<nitpick hijack>
Make that 10,000% profit!
</nitpick hijack>
I’m positive trublmakr will have a way better answer to this, but could it be the fragrance? They do make a fragrance-free version, which does contain some measure of fragrance, as all products bearing that label do, but it’s way kinder towards sensitive skin.
Also, I’ve heard it professed (and I look humbly towards trublmakr for input on this point) that detergents on the whole are not even necessary for keeping our bodies clean, and they really do more harm than good, and the best way to cleanse is to use a rough-ish (and frequently laundered) washcloth all over your body in vigorous circular motions.
On preview: Yeah. Cetaphil! And iffen it’s too pricey for you, you can find generic brands that work just as well.
Ask anything you want! I can’t guarantee I know the answer, but I can always ask one of my four doctors.
A good multivitamin has most if not all of the USRDA of most if not all of the nutrients you need. So I can’t see “specialty” vitamins doing any better.
I’ve never heard any of our doctors recommend not using soap. Actually, soap itself doesn’t clean anything- it just loosens dirt and oil and it’s the downward motion of the water that actually cleans.
Yeah, and I think that’s the impetus behind the “just use a washcloth” school of thought - that soaps will greedily strip away all that is good on your skin along with the bad, wheras washcloths do just as good of a job at loosening the dirt and oil without hijacking your skin’s natural moisture in the process.
Not that I’m into that sort of thing. I’m pink enough after showers without rubbing myself lobster-hued with burlap or whatever.
It could be the fragrance, I can never use anything with glitter from Bath and Body Works because of this. It might just be the entire Dove line, I tried their shampoos and I got severe dandruff from it. Once I switched back to my original shampoo (Pantene Pro-V) and within a day or two the dander went away.
And trublmakr, should you use any soaps on your face? I personaly just use warm water and a clean washcloth and I’ve never had any skin problems on my face, while I know others who use tons of soaps and creams on their face and their skin is still greasy and broken out.
Oh, yeah. Der.
Our doctors always encourage people to use soap on their face. Especially if you sweat, wear makeup, smoke, live in a dusty area (as we do) or have acne. It just needs to be the right soap for you. I have heard of people not using soap on their face and swearing by it, though.
As for allergies to ingredients, you wouldn’t believe how many things you can be allergic to. It’s far easier to try different things to see what doesn’t cause problems, than to try to figure out what you’re allergic to. I know that for me, Oil of Olay products cause hives, so I just don’t use them.
Is the same bacteria grossness true for washcloths? I never used to use either, but I recently started using a scrubbie and I love it. Also, how does one get ringworm, scabies, and staph get on the scrubbies? Do they live on the skin anyway then multiply as the scrubbie or washcloth sits out?
Man, I am super skeived.
An alternative to using soap on your face is the “Oil Cleansing Method,” in which you mix equal parts olive oil and castor oil (really), rub it into your face, and remove it with a hot washcloth. The olive oil apparently acts as a moisturiser and the castor oil acts as a cleanser, so you can adjust the ratios according to skin type. I’ve tried it, and it removed every trace of makeup and dirt and my skin responded wonderfully, but it’s a bit time consuming and I’m a bit lazy so I only do it a couple times a week now.
A clean washcloth (and I wash everything in detergent with bleach alternative since I’ve been working there) does not harbor bacteria. If you hang the washcloth in the shower and use it more than once, it does have bacteria on it. And sorry, I wasn’t saying scrubbies carry ringworm or scabies. The rashes people get from scrubbies often mimic other conditions, so they come in thinking they have these things. Scrubbies can definitely carry staph, though. I call at least five people a day to tell them they have staph, so it’s *extremely * common.
Hey, if the thingy is good enough for Ironhead, it’s good enough for me!
Gah! I work in a hospital so I’m already uber-paranoid about germs on my hands. It hadn’t occured to me that my bath stuff was nasty. Time to knit up a white (bleachable) washcloth! Thanks for the info 
I’ma gonna run this like, falafel thing, all up and down youse vagina! Ain’t that hot!?
Is it safe to use around your eyes? I only wear eye make-up and I haven’t really found anything that takes off the make-up without irritating my skin.
Ivory and Aveeno are the only things out there that don’t cause me hives.
Shower pouf is the best thing on earth. If I don’t scrub every inch, I get this nasty gray look to myself, which will actually come off under my nails when I do the inevitable ‘I am so dirty I itch like hell’ scratching.
Not giving up my pouf, no way, no how.
Every once or twice a week, I scrub my face with baking soda. Then, while the baking soda’s still on my face, I spray on vinegar. The vinegar reacts with the baking soda and seems to really clean out my pores. The baking soda by itself acts as an exfoliant.
This baking soda and vinegar thing seems to work pretty well for me, but I’ve never thought about it all that deeply. So, trublmakr, is what I’m doing good for my skin, or am I going to look lousy in a few years because of it?
Scribble, I’ve never heard of anyone using baking soda and vinegar, so I don’t know. Sorry.
<Eric Cartman>Cheesy poufs! I want cheesy poufs!</Eric Cartman>
I was going to say the very same thing! Besides, they dry a whole lot quicker than a wash cloth so the washcloth has to carry more bacteria. Unless you use a clean, dry one every time you shower. I don’t find scrubby poufs abrasive and they’re easier to use that a washcloth.
I did have scabies on my forehead last year but always wash my face and hair first, without a scrubby pouf, so I don’t think the two are related.