Why Does Soap Burn My Skin On My Face And Butt?

Posted on Wed, 18 Apr 2012

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Wed, 18 Apr 2012 Answered on

Fri, 25 May 2012 Last reviewed on

Question : soap burns my skin
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why does soap burn my skin on my face and butt?when i clean the skin around my anus the skin burns very badly then when i go to rinse my skin it burns even more like acid on my skin and also my face .i take warm showers not hot showers so i know it is not that, and i have tried other soaps like dove and it still burns my skin. what should i do now?

Answered by Dr. Gaurang Krishna (2 hours later)

Hello,

Thanks for writing in.

Some people have a very sensitive skin.

Our skin has an acidic pH and soaps have an alkaline pH.

People who have a sensitive skin do not tolerate the change in alkanity and thus the skin becomes dry, cracked and it burns.

My suggestion would be to use a non-soapy cleanser like Cetaphil 2-3 times daily. The pH is very close to that of skin and there are no alkalis present. Also use a moisturiser like Cetaphil cream over the sensitive areas.

Avoid using a soap for these areas.

I hope this helps.

If you have any further query, please do not hesitate to ask me.

Thanks

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar