When I gave brith to my son, one of the advice I got was to wash his laundry separately and to use special hypoallergenic detergents. And because his skin was already dry and sensitive to start with, I heeded the advice, ignored the price tags, and bought detergents that were supposedly for those who are allergy-prone. I think it was more than a couple of years before I braved it and washed his clothes with normal detergent, and what do you know? Most likely, I could have used normal detergent all along!

Although detergents can cause skin irritations and respiratory allergy symptoms similar to hay fever, skin allergies and eczema are rarely due to allergies.Yes, contrary to popular belief, a clinical trial showed that fewer than 1% show allergic reactions to detergents. Of course, it can occur, and you can be one of those unlucky 1% of the population. And if it is so, most likely the offending items in detergents causing the problem are the additives commonly found in them such as enzymes, dyes, and fragrances. So if you are truly allergic to soap and detergents, choose something that's free from these additives.