What is the best body wash for men?

Which type of body wash should you choose?

For eczema prone skin, useful label terms include gentle, fragrance free, sensitive skin, soap free and moisturizing. These are shopping filters, not a reason to keep using a cleanser that irritates you. If you have eczema, ask your dermatologist to check whether your chosen products fit your treatment plan.2

Is unscented the same as fragrance free?

No. An unscented product can contain chemicals that hide the smell of other ingredients, and those chemicals can irritate dry, sensitive skin. Look specifically for fragrance free. Deodorant soaps can also be too harsh for dry skin, even if their main selling point is getting you clean.5

A natural formula is not automatically a better choice for eczema. Natural ingredients can still irritate skin, and people with eczema should be particularly careful with seed oils, citrus oils and tea tree oil. Fragranced products can trigger allergic reactions and eczema flares.2

How should you use body wash?

1. 1Use warm rather than hot water. If your skin is dry, keep your shower to five to ten minutes.
2. 2Apply a gentle cleanser where you need to remove dirt and oil. For dry skin, concentrate on areas such as the underarms and groin rather than soaping every patch of skin.
3. 3Use enough cleanser to clean, but avoid building a thick lather. Do not scrub dry skin.
4. 4If you shave, do it at the end of the shower, when water has softened your skin and hair.
5. 5Gently pat your skin dry with a clean towel rather than rubbing it.
6. 6Apply a fragrance free moisturizer immediately while your skin is still damp.

How often should you shower?

A daily shower helps rinse away allergens you encounter during the day. Morning or evening both work. If you shower more than once a day, use cleanser during only one shower to limit drying. For dry skin, stick to bathing once daily.46

Normal skin can tolerate washing all over. With sensitive or eczema prone skin, restrict cleanser to the face, underarms and groin, using a mild facial cleanser for your face. The same temperature and fragrance precautions apply to baths. Avoid heavily fragranced bubble baths; if you use bubbles or a bath bomb, rinse off afterward.4

What if ordinary body wash leaves you dry or itchy?

An emollient is a moisturizing treatment that helps trap water in the skin. Some leave on emollients also work as soap substitutes. Mix about a teaspoonful with a little warm water in your palm, spread over damp or dry skin, rinse and pat dry. Emollient soap substitutes clean as effectively as normal soap without foaming, which leaves the shower with less theatre and the same job done.3

If an emollient wash stings and the stinging does not settle after rinsing, ask a pharmacist for a different product. Emollients can make the shower slippery. Keep emollients and clothing or bedding that has touched them away from flames and cigarettes. If you also use a steroid cream or another skin treatment, separate application from your emollient by 20 to 30 minutes and ask your doctor which to apply first.3

What should you expect from switching?

A body wash removes dirt and oil; moisturizer does the main work of treating dry skin. Moisturizers soften rough skin, help prevent cracking and support the skin's natural protective barrier. Most people can manage dry skin with daily moisturizing and less exposure to heat. There is no fixed number of days to promise for relief after changing your wash.7

For eczema prone skin, follow washing with a cream or ointment rather than a lotion. A cream containing ceramides can help replace some of the moisturizing substances that eczema prone skin lacks. Apply it within three minutes of leaving the shower. Ointments hold moisture well but can feel greasy and transfer onto clothes, so some people prefer them for selected dry patches.2

When should you stop or get help?

Do not keep using a wash that causes burning, stinging or irritation; tell your dermatologist about the reaction. Contact a clinician if dryness and itching persist despite home care, keep you awake, or leave open cuts or sores from scratching. Itching without a visible rash also warrants medical advice. Dryness can be linked to skin conditions or medicines, so repeatedly changing body wash is not always the answer.56

What is the best face wash for men?

Choose a mild facial cleanser and wash with lukewarm water daily and after exercise. For sensitive skin, choose fragrance free; for acne prone skin, look for oil free or noncomedogenic. Regular bar soap can contain harsh ingredients that dry the face. Apply moisturizer after washing or shaving while your skin is still damp.1