Sarasota Dermatology Blog

Don’t Shampoo Your Body

Posted on 24. Feb, 2009 by Bradley J. Abrams, D.O. in Skin Care

The state of our economy is causing a lot of Americans to find ways to cut corners to save a few extra dollars. I’ve noticed that more of my patients, usually men, are using their shampoo to wash their body. This may be a convenient money saver, but it is a bad idea.

Why is it a bad idea? Shampoo is created to be very “soapy” to ensure it removes oils from your hair and scalp. Use it on your body and it strips oils off your skin. This leaves your skin dry and more susceptible to irritation. Add the cold, dry air of the winter season and the dry indoor heat and you get dry, irritated skin.

It is very important that we continue to practice good skin care techniques, especially during cold winter months.

1. Never use shampoo to wash your body. In fact, try to lean forward when you rinse your hair to prevent the shampoo from running down your body.
2. Use a mild soap or a non-soap cleanser like Dove or Aveeno cleansing bar. Just remember the more bubbles your soap makes the more it will strip oils off your skin.
3. Apply a moisturizer within minutes of getting out of the shower or tub. This will help seal the water in the skin before it can evaporate.

The economy is causing a lot of us to look at the way we spend our money, but we still need to practice good skin care. You can save some money by asking your dermatologist for coupons for mild soap or non-soap products. Most dermatologists have coupons and a few samples that they can give to their patients.

Tags: coupons, dermatologist, dry irritated skin, moisturizer, Skin Care, soap cleanser, soap products