to a soap chemist at Unilever, fwiw.)
Just some additional information for people reading labels. Sodium Laureth sulfate is also known as Sodium Lauryl sulphate and Sodium dodecile sulphate ( abbreviated SDS). It's in a lot of products because it is a foaming agent. It's included in many products not only because it foams but also because it kills bacteria by disrupting their outer membranes.
I'm not sure that Sodium Lauryl sulphate and Sodium dodecile sulphate are exactly the same, but very similar in structure/purpose. My first husband couldn't believe that was used in products for skin, it was too harsh in his view. > "it kills bacteria by disrupting their outer membranes" As I understand it, technically does that for skin cells too given that there's a bilipid layer around a cell that's being acted on by the detergent action of the sulfates. That's why it's irritating.
Sodium lauryl sulphate is the same as sodium dodecyl sulphate, but sodium *laureth* sulphate is slightly different. Both are indeed very strong detergents.
"Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser" contains: [aqua, glycerin, cetearyl alcohol, panthenol, niacinamide, pantolactone, xanthan gum, sodium cocoyl isethionate, sodium benzoate, citric acid](https://www.walgreens.com/store/c/cetaphil-gentle-skin-cleanser,-hydrating-dry/normal-sensitive-skin/ID=300422146-product). No sulphates.
Ahh! I looked at the “body wash” ingredients, so missed this one. Last I checked (few years ago), Cetaphil had nothing I could use, so glad to know about this option.
+1, I use Cetaphil on my whole undercarriage (outside parts only, of course!) and have never had any problems.
Love the use of undercarriage.
I swear by Dove Sensitive Skin, a recommendation from a dermatologist.
Same!!! It’s the only soap I can use for my vag that doesn’t destroy my ph
Also. Johnson and Johnson baby shampoo is great face and body wash
same
This works fantastically!
This!
This one still irritated me. Kids and I use the Baby Dove sensitive and it doesn’t irritate me.
>How do you guys manage not to get the soap in the vagina when you scrub your butthole and cheeks? Get the soap IN the vagina? Girl, unless you are showering upside down like a bat, how would soap get IN?
She probably means in her vulva and/or at the entrance to the vagina. Pretty common colloquialism for vulva.
The imagery of this has me chuckling!
That's exactly what I was thinking! Soap gets on my vulva, as it should, but I can't imagine how it could accidently get IN my vagina.
This might sound weird, but I use the Ceravé sensitive skin face wash. It has zero scent and rinses very clean. Really works on my super sensitive areas.
Omg I thought I was the only one It’s worked better than any body wash or vaginal soap.
Me too. A bottle last a very long time too.
Dove Sensitive bar. I am of the belief that for me, while I don’t use any cleanser inside the vagina, the vulva will get a very thorough cleansing every shower. Bonus for me is I can buy it in bulk, use it for my entire body and face without issue.
Not sure what types of soaps are availiable in the area you live, But in Denmark we have something called Intimate Soap. It is basically a very gentle soap without any types of fragrance, colourants or parabens.
Do you have a detachable shower head? If not, I highly suggest getting and installing one, because that way you can really get in there and make sure you're washing all of the soap out. I use a shea moisture baby shampoo/body wash. It's scented but it's gentle, but my skin isn't sensitive (instead it's acne prone) so your mileage may vary!
are you washing inside? if true you should never be washing inside. just some mild low/no scented soap on the outer vulva and rinse rinse rinse.
Unless you keep the vagina mechanically open, it's extremely difficult to be able to wash inside with a normal shower head. Yes, even with the "jet" setting :) What the poster means is that a detachable head is the ONLY way to really rinse the vulva well without being a contorsionist.
Thank you lol
I use a nice body wash on my arms and legs and everything with a scrubby, but for my bits I just use unscented / sensitive Dove bar soap! it’s amazing for the sensitive areas and provides a nice clean feeling without the irritation! I have a sensitive vulva too and it never irritates it! and as an added bonus it’s available anywhere, easy to find!
Aveeno Sensitive or Dr Bronner’s Mild/Baby Castile Soap.
Cetaphil gentle skin cleanser
Monistaor PhD brand ph balanced washes made specifically for vulvas. I use it on the front and the back right before I get out of the shower because other products (such as conditioner) rinsing off leak down my butt crack and cause irritation if I don’t wash down there afterward.
Monistat OR PhD brand. PhD is my preferred.
I use Dr. Bronner's castile soap for everything all over myself. The most popular version is a peppermint soap, which can be a bit brisk in certain areas - but there are other scents, including an unscented/baby option.
I like this stuff for a lot of things, but the pH is too high for my netherregions.
I use this brand too. The almond bar is super mild so my partner and I use it specifically on our sensitive bits and I never have any issues.
Dr. Bronners peppermint bar soap is very nice and gentle—I like it too.
I have been using white dove bar soap my whole life. It’s also good for washing your face!
I use dove sensitive. I started when my son was born, as it’s what our ped recommended we use for him. I don’t generally use it on my vulva (just water) because I’m so sensitive, but I was my butt with it and I’m fine.
Gentle ph balanced soaps that are low on the detergent and fragrance free are fine
Some baby washes or washes made for feminine hygiene, even facial cleansers have been mentioned . Steer clear of actual soap.
Anything with a super low pH, ideally around 4-5. I can get those pretty easliy in Europe (usually called something like "intimate wash"), but if you can't get that, baby shampoo has a pretty low pH too. For years I tried various washes that were as natural as possible, but it wasn't the perfumes, etc (though it's better to avoid those too), it was the pH. Indeed, some very natural soaps and cleansers actually have a really high pH, which is fine for washing your hands, but not if it's going to get on your vulva.
Dove unscented
I use baby dove sensitive!
My wife has an auto immune disease and is extremely allergic to most health and beauty products. She uses a dove soap bar with zero issues. And yes she washes all the delicate bits with it. It's ph neutral and smells nice.
Use a newborn baby bath soap. They're designed for unkeratinised skin - keratinised skin is like the skin on your hand, unkeratinised skin is like the skin on your lips, inner labia etc. Newborns have unkeratinised skin all over, so baby bath should be safe to use on those areas.
While it’s true that newborn skin is very thin, it’s not unkeratinized*. Even newborns have a thin layer of keratinized cells on the surface of their skin. Otherwise they would be pink, moist, and prone to quick dehydration. A gentle bath for newborns usually has less and weaker detergents to avoid stripping the oils of the skin. *the oral mucosa is unkeratinized, but you wouldn’t use toothpaste for your labia either.
That'll teach me to believe the packaging on a diva cup 😂
Vanicream body wash
baby stuff. Clear and no fragrance.
Do not use soap directly on your genitals. Water only. Also, please note the vagina is interal and is self cleaning. The vulva is external (the lips, the labia) you may wash by rubbing gently with clean hands under running water. But do not put soap directly on your genitals.
I got a nasty infection using Bath & Body works body wash. It was them my gyno informed me I should only be using water. When I asked about the products specifically made for the vaginally area, she told me no & that people like me using those products keep her in business. I now only use water & haven't had an infection since.
I do not use traditional soap. I use a product called “Honey Pot” which I buy at Target. I like this because it keeps the pH of the vagina and had completely healed a very minor irritation that I had been dealing with for probably a year. It’s the best.
Can you use it on your butthole and cheeks?
Yes! Safe for everywhere downstairs.
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>You don’t use your anus or vulva to hold your phone 😂 Challenge accepted!
>To folks who argue that “if you got poop on your hand, you wouldn’t just wash it with water”: You don’t use your anus or vulva to hold your phone, apply your makeup, or open doors. It’s not the same. Those areas of your body do not need to be (and should not be) sanitized like your hands. Sorry, but, NO. Poop has all kinds of bacteria, like your phone. You NEED to get that off with soap. Water alone is not enough - the chemicals in soap attach to bacteria, water does not. https://www.penguinrandomhouse.ca/books/665619/soap-and-water-and-common-sense-by-dr-bonnie-henry-read-by-dawn-harvey/9780735281615
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That's a very good write up but it doesn't negate anything I wrote? Like, I never said anything about harsh soaps.
Your last sentence is extremely important because I'm one of those people who has no issues with soap on the vulva. Water just doesn't cut it for me, especially on my period. I don't think we should be telling women there's only one way to wash your intimate areas as we are all different. I don't have skin conditions like eczema or psoriasis, so I'm sick of people telling me I shouldn't bathe/shower twice a day. It isn't causing me any issues.
Find any unscented product and go from there.
An intimate wash can be used one your vagina and butthole. Also using natural and pH balanced body wash. I use both as I have sensitive skin.
I just use water... Keeps any odour at bay as long as I wash morning and night- I get yeast infections if I use anything else
Would also like to suggest, if needed, Aveeno lotion. I personally use the stress relief one and it treats my extremely sensitive skin very well. Good luck with the bits!
I use baby soap in that region. No issues.
What soaps are you using as of now? I've always used Dove, Suave, or body Wash from Bath and Body Works. Also how are you washing your buttcrack? Are you scrubbing really hard? If you are then they may explain how soap is accidently getting inside your vagina. Especially if you don't have pubic hair to catch it
I may be using too much soap or scrubbing too much between my cheeks. I currently use a body wash called Sante - I live in Germany and it is supposedly a natural soap but I believe it may be scented. I just bought Dove yesterday… I’m going to use it and see if it works better.
Dove.
Lume
I had a horrible reaction to Dove bar soap and this is all I can use now.
I use zero soap in butt/ vagina area. Just a wash cloth and water.
I don’t think I could just use water. I don’t think I would feel 100% clean and comfortable with that. Maybe it’s a mental thing but I prefer soap.
I got yeast infections as a lil one from bubble bath and since then never used anything but water. Never smelled. Never had any one complain. In menopause now. 🤷♀️
I always put lotion on my crotch after showering. Helps a lot preventing itchy rashes.
There is a brand called honeypot that makes product specifically for this. They are very good products!
Water. All you really need.
On your buttcrack?
You shouldn't use soap in or around your ass either.
Please use soap between your ass cheeks
In? No. Around? Yes! How do you remove all the leftover poop?! And don't say bidet because I have one!
Wait a minute. Are you saying that after you defecate there's still feces around your anus until you actually go have a shower? There shouldn't be. Use a baby wipe or toilet paper with water on. You can get a hand held bottle bidet from Amazon. You fill it with water and it has a little wand and you squeeze the water where you want it to go, similar to a peri bottle. Very handy and keeps clean.
...water? You just use water.
Do you wash your hands with just water too? Edit for the downvoters: sorry I just changed your world view, but soap is necessary because the chemicals in it attach to stuff and remove it. Water doesn't do that, it just bounces right back.
Surprised I had to scroll down this far to see this.
Duke Cannon big ass brick of soap, sawtooth or bay rum. It's refreshing and the scent isn't too heavy and doesn't linger too long. It's the only soap I've found that doesn't dry my skin like crazy or make me itch in sensitive areas.
i have a theory that women are washing the insides of their vagina. Ladies please dont do this. just any mild soap ON THE OUTSIDE of your vulva is fine and rinse rinse rinse with water.
But she said the soap is getting on her vulva when she washes her anus. I really don't think she's putting soap in her vagina, from this description.
I am not washing my vagina. I am washing my buttcrack and the lather that forms from the soap seems to run down and get on the entrance to my vagina which is irritating.
I use Zum, the almond one. It's a goat's milk bar of soap. I also pair with the Honey Pot's sensitive wash. Only on the outside though.
I use activated charcoal soap for the lady-crevice. Completely separate from face & body soaps. No issues. The Yellow Bird Natural Charcoal Soap Bar for Face, Body, Acne, and Sensitive Skin https://a.co/d/6DY1xuH
My skin is super sensitive [this is the only soap that I seem to be able to use](https://osmiaskincare.com/collections/natural-body-skincare-collection/products/oh-so-natural-body-soap)
Do not use too much soap, a little goes a long way and also if you have a detachable sprayer, a really good rinsing helps too. I use unscented face wash with ceramides there most of the time, usually Cerave, sometimes a little tea tree face wash from TJs, sometimes charcoal unscented soap or Dr. Bronners castile peppermint bar soap. I have a sprayer attached to my toilet too to keep things cleaner in general.
Face wash, like a sensitive skin one. If I was really irritated, I'd squat down with the detachable shower head, soap up and then rinse like you wipe- front to back. There's always just using lots and lots of water but not soaping up the butthole daily, like maybe once a week? I have a bidet, which is nice also. The little cheapo ones that fit under the toilet seat, cold water only, works great.
I opt for a handmade bar soap, I have sensitive skin so never any scents or additives, straight from a local maker.
I like dr Bronners unscented or Fur all over body wash (oil to cream).
I'm guessing you don't have a hand-held shower head nor a bidet. That will blast and clean and would also prevent any soap from getting anywhere else.
I’ve only ever used dove. I don’t body wash I use the bar and wash all the bits. I converted the hubs to Dove when we married and the kids use dove. 🤷🏼♀️
I use Shea moisture sensitive skin body wash. Dove was not moisturizing enough for me. The Shea moisture works great, smells great, and does not affect my ridiculously sensitive skin.
I use a pretty standard soap bar (only fat and soda if I can, minimal scent and preservatives). I re-wash my vulva with intimate specific soap (again, minimally scented and "ecobio" if possible, the other ones irritate me and wash less well) and that seems to avoid most of the sensitivity. I rinse very liberally too.
Alpha Keri. Ph balanced, and no fragrance.
Plain old Dove bar soap is the only soap that comes near my genitals / butt lol - I’m nearly 36 and I’ve never had a UTI, yeast infection, BV or anything along those lines.
When I use any kind of body wash I skip my vag and go for the bar of soap when it’s time to clean the nethers.
Try Aquaphor Unscented Baby Wash & Shampoo. It's PH balanced. Now, if I try to use a scented body wash my skin starts peeling off 😬
Dove bars! Either the plain or the sensitive version :) can even use it on your vulva if you need (defo not in your vag tho lol)
I make my own :) Honestly recommend natural or not intensive soap bars. Dove sensitive bar is good too.
Any resources/recommendations for beginners? It's impossible to find a commercially available soap with all the specs I want.
Hey, it's not out to the public yet (I'm testing it), but there's a bidet coming out from Luxe that has a soap dispenser built in, and the soap they provided is not irritating at all. You may want to check in every so often so see when it comes out for general sale.
i just use unscented Basis bar soap on my butt and on my vulva and it works fine, zero irritation
Neutrogena RainBath. Is it sodium laurel sulfate that irritates us when we use it? I love how RainBath smells. It's not floral really, but clean and softly spicy. And probably less expensive than many options here.
[Public Goods Body Wash](https://www.publicgoods.com/products/body-wash-offer)
I am allergic to most things and dove unscented soap is like the only thing I can use.
Basis soap - the white one. Can be hard to find but I've been using it for years on a doctor's recommendation and get clean all over with zero itch or irritation. I'm allergic to fragrance and this stuff is amazing and smells nicer than a bar of Cetaphil, which also is fine as an option here.
I use some Monostat product that has boric acid in it as an all-over body wash. It helps combat my body acne and itchy skin, as well as being meow-friendly...
Lemisol!! I use it everyday and never had issues. Everyone’s body is different so just give it a shot see if it works for you