Ever since I tested positive for the Omicron strain of COVID-19 back in December 2021, my skin has taken a sensitive turn. Turns out, COVID-19-induced eczema and dermatitis is believed to be a possible side effect, and for the past half year, I’ve been dealing with random red patches and onset itchiness galore.

A few beauty products have helped. A dermatologist recommended I swap all my scented body lotions with simple, fragrance-free Cerave Moisturizing Cream ($17), which even my driest, scaliest patches just slurp up. But the real game-changer has been Naturium’s “The Soother” Sensitive Skin Body Wash ($14), which is the gentlest, softest body wash I’ve ever used, even when my skin is at its angriest.

TIP

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Naturium, The Soother Sensitive Skin Body Wash — $14.00

With a pH level of 5.00-6.00 and a blend of gentle, skin-loving ingredients, this soothing wash is your sensitive skin’s BFF.

Those who struggle with redness, dryness, and general irritation know that finding a sensitive skin body wash that’s *actually* sensitive-skin friendly can feel like a quest. Some might go on hydrating and quenching, only to dry you out even more. Others might sneak in scents and too-strong surfactants (those things that suds up to give you a supposed “deeper clean”) that just break you out later.

Naturium’s sensitive skin body wash swaddles your skin as gently as a newborn baby, nourishing flares and spots for soother, happier skin the moment you step out of the shower. You can almost see it as soon as you pump it out of the bottle—its serum-to-wash formula is silky soft and suds up in a subtle lather that makes showering luxurious. Plushness aside, the brand is dedicated to developing products that are “biocompatible,” aka, they won’t upset or disrupt your body’s natural flora. This goes to say for the entire Naturium product suite, from skin care to body care. But “The Soother’s” ingredient list is particularly impressive.

First is its pH, which aligns directly with your body’s natural levels. A refresher from high school chemistry: the pH scale runs from 0-14, with 7.0 being considered neutral. It can range anywhere between 4.0-6.0, but typically, our skin has a natural pH of around 5.5, which is exactly where Naturium’s sensitive skin body wash falls. (Each bottle explicitly notes it alongside the ingredients. In this case, it’s 5.0-6.0.) This helps to re-balance the dermis, leveling it out when it fluctuates and gets out of whack.

Second is the wash’s blend of skin-loving botanicals and clinically tested synthetics. There are the classics, like colloidal oatmeal (hello, itch relief) and fermented aloe, which nourishes and restores skin five times more than normal aloe, according to the website. But there’s also some newbies, specifically cationically charged vitamin B5, which gives skin a softer, healthier feel even after it’s rinsed off. And while gentle, it still gets you clean. A few pumps and your skin feels conditioned and cared for, cooling off red spots and hydrating dry patches while washing away the day’s dirt and grime.

As someone with newfound sensitive skin, it’s become a go-to in my repertoire. I love its gel-y, serum formula that softens my skin—even my scaly, bumpy spots. Scroll through the Target and Naturium reviews, and you’ll find plenty more praises for its tender touch.

“I have really dry, sensitive, eczema prone skin so I have to be very careful about products I use. I really like this body wash, as it doesn’t irritate or dry out my skin, but it also feels like it does a great job of cleansing,” wrote one reviewer. “Wonderful for sensitive skin! I use on my face and body with zero problems and so do my daughters. I have very sensitive redness-prone facial skin and it does not aggravate those issues at all,” another buyer said.

Eczemic and irritable skin needs a little more TLC, and the Naturium sensitive skin body wash definitely has it. Give your body and your shower routine a little routine with a bottle of your own.

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