In short
A shower gel made without harsh foaming agents such as sodium lauryl sulphate (SLS). These foaming agents act more strongly on the skin's lipids and proteins; they are one of the common causes of tightness after a shower.
What does a foaming agent do?
The foaming agents in shower gel (surfactants) lift oil and dirt from your skin and carry them away with the water. The trouble is that while doing this, they also take away the skin's own lipids.
What does a harsh foaming agent do to skin?
Harsh foaming agents bind to the skin's proteins and strip out the lipids between them. Some of them stay in the top layer of the skin even after rinsing. The result is tightness, dryness and itching after washing.
In one study, SLS was applied to the skin as a patch. A day later, redness had increased, while skin moisture and barrier function had dropped. The skin's bacterial community changed as well. This is a far harsher test than the brief contact of a shower; still, it shows which way things go.
Hot water amplifies the effect
The same foaming agent irritates the skin more as the water gets warmer. In hard water, more of it also stays on the skin. So the water temperature and thorough rinsing matter as much as a sulphate-free formula.
What to look for when choosing
If sodium lauryl sulphate (SLS) is near the top of the ingredient list, you are likely to feel tight after showering. Gentle foaming agents and moisturising additives reduce this effect. Prebiotic Shower Gel is free from harsh sulphates and alcohol.
Sources
- Ananthapadmanabhan KP et al. (2004). Cleansing without compromise: the impact of cleansers on the skin barrier and the technology of mild cleansing. Dermatologic Therapy 17(Suppl 1):16–25. doi:10.1111/j.1396-0296.2004.04S1002.x
- Walters RM et al. (2012). Cleansing Formulations That Respect Skin Barrier Integrity. Dermatology Research and Practice 2012:495917. doi:10.1155/2012/495917
- Ananthapadmanabhan KP et al. (2013). Stratum corneum fatty acids: their critical role in preserving barrier integrity during cleansing. International Journal of Cosmetic Science 35(4):337–345. doi:10.1111/ics.12042
- Leoty-Okombi S et al. (2021). Effect of Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) Applied as a Patch on Human Skin Physiology and Its Microbiota. Cosmetics 8(1):6. doi:10.3390/cosmetics8010006
- Berardesca E et al. (1995). Effects of water temperature on surfactant-induced skin irritation. Contact Dermatitis 32(2):83–87. doi:10.1111/j.1600-0536.1995.tb00751.x
- Danby SG et al. (2018). The Effect of Water Hardness on Surfactant Deposition after Washing and Subsequent Skin Irritation. Journal of Investigative Dermatology 138(1):68–77. doi:10.1016/j.jid.2017.08.037
These studies were not carried out with EcoProbiotic products.