Sensitive skin, need help finding soap

[Bells]

The only soap I have found that does not break my face out is the plain white Dove soap bar. I am fairly certain that is not vegan (please correct me if I am wrong, I would really love to be!), so I would like to find a different soap.

I can't order online, so I need to be able to find a soap in a store like CVS pharmacy, Wal-Mart, Target, Walgreens, etc.

If anyone could help me, I would really appreciate it!

[DLS]

There is a brand of Facial products for sensitive skin called Cetaphil. I buy the bar soap as well as a daily moisturizer. I suffer from rosacea and have seen a big difference by using their products.

[Cissy]

dove has tallow, I believe.

Kiss My Face Olive Oil Soap doesn't irritate my sensitive skin.

[Cinnamon toast]

Pears is widely available and has no animal products in it as far as I know.
The formula hasn't changed for over 100 years. It is very mild and gentle.

[Diana]

Can't you buy Marseilles soap in the country you live in?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marseille_soap

I use nothing else. I even use it for my hair most of the time. I am fortunate that I can buy some hand-made soap sold at the farmer's market and it contains no palm oil.

[Bells]

There is a brand of Facial products for sensitive skin called Cetaphil. I buy the bar soap as well as a daily moisturizer. I suffer from rosacea and have seen a big difference by using their products.

I used to use Cetaphil. I e-mailed the company and their products are not vegan. Also, their products always made me break out too.

I think I have seen Kiss My Face, so I will try that. I will also look to see if I can find Pears.

Thanks for the suggestions!

[Libellula]

i love kiss my face and lush facial care products. Lush can be on the expensive side, but is sooo nice.

[Thalia]

I have that problem, too. I use the Kiss my face unscented olive oil and unscented vegetable glycerin soap. Wild Oats has a 365 brand of glycerin soap for about 50 cents for small bars.

[bluegrrrl79]

I used to use Cetaphil. I e-mailed the company and their products are not vegan.

I have emailed them in the past as well, SOME of their products are not vegan, but some are. The Cetaphil Gentle Liquid Cleanser is vegan, as well the Cetaphil Cream(I forget what others are).

[Cinnamon toast]

What about the Clinique line?

[cloudcovering]

i would highly recommend kiss my face. :)

[danakscully64]

I use Cetaphil facial moisturizer and am hoping to find another brand that doesn't test on animals before it's gone (It's very close). I did like the product, but I'm sure there's something similar out there.

Dove used to be the soap that worked so well with my sensitive skin, but I stopped buying so I wouldn't support the cruelty... took me a while though, because I HAD to find a replacement first. If you have a Trader Joe's nearby, I recommend the tea tree soap (none with oatmeal, trust me) and Dr. Bronner's Magic Soaps (Pure-Castile soap). I haven't tried the last one, but I've heard great things about it and once my soap is gone in my shower, there's one ready to take it's place :) Also, there's a Lemon Verbena one that smells like Pez that is cruelty free. Since these natural ones aren't loaded with junk, they're probably less harsh on the face.

[Cissy]

Cetaphil doesn't test on animals, just so you know.

[danakscully64]

Are you sure? I could have sworn that multiple websites said they do. Here are a few links:

http://tiger.towson.edu/users/rnewho1/use_animals.htm
http://www.angelfire.com/in2/infosource/animal.html

Unless they changed recently or is this misinformation? I'll e-mail the company just to be safe.

[illyrianmoon]

I tend to have sensitive skin as well. I'm a big fan of Kiss My Face (use one of their straight-up body lotions as a facial moisturizer). Currently, I'm using a face wash by Grassroots, which I understand is a vegan product line out of the UK. Seems to work well and be very gentle. It's available at Kohl's department stores (only, I believe).

[Cissy]

hmm, the last I checked (probably a year or so ago) they didn't test. I couldn't find it on their website though.

[danakscully64]

The response from Cetaphil (asked about animal testing):

Dear Heather:

Galderma Laboratories markets dermatological products. Galderma Laboratories uses animals in evaluating potential new drug or pharmaceutical products only as required by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). We agree that the use of animals in pharmaceutical research is not ideal and we are just as anxious as you to find suitable alternatives. Our firm is always seeking new procedures and in-vitro models to replace the required animal testing that we currently undertake.

Our products undergo the minimum animal testing required by the FDA to substantiate product safety and efficacy. I have enclosed a publication defining the FDA’s position on animal testing for your review. These tests are necessary to ensure that new drugs are not teratogenic (causing birth defects), toxic or carcinogenic. Currently, the only undisputed methods recognized by the scientific community require the use of animal models.

Thank you for your inquiry concerning our products.

And the other attachment they sent is below:

[danakscully64]

The following represents the current position of the FDA on animal use in testing FDA-regulated products. Taken from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Internet site (www.fda.gov).
*
U.S. Food and Drug Administration Position Paper
Animal Use in Testing FDA-Regulated Products
*
Current laws administered by FDA – including the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic (FD&C) Act – are intended to ensure product safety and effectiveness, thereby protecting consumers’ health. These laws place responsibility on FDA to ensure that human and animal drugs, biologics and medical devices are safe and effective and that food products are safe and wholesome.
*
Animal testing by manufacturers seeking to market new products is often necessary to establish product safety. FDA supports and adheres to the provisions of applicable laws, regulations, and policies governing animal testing, including the Animal Welfare Act and the Public Health Service Policy on Humane Care and Use of Laboratory Animals. Moreover, in all cases where animal testing is used, FDA advocates that research and testing derive the maximum amount of useful scientific information from the minimum number of animals and employ the most humane methods available within the limits of scientific capability.
*
FDA advocates the use of validated non-whole animal techniques, which may include such screens and adjuncts as in vitro (e.g., tissue culture) methodologies and biochemical assays. As an example, FDA had announced in the Federal Register of Feb. 19, 1988, the availability of guidelines for the Limulus Amebocyte Lysate (LAL) test as an end-product endotoxin test for human injectable drugs (including biological products), animal injectable drugs and medical devices. The guidelines inform manufactures of acceptable methods of validating the LAL test so that it can be used as an alternative to the rabbit pyrogen test. At present many other procedures intended to refine, reduce or replace animal testing are still in the relatively early stages of development. FDA encourages all efforts to develop and implement non-animal models and believes that these procedures will ultimately result in significant reductions and refinements in animal testing.
*
With respect to cosmetic products, the FD&C Act does not specifically require that cosmetic manufacturers test their products for safety in the context of premarket approval by the Agency. However, the FDA strongly urges cosmetic manufactures to conduct toxicological or other tests necessary to substantiate the safety of a particular product. If the safety of a cosmetic product is not adequately substantiated, the product is considered misbranded and may be subject to regulatory action unless the principal display panel bears the statement, “Warning – the safety of this product has not been determined.”
*
Much of the attention given to animal testing has focused on the LD50 test and the Draize eye and skin irritancy tests. FDA does not require LD50 test data to establish levels of toxicity, and in 1988, published a policy statement in the Federal Register to clarify this position.
*
The Draize eye and skin irritancy tests continue to be considered among the most reliable methods currently available for evaluating the safety of a substance introduced into or around the eye or placed on the skin. Non-animal tests, such as in vitro tests, may be useful as screening tools to indicate the relative toxicity or safety of a substance that comes into contact with the eye or skin. However, the responses and results of in vitro tests alone do not necessarily demonstrate the safety of a substance. The effects of a substance on a biochemical reaction or on a specific cell or tissue in culture may differ from its effect on a specific organ system in the animal as a whole.
*
The precise nature of testing needed to determine the safety of effectiveness of a specific product regulated by FDA depends upon the characteristics and intended use of the product. More specific guidance may be obtained through consultation with the FDA scientists on a case-by-case basis.
*
October 1992

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I just don't understand why other companies can be cruelty-free.

[bluegrrrl79]

FYI, Paula's Choice products are good too, all her cleansers are vegan and untested.

[Tehomet]

Olive oil based soap from your local health food store will be vegan and unless you choose a scented type, won't irritate you. My local organic farmer's market also carries it (on the cheese stall, bizarrely enough).

[Hebecarrot]

I use Grandpa's Wonder soap. Made with Pine tar oil, coconut oil, purified water, and vegetable Glycerin. Its great as a shampoo,shave cream, body soap, and its really moisterizing. Too bad my local store has discontinued it.