I have skin problem when using soap

Will1988 wrote:

Hello everyone,

I am already staying in HCM for one month. Now, my skin feel irritated when I using cleaning body product which bought in the supermarket here. I think my skin is sensitive to the chemicals in the product.

Can anyone recommend where to find the natural soap product - without chemical please?

I can buy it from online or offline.

Thanks,

You can buy at Lazada, Shopee or Sendo.
Search for Cocovie, Coco-Secret or Cobote soaps.

I had the same problem (actually, worse, because I was itchy in and out of the shower) during my 4th and 5th months here.  Tons of advices from dermatologist, herbalists, artisan soap makers, and well-meaning people.  I even had blood tests at Pasteur to eliminate all possible internal causes.  Nothing worked.  I was truly miserable every day for two months straight.

My solution: Crème Douche Hydratante Anti-Irritations Cicabiafine, sold at an inexpensive French online pharmacy (Mon Coin Santé), sent to the States and brought over by family members.  Immediate relief.  I tossed out all body wash, shower gel, liquid soap, etc. 

In Vietnam, it's supposed to be available online by pharmadestock.com and a location in Hanoi, but I didn't have any luck reaching them. 

You could order online from the UK CicaBiafine Moisturising Shower Cream Anti-Irritations (more or less the same price) or Amazon (outrageously expensive).

It's not a natural product (Johnson & Johnson owns it) but it feels natural on my skin and worked wonderfully well for the itchiness.  I've also returned to Dr. Bronner’s Organic Sugar Soap, the same soap that I'd used for decades.  It's the only product on my shower shelf, bathroom counter, and at the kitchen sink now.  I'll bring back a large supply of Dr Bronner's next month from our trip to the States so we'll never run out of it.

You can order Dr Bronner's from Lazada or Fado.

@Ciambella is so well-informed on this topic, I'll only add here to consider some other causes:

In healthcare (I'm an R.N.) we often found that patients with unexplained itching and skin eruptions were actually dehydrated.

Sometimes, increasing oral fluids was all it took to cure the condition.

Also, a person who has never had the problem in the past can develop sensitivity to heat and humidity in The Tropics.

Also, when we perspire more easily and frequently, it is easy to disregard dry skin as a problem.

I personally find relief from a good moisturizing lotion (ammonium lactate 12%) I brought from the states.

I've seen a lot of Nivea products here in Đà Nẵng at Lotte mart, Mega Market and Vinmart. I wouldn't buy it from the independent sellers in markets though. My significant other says a lot of the cosmetics and brand name items they sell are counterfeit.

Pm me if you need Dr. Bronner's castile soap liquid.

I use Dove for shampoo & soap, it is easy to find at the supermarkets (Big C, Lotte...), it seems this is the same product as in the normal countries (France, USA...).
I don't trust any Vietnamese product.

fredy12 wrote:

I use Dove for shampoo & soap, it is easy to find at the supermarkets (Big C, Lotte...), it seems this is the same product as in the normal countries (France, USA...).
I don't trust any Vietnamese product.

If you were to find out a little about the ingredients in body care products, you would be frightened of what dubious substances they contain.

Even products that are natural, organic or even baby products have these highly questionable ingredients in them.

And I can tell you that it makes no difference between Vietnamese and Western products.

Take a look at the ingredients of Johnson & Johnson baby products.  It's frightening what part of the ingredients they contain.

If you are looking for really good products you have to search for a long time.

I found most good products in Germany (Lavera, Logona, Sante and some product lines of the drugstore chain DM).  Unfortunately the few of these products that can be bought here in Vietnam are very expensive.

Affordable good Vietnamese body care products I found so far only as soaps and coconut oil.

Like I already posted here, I use soap here in Vietnam, not shower gel. There will probably also be few shower gel products with few questionable ingredients, but since I am very satisfied with the soaps I already mentioned here, I did not look any further for shower gel products.

Shampoos are much more questionable than shower products.

Here in Vietnam I found only one which I can recommend without reservation.
It is not cheap but affordable. The only small disadvantage is that it does not very much foam.
https://www.organica.vn/en/product?keyword=shampoo

This shampoo has few only slightly questionable ingredients, but is not so expensive. Therefore I use it anyway.
https://pages.lazada.vn/wow/i/vn/market … it=1000000

These three shampoos have only harmless ingredients with a single very questionable ingredient.
But in comparison with all the others the smallest evil.
https://organik.vn/product/organic-care … 400ml.html
https://www.lazada.vn/products/dau-goi- … l?search=1
https://www.lazada.vn/dau-goi-va-dau-xa/organic-plus/

Another good tip is not to always use the same products. That way you can avoid not absorbing too much of a bad ingredient over time.

Another big improvement would probably be a small water purification system (if your apartment building not already have such a system) between the faucet and the shower head.
If you buy a water saving shower head, a small filter system for about 3-4 million dong is probably enough.
https://www.google.com/search?q=reverse … KBOAgLHqFM

I don't understand why people make blanket statements, "And I can tell you that it makes no difference between Vietnamese and Western products." which are simply untrue.

A lot of good advice above and some not so good.
The biggest problem in many products produced in Asia, no matter where they are sold, is the actual ingredients  and what they are supposed to have, may not be the same.

Reputable brands will have minor changes based on production location, which can have a significant impact on the skin for some, though not for most.

The products I know I am very sensitive to, I bring from the U.S. or wherever I have found something that works. If I need more, I may have to shop around.
The things on Vietnamese shelves are as good or as bad as most places, though there is better QC in the EU and sometimes in USA.,

Wxx3 wrote:

I don't understand why people make blanket statements, "And I can tell you that it makes no difference between Vietnamese and Western products." which are simply untrue.

A lot of good advice above and some not so good.
The biggest problem in many products produced in Asia, no matter where they are sold, is the actual ingredients  and what they are supposed to have, may not be the same.

Reputable brands will have minor changes based on production location, which can have a significant impact on the skin for some, though not for most.

You must have sources for what you're claiming.

But anyway, I care about the ingredients. If the ingredients are already questionable, deviating production processes are of secondary importance. And most foreign products I am talking about are imported.

the issue can be either the fat used to make soap or the caustic soda also used which is the detergent part, it sounds like the problem is dermatitis, Nivea make a soap free body cleanser with moisturiser as do many other companies. you may want to use camomile lotion to relieve the irritation as well ( only needed until irritation subsides ). I have seen the Nivea brand at Lotte mart. best wishes

Yes, me too. Now, I really care about the ingredients of the product. It must be 100% natural and without chemical. I am searching for imported product.

Will1988 wrote:

It must be 100% natural and without chemical. I am searching for imported product.

There are plenty of options, but Dr. Bronner's would be the easiest to find in VN.

Will1988 wrote:

Yes, me too. Now, I really care about the ingredients of the product. It must be 100% natural and without chemical. I am searching for imported product.

For a very reasonable price I can arrange for you to receive authentic products imported from Mississippi...

MUD PIE !

Ciambella wrote:

MUD PIE !

100% Natural, Chemical-Free, Imported MUD PIE!

Will1988 wrote:

Yes, me too. Now, I really care about the ingredients of the product. It must be 100% natural and without chemical. I am searching for imported product.

I have already recommended a few products above.  They are all free of chemicals.

In Germany these products cost between 2 and 4 Euro.

Some can be ordered in Vietnamese online shops at double to triple price.

These products can also be ordered through Amazon but I don't (yet) know anything about Amazon Prime where you supposedly have small transport costs.

As soon as I have found a way to transport the above mentioned products cheaply I will only use these products.

But only as long as I haven't found any affordable Vietnamese products without harmful ingredients.

By the way, with the Vietnamese natural soaps I mentioned in a previous post I am quite satisfied.