Eczema or atopic dermatitis is an inflammatory type skin condition that causes irritation, redness, swelling, and dryness of the skin that may lead to skin damage and itchy areas that may also blister or become scaly. Not everyone with these conditions experiences them the same way, and may be triggered by several different internal and external factors (stress, low immunity, weather, foods, and beauty and hygiene products).
For instance, soaps are a common trigger for eczema flare-ups, particularly soaps with these ingredients:

1. Soaps with botanical oils
Many may think natural ingredients wouldn’t cause near as many problems as irritating chemicals. However, they are not always healthy for your skin especially if you have the aforementioned conditions and they are known to cause problems with those who have eczema. In fact, that is not the case. Often botanical oils or other herbal ingredients are best to be avoided as they irritate the skin. To be specifically avoided would be rose, vanilla, and sweet almond oil.

2. Soaps containing methylchloroisothiazolinone and methylisothiazolinone
These ingredients are included to help preserve products such as baby products, skincare creams, and makeup to keep them from the breakdown of the product itself or growing bacteria or fungi. The inclusion of these products may preserve them but can cause serious irritation to the skin they are applied to because of those properties.

3. Soaps with propylene glycol
This ingredient is included in a wide selection of personal care products such as cosmetics, medication, and food, sometimes even topical eczema treatment. It is a powerful moisturizer and emulsifier, which helps various ingredients blend in the product however it can also lead to skin irritation despite its being a powerful moisturizer.

4. Antibacterial soaps
These types of products are good for killing bacteria because of their antiseptic properties though even low concentrations of the Benzalkonium chloride contained in most antibacterial products can cause skin irritation for those with eczema.

5. Strong fragrance soaps
Unfortunately, the variety of scents included in many products is something that often causes an outbreak of inflammation of one’s eczema and dermatitis. It is noted by the National Eczema Association (NEA) that 8-15% of those with eczema have a fragrance allergy, which will only exacerbate the irritation to their skin.

6. Soaps with cocamidopropyl betaine
This ingredient is derived from coconut oil and used in many cleansing products such as shampoos, facial cleansers, liquid soaps, and bath gels as a foaming agent because it cleans away dirt. It is also a surfactant, which means it is a substance that tends to reduce the surface tension of a liquid in which it is dissolved. Even with this it is on the gentler side of the scale but can still cause trouble for those with preexisting skin issues such as eczema.