Elbow Grease - weird rash

[Harry Bloomfield, Esq.]

For several months now, I have had an ongoing itchy rash on the back of both hands, close to the area of my thumbs. For quite a while, I have been racking my brain trying to work out what might be causing it. My best guess was washing up, but I have always done at least my share of that. Then I realised the rash appeared when we swapped from Fairy, to Elbow Grease liquid - as it seemed to be just as good and a little cheaper.

On Thursday in the interests of experimentation, I picked up a 2L bottle of Fairy and have used that in the days since then (SWMBO is away). The rash now seems to have almost gone.

[Dave Plowman (News]

As a kid, I had a rash. Turned out to be due to the washing powder my mother used. So I'd guess a reaction to certain detergents not unusual.

[Richard]

OK. Now you need to determine if the allergy is to the detergent or SWMBO.

;)

[Nick Odell]

I've not tried Elbow Grease but having tried lots of other major brands and supermarket own-brands I've always come back to Fairy for better bang for the buck. It keeps my hands soft and gentle too!

Skin is funny stuff. EQDSO struggles to find a soap that doesn't bring her hands up in a rash and having tried all the Simple, Pure, Organic etc etc varieties we have found that one particular supermarket's own-brand cheapest is kindest. Better even than their own-brand "Pure" variety.

Nick

[Harry Bloomfield, Esq.]

Nick Odell used his keyboard to write :

I'll need to double check, before being certain, as in...

Continue with the Fairy for a while, then swap back and see if the rash reappears to confirm it. It just seemed so odd, only appearing in the area of my thumbs.

[alan_m]

The Elbow Grease brand also do a yellow coloured general purpose cleaner. Where used, and dried, it is fluorescent under UV light and unlike other "substances" that are fluorescent difficult to totally remove from tile grout and paintwork.

[jon]

A work colleague, many years ago got Quix washing up liquid into his blood stream through a wound on his hand, whilst working on his Lambretta. It manifested itself by causing a band of dermatitis about 4" wide that travelled up and down his body for the next couple of years.

[Jack Harry Teesdale]

EQDSO?

[Nick Odell]

Ella Que Debe Ser Obedecida - as they (don't) say in Argentina

N.

[Martin Brown]

It is possible. One of the impurities in typical washing up liquid surfactants can be a skin irritant bordering on contact dermatitis.

I have recently picked up an allergy to a component in one of the supermarket in store hand sanitisers which is a bit of a nuisance.

I think it arose from skin dryness and scratch damage from gardening and the Covid secure hand washing measures allowing the stuff to get into contact with live skin cells. I now react to one particular sort.

I mentioned it to one of my medic friends and they said it had become very common. Pharmacist recommended an oily handcream Cetraben which seems to work.

[Martin Brown]

Dove or Pears pure translucent soap are probably amongst the most tolerable depending on the exact allergy. My wife is allergic to lanolin so we have to be very careful with choice of soap and handcream.

[Andrew]

Two litres of fairy liquid would last me for years. You only need small amounts for normal washing up. Could it be ?excess quantities that you are using is the real underlying cause ?.

[Andrew]

+1

When it is really hot, if I am doing any heavy duty DIY or gardening the only way I can degrease my face is to use Fairy Liquid. very effective.

There was a documentary filmed in a coal mine somewhere north of Watford and the miners all used fairy liquid as hair shampoo.

[R D S]

My skin is fussy as to what we wash clothes with.

[Dave Plowman (News]

Not sure, but think some may react more to bio powders?

[Harry Bloomfield, Esq.]

Andrew brought next idea :

It should last for years, I tend to buy what ever size is most economic to buy.

[Another Dave]

I'm a massive fan of Fairy liquid. I used cheap stuff for a while and found myself having to use three times as much so it was more expensive than Fairy. I also use it as handwash. I'd use it as shampoo and shower gel but that's a bit eccentric.

Another Dave

[Brian Gaff (Sofa]

Well, bad luck then you are obviously allergic slightly to some component used in that liquid. Does it list what is actually in it?

Brian

[invalid unparseable]

That?s because you are a greasy wog. Well known problem.

[Brian Gaff (Sofa]

Would you not expect it to be all gone in the rinse stage though? If not you are replacing one sort of muck with another sort of muck called washing powder. I use those balls of liquid now, much less mess and then use slightly diluted comfort. This seems not to cause any issues. Brian