New Information on Skin Care Products

[Mikel]

Hi All! I saw a new derm yesterday. He advised me not to use Cetaphil cleanser asit has some type of alcohol & the new research suggests that it can aggravate P. He said to only use Dove bar to wash face & body as it is a very mild, soap free cleanser. Also, he gave me a jojoba oil based face moisturiser, which is non-comedogenic.

As for my body, he advised that Petroleum Jelly is the best thing. Hesaid P & skin care products need a lot of research & though there are products like Cetaphil, Eucerin, Aveeno, Vanicream that claim to be safe; a simple preservative can trigger a flare up. Same reason, he wants me to steer clear of any face wash or body wash as they have preservatives.

What I'm really confused about is that he wants me to stop shaving my head & applying Dovonex to the scalp, as there is some effect related to shaving that can flare up my P. Also, I remember reading about a lot of posts that petroleum jelly/mineral oil/paraffin based products are not safe. But then cetaphil is not safe either. What do you guys who steer clear of petroleum products us? Is Vanicream free of petroleum jelly/mineral oil/paraffin?

[DottieD]

Hi Mikel -

Isn't it interesting that people get such different advice from different dermatolotists?! If you're happy with your new derm, it makes sense to try to follow his/her advice and see how it works. My derm feels very positive about Cetaphil, so that's what I use. I used a creamy vaseline ointment for about 10 years, but then got worried about the effect of putting so much foreign material on my skin every day for so long.

I understand that some people use cooking oil on their skin - they say it works as well as vaseline and it comes from foods that we eat (like corn or soybeans), not from petroleum. I believe both mainly work by providing a barrier so that less moisture leaves your skin.

On a recent thread, someone mentioned they got god results with a product called Dermarest - comes in a tube and can be purchased at Wal-Mart. It is basically an oil-based ointment with 2% salicylic acid - an ingredient for relieving irritation in the skin and reducing the redness of psoriasis. It has cetyl alcohol in it but that's listed as the 5th ingredient, so there can't be much.

Hope this helps. DottieD

[debicamp13]

the vasoline may be feel good initially, but it eventually clogs the skin and the hair folicles and infection can set in, alot of the petrolum based steriods
(or ointments)wouod do this to me, just got thru folliticulitis about 3 months ago from usuing taclonex ointment...be careful......im using humira now and all the lotion im using is Arbonne, all natural from switzerland....

[Mikel]

Hi Dotty & Deb, thanx for sharing your exp. So I guess I need to find a day moisturizer without petroleum jelly, paraffin or mineral oil & similar for night lotion for all over. I chkd ingredients on lubriderm, eucerin, vaseline, oilatum body lotions but all have some petroleum jelly. How about Aveeno or Vanicream, are they safe?

[AnnieB]

I use Lubriderm and I have never had a problem with it. I don't find that I have any bad reaction from using mineral oil as an ingredient in moisturizers. Here is a long discussion on the subject. I personally think that cosmetic grade mineral oil is not dangerous, but obviously others disagree. There are definitely moisturizers from health food stores that use other oils.

http://www.psoriasis.org/forum/showthread.php?t=23696

[ridingaround]

Hi folks,
I've been reading as much as I can on the subject--there's so much to learn! My six years old was misdiagnosed more than a year ago. He now has p on his scalp, genitals, torso, and forehead. He never complains that it hurts unless we try to scrub the scales on his scalp. I feel so bad for him.

I just learned from reading posts that it can be painful and it looks like I should be keeping his skin moisturized. I was afraid of putting anything on him in case it irritated his skin. Why the vaseline and baby oil? Is that to prevent the skin from cracking? I also just learned that this is seasonal. It only recently started to get much worse.

I could ask a million questions! I'll keep reading and learning as much as I can. This is a great resource for me. Thank you all!!

[RichJ]

hi rindingaround,
welcome to the p family. you havel met some of the wonderful people on here and will find alot of great info. welcome and nice to meet you.

have a good day all

richard

[Mikel]

Hi All! This seems to be going somewhere with all your help. I need to know the options available if I decide to go off petroleum products. Has anybody tried Aveeno body lotions or Vanicream? Please share your experience. I mean if I have to stop using Vaseline Jelly all over at night, what are my options?

[jentaylor98]

I really think that lotions and how they work for us can vary from person to person just like anything we use for our psoriasis. Vanicream is made at the Mayo Clinic and they sell it through their store Pharmaceutical Specialties, Inc. It works great for me and I use their cleanser regularly. I use the lotion and cream on my feet when they get really dry. I also use a newer product called CeraVe. It works well, but not as well for me as Vanicream. But my overall favorite lotion is Aveeno. I use just the regular Daily Moisturizing Lotion every day, everywhere, even on my face. I have never cared much for Eucerin or Lubriderm, but other people I talk to like them better than my favorites. So it is all personal preference and what your skin likes. Try a bunch and keep trying new products. Just my 2 cents. :)

[NL]

I use Vanicream on my face in the winter when it gets dry and flakey. It's done nothing but help me. It is sold at Walmart. Once again everyone is different and I think you will just have to keep trying things until you find something that you like and that works for you.

[Mikel]

Hi folks,
I've been reading as much as I can on the subject--there's so much to learn! My six years old was misdiagnosed more than a year ago. He now has p on his scalp, genitals, torso, and forehead. He never complains that it hurts unless we try to scrub the scales on his scalp. I feel so bad for him.

I just learned from reading posts that it can be painful and it looks like I should be keeping his skin moisturized. I was afraid of putting anything on him in case it irritated his skin. Why the vaseline and baby oil? Is that to prevent the skin from cracking? I also just learned that this is seasonal. It only recently started to get much worse.

I could ask a million questions! I'll keep reading and learning as much as I can. This is a great resource for me. Thank you all!!
Hi Riding around. As you can see there is a debate about the safety of petro products so I would advise you to be sure about what you you on your 6 year old. All the best!

[4thcorner]

Hi. Thanks for Barney's formula. I'll try it, or a variation. Here's what I'm doing & some sources of info that I've found useful.

Creams.
I've used every cream & lotion in the book (cetaphil, unfragranced aveeno, dermarest, vanicream etc) for my palmar & sole P. Those work ok when the P is in a kindly phase, but not so good when the cracks start showing up. Also, despite the fragrance, Alba's Kukui Nut cream works nicely.

However, I've found that straight (organic) olive, almond, coconut and avocado oils are generally better "moisturizers"/softeners. (I figure that if I'm willing to eat something, it's probably safe to put on the skin). These oils are pretty inexpensive -- a lot goes a long way. Only problem is that these oils take a while to absorb. Your local food co-op is one source. Rose Mountain Herbs http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/ is another with a lot of good, reasonably priced oils (and herbs, of course).

Anti-inflammatories.
Ginger is, like aspirin & flax seed oil, seeds or meal, a good anti-inflammatory. Brazil nuts are one excellent sources of selenium (see http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/selenium.asp#h2 The home page http://ods.od.nih.gov/Health_Information/Health_Information.aspx is a good comprehensive site for science-based dietary supplementary info).
(Caution on flax seed oil. There's growing evidence that ingesting flax seed oil is positively correlated with the probability of prostate cancer, but that flax seed meal is beneficial. . . Men might want to check this out.)

Skin cleaning
I use a good liquid 'castile' soap like Dr. Bonners unscented, or a creamy mild goat-milk soap -- but with only lukewarm water, since heat tends to aggravate the P. Soaking my feet & hands in lukewarm/cold water with baking soda at least once a day helps a lot, especially when there's a lot of itching, burning & new raw cracks. (Worst days, I keep a hand-sized plastic container with the solution at the ready, for "deperation" soaks). I do this before putting on Dovonex (I'm into week 6; seems to be helping) followed by an oil, generally followed by cotton gloves & socks.

Oh yes -- and I've become an expert in sanding thick scale build-up so that when cracks do happen, they don't have so many (painful layers) to burst through. Takes some care, though, as too much is . . . too much.

I'd be interested in others who have used any of these methods.

PS I've found that http://www.safecosmetics.org/your_health/ and http://www.cosmeticdatabase.com/ are good sources of info on potential problems with some ingredients in creams, soaps, cosmetics etc -- including safety rankings on products (including Aveeno & Cetaphil lines). The latter site especially has helped me make better-informed decisions about what to put on my skin.

[Mikel]

Hi 4thCorner. Thank you for your detailed response. It is a lot of information, will make go through all the links & probably revert with more questions.

[ToniM]

I've not gotten any relief, and often get worse, from using processed creams or salves. I open capsules of Evening Primrose Oil or Borage Oil and put that on my affected areas -- for my hands, I put the oil on them and then wear cotton gloves for a few hours. I also take the EPO and BO orally when the flare-ups are really bad. Mine doesn't seem to be seasonal but is worsened by fatigue and stressses, or dietary sins like eating corn or tomatoes which seem to aggravate any inflamatory conditions I have. I cannot touch or hold metals as doing so flares the psoriasis. As an artist, I'm having a difficult time adjusting to the changes to my hands. Overall though I've done best with topical and oral use of EPO and BO. Good quality olive oil has softened my skin, too, but the odor, even slightly, doesn't appeal to me once it's on my skin -- though my face loves it. The disorder erupted on my skin after a deep puncture wound I sustained while working on a tile mosaic, and next erupted on my back after the skin prick allergy tests. Again, the EPO and BO are well-tolerated by me there, too.

[RichJ]

hi tonim and beattneils,
welcome to the p family. you have met some of the wonderful people on here and will find alot of great info. welcome and nice to meet you. i think i just met a sales person but not sure

have a good day all

richard

[cboles]

4th Corner what's the correct proportion of baking soda to water. My dern just said to soak my hands for 10 minutes. I like the idea of the baking soda. Carolyn

[Mikel]

I want to thank you all for sharing so much info on OTC products like Cetaphil, Aveeno, Eucerin, Vanicream & Lubriderm.
I live in India & none of these are available here (Except a sad version of Cetaphil lotion & cleanser).

I finally took the plunge I ordered online some Aveeno & Cetaphil. I'm very happy with it. Though I have concerns over Aveeno that I have posted on a new thread.

Unfortunately, the shipping costs me a lot so I want to be absolutely positive that I'm not buying something that majority of members on this board have had a bad experience with.

Therefore, all the information that you can continue to share is deeply appreciated. I don't take any biologis or MTX or any systematics. just Dovonex on my scalp at night. Plan to start UVB therapy shortly.

I want to buy Eucerin redness relief moisturizers, Cetaphil SPF moisturizing lotion (Since I like what the regular Cetaphil moisturizer). Members having anything to share on the Eucerin cleansers, redness relief range & Calming range please let me know your experience.
I am waiting for you guys to share your experiences before I place any further order snce I'm very confused. I thought Cetaphil is the safest for folks with P, but then I found the Cleansing Bar has masking fragrance as one of the ingredient.

Have a good weekend.