The verdict is in. Read what our Sensitive Skin customers have to say.
When Frankie Layton founded The Dirt Company, one of her key factors for marking success was creating a detergent that helped people with irritated skin. Since then, multiple customers have given The Dirt Company products overwhelmingly positive feedback that our detergent is not only effective at getting the grime out of clothes but terrific for those who experience eczema. Washing clothes happens in every household, but for those with kids, multiple loads a day are often the norm.
"When you have a child who has such sensitive skin and eczema of the kind that involves hospital and specialist visits you take environmental allergens and irritants very seriously. Every time we change a product or bring something new in contact with her skin we wait with bated breath to see if it is as pure and gentle as they claim. Dirt delivered on all fronts from being kind to her skin, having only a hint of fresh, natural fragrance and also, importantly, doing a great job of our laundry. " - Vidi C.
So what is it that makes The Dirt Company eco-detergent so great for sensitive skin? We have listed a table of things that make us so unique. Synthetic chemicals occur in many household products, so this list clarifies what to look for in your other household items.
We use natural oils
Artificial fragrances often contain allergens that bring on rashes. This sings true for both synthetic and natural fragrances. However, our product has a natural scent from using Australian organic botanical oils, including eucalyptus oil, citrus oil, and peppermint oil. These oils are also known for their anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties, which are great for those who experience skin inflammation. For example, the peppermint plant is a perennial herb that can help with burns, skin rashes and dry skin used for its cooling and soothing effects. In addition, we only add a minimal amount of oil to our laundry. The small amount adds a hint of freshness when you pull the clothes out of the machine rather than a whack-over-the-head type of smell.
We don’t use chlorine bleach
The Dirt Company products do not contain chlorine bleach. Chlorine bleach is commonly used to clean your toilet and grime in the bathroom, but would you ever openly wear it on your body? Whilst bleach breaks up large grime molecules into smaller, colourless ones, making the grime harder to see and easier for the surfactants to wash away. If it’s not all washed away, it can cause skin irritation because it’s highly corrosive and terrible for the planet.
"My daughter's eczema returned this winter, after we had changed laundry powder. When we then changed the washing detergent to Dirt and the eczema became controlled again. Thank you Dirt!" - Elizabeth L
We use organic ingredients
We use extremely high-grade, organic or natural varieties of ingredients wherever possible. If we had a dollar for every time we’ve been told we should replace an ingredient with something cheaper and almost as effective, we’d have lots more money in the bank. Quality is never a compromise when creating our products, we are proudly made here in Australia.
We don’t use optical brighteners
Optical brighteners are synthetic chemicals that help remove the yellow colour from your clothes (without actually making your clothes cleaner). A popular fad that came into play in the 1940’s there has been so much research to suggest that these chemicals irritate the skin. Whilst they help to mask colour the payoff of removing these from our products ensures that people who experience skin flare-ups won’t be from using our products.
We use plant-derived sulphates
Sodium Lauryl Sulphate is a plant-derived sulphate that efficiently helps to remove the daily grime from your clothes by surrounding the soil particles and lifting them from your clothes. Traditionally, most cleaners (anything that goes bubbly) have sulphates in them, but these are often synthetically derived. For those with eczema, irritated and/or sensitive skin, the wrong sulphate can cause irritation because they strip the skin of its natural oils. Hence why we use minimal amounts, and have switched Sodium Lauryl Suplate for its milder cousin plant derived Sodium Laureth Sulfate.
We use sustainable source organic enzymes
Enzymes are responsible for breaking biological matter. There is a common belief that enzymes can cause skin irritation, however recent studies have ruled out any cause and effect. Our product contains sustainably sourced organic enzymes that are extremely high performing and when used as instructed, will wash out completely in the washing cycle. Either way, no skin irritation should occur on their behalf.
Sources:
- https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365-2133.2008.08561.x/abstract
- https://www.scratchsleeves.co.uk/eczema-friendly-laundry-detergents/
3. https://blogs.wsj.com/briefly/2016/03/10/honest5things/