# Any reason not to use J&J baby shampoo/wash on an elderly person's skin? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 19, 2021, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-reason-not-to-use-j-j-baby-shampoo-wash-on-an-elderly-persons-skin/944637 "2021-06-19T16:42:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![StarvingButStrong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/starvingbutstrong/32/335_2.png) [@StarvingButStrong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StarvingButStrong)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2021, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-reason-not-to-use-j-j-baby-shampoo-wash-on-an-elderly-persons-skin/944637/1 "2021-06-19T16:42:21Z")
I have an aunt who is 94, who is having increasing trouble with her skin getting irritated and itchy. Which she then scratches, often causing lasting red marks and even actual blood-oozing scrapes/tears. Basically her skin has the strength and elasticity of sodden tissue paper. She sees her doctors frequently, and none of them are concerned with this in particular. “Old skin is fragile” they say, and she should treat it gently, like washing very gently – no scrubbing away! – rinse the soap away thoroughly, gently pat dry and STOP SCRATCHING. Yeah, it makes perfect sense, except she’s old and set in her ways (I’ve ALWAYS used a loofah! I HAVE to rub to get my skin clean!) and we all know how hard it is to not scratch when it itches. While shopping today I noticed a display of Johnson & Johnson baby shampoo/body wash, and remembered all the ‘no more tears’ no irritation ads I’ve seen over the decades. Is there any reason it wouldn’t be good to try it as her soap? It’s got to be as gentle and mild as a soap can be. Okay, that mildness might be a drawback in cleaning, but it’s not like we’re talking about a stable boy or an auto-mechanic. She’s a mostly housebound woman who is exposed to some ordinary household dust/food residue/possibly dander from her pet cat. I think at least giving it a try to see if it left her less itchy might be good – but not if there’s some clear problem I’m not seeing. Anyone know? ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2021, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-reason-not-to-use-j-j-baby-shampoo-wash-on-an-elderly-persons-skin/944637/2 "2021-06-19T16:44:56Z")
That’s what’s been in every shower kit I got while hospitalized in the last fourish years. ---
**Author:** ![StarvingButStrong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/starvingbutstrong/32/335_2.png) [@StarvingButStrong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StarvingButStrong)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2021, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-reason-not-to-use-j-j-baby-shampoo-wash-on-an-elderly-persons-skin/944637/3 "2021-06-19T21:47:00Z")
Ah, very reassuring! So I’ll go ahead and bring the bottle over to my aunt when I deliver her dinner. ---
**Author:** ![BippityBoppityBoo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bippityboppityboo/32/5745_2.png) [@BippityBoppityBoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BippityBoppityBoo)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2021, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-reason-not-to-use-j-j-baby-shampoo-wash-on-an-elderly-persons-skin/944637/4 "2021-06-19T22:28:50Z")
If she would prefer a bar, they also have it in bar form. Just don’t let her see the price-it’s more than the strip the skin off your body stuff she’s used all her life but it will be more gentle. The real need, of course, is to convince her to ditch the loofah and the scrubbing. > **[Baby Bar](https://www.johnsonsbaby.com/baby-products/johnsons-baby-bar-soap)** > > Use bath time to gently cleanse your baby’s skin and have it feeling smooth with the baby bar, enriched with moisturizer to keep baby’s skin from drying out. This mild baby soap bar is grippable for easy bathing and gentle enough to use on the entire... ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2021, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-reason-not-to-use-j-j-baby-shampoo-wash-on-an-elderly-persons-skin/944637/5 "2021-06-19T22:30:57Z")
Maybe substitute the loofah with a soft, gentle washcloth, along with the gentle soap. That might give her a similar tactile experience that she’s used to. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2021, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-reason-not-to-use-j-j-baby-shampoo-wash-on-an-elderly-persons-skin/944637/6 "2021-06-19T22:31:06Z")
I might also suggest looking at products from Aveeno – most of them are made with colloidal oatmeal, and are meant to be soothing to sensitive/irritated skin. I know that, when my wife got chicken pox as a 30 year old, and was itchy beyond belief, it was recommended that she use an Aveeno bath product. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2021, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-reason-not-to-use-j-j-baby-shampoo-wash-on-an-elderly-persons-skin/944637/7 "2021-06-19T22:49:52Z")
> [@IvoryTowerDenizen](#): > > That might give her a similar tactile experience that she’s used to. This may be bigger than we appreciate. Her sensation of her own skin is probably crap. So she’s scrubbing ever harder to have the same subjective feeling of action on her skin. Meantime her fine control of her own hands ain’t what it used to be either. Having somebody professional who’s experienced with this stuff watch her bathe herself might be real informative. ---
**Author:** ![Katipo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e68b1a/32.png) [@Katipo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Katipo)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2021, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-reason-not-to-use-j-j-baby-shampoo-wash-on-an-elderly-persons-skin/944637/8 "2021-06-26T05:22:33Z")
Another possibility would be a product free of perfume / fragrance / parfum / essential oils (not oils in general just essential oils). It might be different in an elderly person, but what you describe (irritation, itch, bleeding tears in the skin etc) can be a sign of an allergy or sensitivity. If you try perfume-free you would need to change all soaps, shampoo, dish-wash liquid, laundry detergent etc for up to a month before you notice a difference (give the skin time to heal and replace). ---
**Author:** ![Isilder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/cc9497/32.png) [@Isilder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isilder)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2021, 9:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-reason-not-to-use-j-j-baby-shampoo-wash-on-an-elderly-persons-skin/944637/9 "2021-06-26T09:12:52Z")
Ordinary cake soap can dry the skin, and that will make for itchy skin. No more tears is designed for the scalp, but is slightly moisturising. Maybe one of the moisturizing shower liquid soap products… ---
**Author:** ![Ulfreida](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ulfreida/32/8014_2.png) [@Ulfreida](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulfreida)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2021, 9:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-reason-not-to-use-j-j-baby-shampoo-wash-on-an-elderly-persons-skin/944637/10 "2021-06-26T09:37:33Z")
Second the idea to find a colloidal oatmeal product. Also might help to apply an aloe or other soothing lotion after washing. Dryness could be contributing to the itch. ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2021, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-reason-not-to-use-j-j-baby-shampoo-wash-on-an-elderly-persons-skin/944637/11 "2021-06-27T17:40:00Z")
If she needs to scrub a washcloth may not satisfy her. If so, there are other products with the word “scrub” right on them that are less likely to tear skin that a loofa is. ---
**Author:** ![MandaJo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac91a4/32.png) [@MandaJo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MandaJo)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2021, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-reason-not-to-use-j-j-baby-shampoo-wash-on-an-elderly-persons-skin/944637/12 "2021-06-27T18:04:52Z")
How often does she bathe? Bathing less often is probably step 1.