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Found: A High-Quality Hand Wash My Whole Family Loves
Parents frequently preach about constant hand washing to their children, teaching them that it fights off germs and may even help them prevent a cold. However, that’s not the full picture.
It’s true that your skin is your first defense, but it needs to be healthy, with a balanced microbiome to do that job well—and it all starts with what you and your children use for hand soap.
What I was looking for
The reality is that children hand soap can often be filled with harsh chemicals that can dry out their hands when used as frequently as we’d prefer they cleanse their hands. While dry skin may not seem like a huge deal, it’s more important than you might think. Dry skin is usually a telltale sign of a compromised skin barrier—something that can lead to inflammation for people of any age.
And just like the skin on your face and the rest of your body, your hand skin has a delicate microbiome. When it’s balanced, your hand skin can properly defend against bad bacteria, viruses, and so on. It's a vital part of our skin barrier function, and it's something that's constantly under assault thanks to conventional skin care products, like stripping washes and harsh ingredients.
It's even worse for folks with sensitive skin (my children included). Those with naturally sensitive skin have to be extra careful with how they treat their bodies, which includes being mindful that they only use formulas made with soothing and hydrating ingredients.
With all of these factors in mind, I recently realized that hand soap is much more nuanced and important than I thought.
The hand wash I swear by
The one product that fits the bill for my entire family: mindbodygreen postbiotic hand wash. This formula is gentle enough for my kids and their ultra-sensitive skin, but still gets the job done. Plus, it’s way more convenient buying one type of soap to sit by the sink in every bathroom.
The formula still works up into a nice suds, but it’s coming from gentler, plant-derived surfactants that provide a nice lather without over-drying the hands.
My favorite part is that I find peace knowing their microbiome is protected during every wash, thanks to the addition of pre- and postbiotics in the cleanser.
We're particularly proud of the biotech postbiotic in the formula, which nurtures the microbiome and skin by supplying it with peptides and fatty acids. Our special biotech postbiotic comes from Lactobacillus, the “educational” bacteria that teaches the skin to protect itself1, encourages more vibrant appearance, and is appropriate for sensitive skin. It has been shown to soothe irritation and even enhance epidermal framework reconstruction. The prebiotic is derived from sea veggies, and helps balance the skin2 by feeding the "good" bacteria on the skin—making the skin stronger and more resilient in the process.
Those microbiome-friendly ingredients are joined by powerhouse antioxidant CoQ10, oat oil, moringa seed oil, aloe vera, and red algae for deep hydration. This way, your hands are left even softer than before you washed them.
CoQ10 in particular is an important ingredient in skin care. Your body actually makes the antioxidant naturally, but it declines with age. In the skin it can help protect the skin's lipids from degrading, fight off free radicals3, and supports the skin's immune function. We're big believers that your skin knows best.
You may assume every kid would prefer the bubblegum or strong vanilla scents often found in children’s hand wash, but my entire family prefers this fragrance. The natural fragrance comes from bergamot, neroli, ylang-ylang, and cedarwood for a refreshing, yet neutral scent that never irritates my children’s delicate skin. Altogether, it’s a win for the whole family.
The takeaway
It’s important for children to frequently wash their hands, but equally as crucial for their microbiome to be intact. As a parent myself, I keep the mindbodygreen postbiotic hand wash in every single bathroom at home to ensure my kids get their hands clean, without compromising their skin health. This way, their first line of defense is in the best shape it can be.
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