Daughter's Hands are red from hand soap

**frugalwanttobe** · 04-12-2007, 07:46 PM

My daughter's hands are red in certain spots. We think it is caused by hand soap because one of the little girls in my daughter's school appears to have the same thing too. The little girl and my daughter both use the same soap at school so I am thinking it could be the industrial hand soap. (The mother of this little girl is a nurse and was telling me about her daughter's hands last week before my daughter was showing any signs of this. She was going to go to CVS and pick up something but I do not know what she picked up. That family is now on vacation so I can't call them.) It looks much better since I put hydrocortisone on them, like 80% better, but I don't know what to send her to school with. I think the hand santizers would cause her hands to get really dry if she used it several times a day.

What do you all think? Any suggestions on products? I would take her to the doctor but like I said with one application of hydrocortisone it looks 80% better. She has never been a rashy kid. I think she only had diaper rash once as a baby.

**kabin63** · 04-12-2007, 10:49 PM

It sounds like your DD is allergic to the soap. My DD can't use the dial liquid hand soap. She said it burns her hands. I just tried something else and it worked for her, but if your DD is allergic to the soap I would suggest using jergens or something more mild, maybe even dove. The doctor told me that as long as you wash the recommended time you don't need antibacterial soap anyway. I did, when my DD was in 3rd grade, buy some of the hand soaps on sale at bath and body works and she tolerated it all right. I gave the bottle to the teacher for all the kids to use because of all the flu going around then. I am a handwashing nut...

**YankeeMom** · 04-13-2007, 07:57 AM

Originally Posted by kabin63

It sounds like your DD is allergic to the soap. My DD can't use the dial liquid hand soap. She said it burns her hands. I just tried something else and it worked for her, but if your DD is allergic to the soap I would suggest using jergens or something more mild, maybe even dove. The doctor told me that as long as you wash the recommended time you don't need antibacterial soap anyway. I did, when my DD was in 3rd grade, buy some of the hand soaps on sale at bath and body works and she tolerated it all right. I gave the bottle to the teacher for all the kids to use because of all the flu going around then. I am a handwashing nut...

Ditto ditto ditto!
My oldest dd came home from kindergarden with the same thing. Turns out they were using Dial in the school. I sent her to school w/ a new (gentler) soap and that was that.

She's nearly 15 now and still there are some soaps she can't use. Dial, SoftSoap, and BB&W stuff.

**FrugalMomof3** · 04-13-2007, 08:00 AM

I agree, sounds like an allergic reaction! Just send her to school with her own soap, this should solve the problem.

**pkellyc** · 04-13-2007, 09:31 AM

My dd has the same problem with soap. I have been buying Dove hand soap all winter and it is wonderful.
We were also told to stop using antibacterial soap, not only does it dry out your skin it kills the good bacteria that protects our skin as well as the bad.

**NoDebtMom** · 04-13-2007, 01:07 PM

I would try (and it is sometimes hard to find in a pump) plain old soap without tricolsan.

**i.m.cheap** · 04-13-2007, 07:17 PM

Could it be "Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease"? It is a common childhood illness, and it is contagious. Here is a link to some photos.
http://www.askdrsears.com/html/8/T082902.asp

**getnrichslowly** · 04-13-2007, 07:52 PM

We were just talking about this at lunch today.
Dove soup was strongly recommeded. and putting vaseline on the hands and then covering them with a sock before going to bed.

**frugalwanttobe** · 04-13-2007, 07:57 PM

The rash is almost gone today. There is just 2 dry red areas left. Thank you for sending the link to the hand foot disease but it does not look like that. I do appreciate it.

My daughter says the 2 areas feel like a sunburn. The skin is very dry in those 2 areas.

**AmyMCGS** · 04-13-2007, 08:07 PM

Eucirin (sp?) ointment might also help... it's available at drugstores, WalMart, etc. I've used it myself, and our pediatrician recommended it for my son's eczema (in his case, patches of very dry skin).

I have horribly dry skin that gets worse with some soaps/scented lotions, and Dove soap and lotion work great for me. I was suprised at how many people had mentioned that in this thread- I thought it was just me!