The skin on your arms and legs is itchy and unusually red – even though your laundry just came fresh out of the washing machine? You may have a sensitivity or even an allergy to your laundry detergent or fabric softener! This is usually caused by skin-irritating, allergy-triggering Ingredients that get deposited in your clothing during Laundry. In this post, you will learn how to easily eliminate this annoying problem!
Allergic reaction to laundry detergent? These are the most common causes!
This is how skin irritations develop
- Eczema or allergy
- harmful fragrances in laundry detergent
- Residues of surfactants or bleaching agents settle out and accumulate.
Many laundry detergents and fabric softeners are loaded with a wide range of Ingredients formulated to make laundry feel soft and smell fresh. However, along with synthetic fragrances, this also brings harmful surfactants and bleaching agents into your home, which can cause skin irritation or even allergic reactions when they come into contact with your skin.
A laundry detergent allergy develops from residues of these substances left in clothing, which then comes into contact with your skin.
Many immune systems mistakenly react to substances that are generally harmless to the body with frequent exposure. These reactions are particularly common in people who suffer from allergies or atopic dermatitis, as their bodies are especially sensitive to synthetic substances.
If you belong to this group of people, your first step should be to pay attention to the materials your clothing is made from. Just as with laundry detergent, the same rule applies here: the more synthetic the fabric, the more harmful it is! If you instead opt for natural materials like cotton, silk, or linen, and wash them using an eco-friendly, health-safe laundry detergent, those unpleasant symptoms will soon be a thing of the past!
How do I recognize a laundry detergent allergy?
The symptoms
- Itching
- reddened and dry skin
- Swelling in the arms and legs
- Rash and pustules
Many people experience allergic reactions to the artificial compounds found in laundry detergents and fabric softeners. These reactions cause itching, swelling, redness, and even skin pustules that appear during or after wearing freshly washed laundry. Ultimately, only a doctor can confirm if these symptoms are actually an allergic reaction to your laundry detergent. If you regularly notice these types of symptoms, you should consult a doctor. They can administer an allergy test to identify which specific substance you are reacting to. You can also test this yourself by switching your laundry detergent to an eco-friendly, organic alternative. If you notice the redness subsides after making this change, you should only use skin-safe, environmentally friendly laundry detergent free of harmful ingredients from that point onward.
Allergy to laundry detergent – now what?
If you are sensitive to laundry detergent and fabric softener, you should take immediate action to resolve this issue right away. If you experience uncomfortable itching and redness, you can take a quick shower to rinse the harmful substances off your body. Afterwards, put on breathable, comfortable clothing washed with an eco-friendly, skin-safe laundry detergent. To get rid of these kinds of issues long-term, you should consistently avoid these harmful substances and steer clear of conventional laundry detergents.
Finally, get skin-friendly washing results with these 5 laundry hacks!
1. Choose a laundry detergent free of allergens
Taking a careful look at the laundry detergent label can help you prevent allergic reactions. Therefore, going forward, opt for a laundry detergent that contains no harmful substances. Look for seals such as the one from Dermatest. The Dermatest seal is a certification for independently tested products that come into contact with skin. Products awarded this seal after testing are skin-friendly and safe. These also include our Laundry Detergent Sheets - nOnly the best for your laundry and skin.
- Surfactants: are harmful yet still present in conventional laundry detergents
- Enzymes: for Stains removal are not skin-friendly
- Bleach: make white laundry whiter, but can damage the skin
- Fragrances: irritate the skin and are primarily added to fabric softeners
- Silicone: defoam the water and leave residue on clothing
2. Choose the right laundry detergent for sensitive skin
Fortunately, there are now great laundry detergent alternatives that harm neither the environment nor your skin! Unlike conventional products, these detergents contain no synthetic surfactants or fragrances, so they are not only readily biodegradable, but also gentle on skin and prevent allergic reactions! This is also what sets the highly effective Laundry Detergent Sheets from bluu from other products. They are particularly well tolerated and also suitable for Laundry of baby clothing or Clothing for allergy suffererssuitable. Even at low wash temperatures, your clothes get clean, and no harmful Ingredients get deposited in the textiles. Sounds great, right? It absolutely is!
3. Use less laundry detergent and fabric softener
Most people use far too much laundry detergent and fabric softener per wash cycle. This often leaves residue behind in the drum and fabric softener compartment, which then builds up in your clothing. From there, the Ingredients transfer to your skin — leading to unsightly redness and breakouts. If you use a conventional laundry detergent or fabric softener, you should thereforeFollow the manufacturer's recommended dosage instructions And never overdose under any circumstances. Simply use the included dosing aids, or switch to better-tolerated laundry detergents — your skin will thank you!
4. Run an extra rinse cycle after Laundry
If you notice your skin is having an allergic reaction to laundry detergent, you can run an extra rinse cycle after the wash finishes. This will thoroughly remove detergent residue from the machine and your clothes. The water dissolves the artificial Ingredients and flushes them out of the fabric effectively. Since this is not a particularly eco-friendly solution due to its high water consumption, you should only use the extra rinse cycle as an emergency measure. It is far better to switch to using gentle, skin-compatible washing products right away!
5. Clean the washing machine regularly
If you want to prioritize your skin health to avoid allergic reactions to laundry detergent in the future, you should also pay attention to the hygiene of your washing machine. Countless residues, bacteria, and germs often accumulate inside it from numerous previous Laundry cycles. These deposit onto your clothing during Laundry and can cause skin irritation. Therefore, clean your washing machine every few weeks with a special cleaner or with a solution made from lemon juice and one wash cycle at approx. 60 °C. This removes unwanted contaminants from the machine, so your clothing will be completely clean again every time you do Laundry!
Want to give your laundry routine an update and start washing more sustainably and gently on your skin going forward? Then take a look at our allergen-free laundry detergent
