Dermatology Facts—Gentle Skin Care

Bathing

Take brief showers or baths using warm rather than hot water.

Soap*

Use soap only on those areas that need it, such as the armpits, groin, and feet rather than all over. When soap is necessary, use a mild brand. Liquid Cetaphil and Aquanil soapless cleanser can be applied as soap and water substitutes.

*Milder brands of bar soap: Dove, Aveenobar, or Cetaphil. (Dove is the least expensive and most widely available of these and is available unscented).

Moisturizers

Within three minutes after bathing, apply a moisturizer all over. Apply a moisturizer at least once a day (twice is even better), even if no bath is taken.

For moderate to severely dry skin:

• Aquaphor ointment
• Petrolatum or Vaseline
• Eucerin cream
• Cetaphil cream
• DML Forte cream

For mild and moderately dry skin:

• Moisturel cream or lotion
• Nutraderm lotion
• Vaseline Dermatology Formula
• DML lotion
• ubriderm lotion

Laundry/Clothing

The choice of laundry detergent does not seem to affect the skin as long as there is an adequate rinse cycle on the washing machine. Avoid fabric softener strips used in the dryer such as Bounce, Snuggle, or Cling Free. If necessary, use a liquid fabric softener. Avoid wool or synthetic clothing if these fabrics irritate your child’s skin.

Information adapted from the Skin Cancer Foundation (http://www.skincancer.org/)