Dreft Detergent

My allergies are horrible. I was always afraid my kids would have the same problems. I use detergent that is "free & clear". I use whatever brand is on sale. I've used Purex and Arm & Hammer a lot. They are both cheaper then Dreft.

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I don't know about Dreft. However, I'd like to recommend Arbonne International baby products and skin conditioning oil for your baby's sensitive skin. The Arbonne ABC (baby) products have helped many babies with sensitive skin. They are botanically based, contain no nut oils, are hypoallergenic and dermatologist tested, and are free of chemical dyes and fragtrances. They are vegan certified and smell good, naturally. Adults with excema have also benefited from the combination of the baby lotions and the skin conditioning oil. You can find out more about buying at wholesale prices (35% or more off of retail) at aphrodite.myarbonne.com or by calling ###-###-####. Good luck with your baby!!!
J. Almaguer

1 mom found this helpful

Another detergent that I found is good and less expensive is All free and clear. It's free of all dyes and other things that cause irritation to skin. You can pick it up at Target or Walmart for about $3.50 or so. Hope this helps.

I use All Free and Clear. It does a great job on stains and has a good price. Also, you can usually find a coupon for All detergent in the Sunday paper.

I have had success w/All Free & Clear. I have very sensitive skin, as does 1 of my daughters. Neither of us have ever had a rash or eczema as a result of this detergent. And it cleans really well.

We've used the Target brand baby detergent with no problems... and it is about half the price of Dreft (we used Dreft for the first couple of months).
Our boys do not seem to have overly sensitive skin, though, so I am not 100% sure it'd work for you.

Both of my children also have eczema(they are now 6 and 9) but I always used Tide but I always washed there clothes separately from ours until they were about 4 years old. I think it has more to do with the chemicals from the other clothes than what detergent you use... Just a thought

Any detergent that says Dye Free and Fragence Free should work. There is also a detergent out there for sensitive skin I just don't remember the name off it. I use Purex that is free of Dyes and Fragences.

"All" also makes a baby detergent that is just like Dreft and much more affordable. I have used that on my baby's clothes since day 1 and never had any problems with it. Good Luck!

I would like to make a suggestion. Look into eco-friendly products by Shaklee. They are very concentrated so you use very little.

You can check out : www.keytonaturalhealth.com

My son has it too...can get pretty bad. I found RENEW lotion from Meloluca (not spelled right) and I signed up just to get that. Then I started using their detergent..and he is doing wonderful with it.
M.

My son and one of my daughters have very dry skin and I have been able to use Purex Free and Clear. It is in a white bottle and has a clear lid. Neither one of them have had any problems with it. If that doesn't work you can always try All for babies. It is a lot cheaper then Dreft.
Good Luck!

Y.,
there are so many harsh chemicals in products that we assume to be safe.If it's not meant to be eaten, the government doesn't regulate it. Most stuff bought in the stores have caustic fillers,soda ash,formadehyde,even neuro toxins and cancer causing ingredients. (I don't know about Dreft in particular)I have a membership with a wellness company that has products that are very safe and soooooo effective. The laundry soap coast .16 per load compared to tide at .25 they also have a line of baby products and a lotion that is proven effective for eczema. Their products are less per use than grocery store stuff. If you would like you can contact me through my web site and I can tell you more about it.
T.
www.livetotalwellness.com/T.
www.workathomeunited.com/T.

We use Purex Baby for all the little ones clothes (3 yr, 2 yr and 7 mo.), it's about $3-4 a bottle. And if you shop at Giant Eagle, you can join the Baby Rewards program and get coupons for $1 off if you buy one.

But anyways, since I had the baby I do run the clothes though an extra rinse cycle - he was braking out when he was littler. And the extra rinse stopped the brake out. I don't use fabric softner on any of their cloths, because I have tried many and 2 of the kids brake out from them.

Hope you find something cheaper that works!

I know that sensitive skin is hard finding a detergent, I now have a 14 yr. old that was the same way. What I have found is that tide is not as harsh, but it depends on the person really. You can try the small bottle, experiment on a couple outfits, if it doesn't work use it on your clothes. I use the Tide with febreeze, and she hasn't had a reaction and I have used it for years. I cannot use the one with bleach or the cold water...it is different some how.

The best ever detergent for highly sensative skin is Earth Friendly Products liquid HE detergent. It's cheaper than Tide HE and WAY BETTER. It has nothing in it to irritate skin and is very effective. I have such sensative skin that i can't even use fabric sheets in the dryer. My daughter takes after me and as long as I stick to the natural soaps for her (skin, clothes, etc), she has no problems! You can find this detergent at Trader Joe's and Whole Foods in Columbus. Health in Hand in Lancaster may also have it. Or, if you can't go to Columbus, try 7th Generation soap. It's a little more expensive, but lasts a lot longer (as does the Earth Friendly Products) and they have a free and clear that we've had no problems with. It is more expensive than the earth friendly products, though. You can find it at Kroger in the Natural Market section.

I used Baby All and never had any problems. I had the same skin issues as a child and my husband has severe allergies to many detergents, a trait which our son also has. He never had an issue with Baby All and it's MUCH cheaper than Dreft.

I use Baby All for my son who has extremely sensitive skin. It can hard to find but I have noticed that Walmart sells it in a nice size jug for about $5.oo.

Hello! It is possible that it is not so much the dreft, as the other skin care you are using. I, too have had this problem. I continued to use Dreft and then purchased Arbonne baby skin care. No more eczema-EVER. This stuff is great not only for babies, but for kids and adults. I use it and have been off my steroid for eczema since I began using it. Let me know if you want to try, I can tell you where you can get it! You can reach me at ____@____.com

Hi! I love the all baby care plus! Much cheaper then Dreft and same effect!

baby all...its pretty much the same thing and half the price!!

Be careful not to confuse "natural" with non-toxic. Most of the laundry detergents mentioned in this thread are full of fillers and toxic chemicals. Companies can use the word "natural" on their labels by meeting minimum criteria. The whole formulation does not have to be natural. So, common household laundry detergents still have toxic chemicals in them, These chemicals are absorbed into your system through your skin and have been linked to cancers, damage to the lungs and central nervous system, liver damage and destruction of tissue and mucous membranes.

Also, look for an ingredient such as quaternium-15 which is used in most personal care products including baby shampoos, toothpaste, lotions, etc. It is a formaldehyde releaser and has been directly linked to cancer as well.

If you want to learn more about toxic chemicals in household products and about safer alternatives (more importantly!) please go to my website:

www.GoGreen4Health.com

Thanks!

I don't know if it's less expensive, but there are natural laundry detergents you can get that don't have harsh or toxic chemicals. You can find them at Rainbow Blossom, Amazing Grace or Wholefoods. It's worth a try. I only use natural cleaning products. Much easier on the environment too. Good luck!
C.

My son is 2 yrs. old and has eczema, although his outbreaks aren't very bad or often, and we were using all clear and fabric softener without scent. Now I use regular detergents and put lotion on him everyday and he's doing good.

i use baby all. and it is sooo much cheaper. my son has very sensitive skin also. i love it

Trader Joe's "Next to Godliness" Detergent is wonderful! I've used it for years. :)

I recommend any detergent totally free of dyes and fragrance. I've been using white bottled ALL detergent free of all harmful stuff thats sensitive to the skin.

I use SA8 for sensitive skin. My son has never had a problem, and while I'm not sure the price of dreft, this is probably cheaper. He just turned one and we have only gone through 3 boxes of it. I am a distributor for the company, you can reach me at ____@____.com if you are interested
M.

I have used ALL brand detergent in the white bottle that is called Free and clear (liguid) since my daughter was born. She will be 11 years old soon. Always try to use a liquid detergent and put it in first before the clothes so that it can dissolve completely in the water. I wash the whole family clothes, all towels and blankets in it. It can be found at walmart for about $3.95 and ask people to save you coupons for ALL. The coupon is usually $1.00 off. Marc's and Giant Eagle also sell the free and clear ALL and sometimes put it on sale. I also never use any dryer sheets at all and no Downy in the washer. Let me know how this works for you!

Hello. When my son was younger I used Purex clean and clear. It had nothing in it! I know ALL has one like that as well, and they both are A LOT cheaper than Dreft, I didn't use it because I couldn't afford it..haha...good luck!

I have a 2 1/2 year old, and a four month old. Our ped. told me that any detergent that is free of dyes and perfumes is acceptable and to be warry of using Dreft which does contain perfume that can aggrevate sensitive skin.

I have been washing all my clothes in Amway detergent for the past 40 years and have never had a problem. Of courst my kids are grown, but my daughter as a 2 year old and she has always used Amway. You wont's get ir for $5.00 a box, I think the last box, 7 l/2 lbs, lasted me for about 1 1/2 years and it cost $27.00. Of course I only do laundry for one, but my daughter does laundry for 3 and she loves it.

I use BABY ALL. It is great! My daughter also has eczema on her arms but the ALL doesnt bother her. It is alot cheaper then dreft.

I like Charlie's Soap, it rinses clean so there shouldn't be residue left over to irritate your daughter. You may need to wash her clothes a few times in Charlie's, though, as it will remove the residue that Dreft has left on the clothes. http://www.charliesoap.com/

my children also had problems. I found that if I double rinsed their diapers and cloths they did not break out.
Double rinsing takes out all the soap. Also do not over load the washer.
Patsy, grandmother of 6

I switched to All Free and Clear and is works like Dreft and a lot cheaper.

I used All Clear. The hospital that my kids were born at also used this and never had any problems. Much less expensive then Dret.

I too switched to the ALL Baby which was a fraction of the cost of Dreft and just fine. Good luck on your search

They have an All Baby brand that is just as good as Dreft and less money. Also, you should be able to use a detergent that is "FREE" of dyes and perfumes and those really should be okay on her her skin. Good luck!

Baby All is what is use, and I think it works better than Dreft, and much less expensive.

My son also has sensitive skin and we tried ALL BABY and it is much cheaper than dreft. Good luck.

We used Dreft for our first child. It just was too expensive for us to continue to use. Our doctor recommended us trying All Free Clear. We used All for our second and third children. We didn't notice a difference between the brands other than the price.

I have extremely sensitive skin & unfortunately passed that on to my daughter. We use any brand of detergent that is fragrance free, no dyes or perfumes (just about every brand makes one now so they are cheaper than Dreft). Don't forget to use the same for your softener (Downy) and/or dryer sheets.....hope this helps!

Baby All works just as well and is cheaper.

charlie's is the best detergent that i have tried...
it is environmentally friendly, leaves NO residue not juse odor free because it lacks a scent, but odor free because it doesn't leave a film on your clothes!

just google Charlie's laundry soap and you can read all about it.

mel

Have you ever tried Melaleuca's products? I would 100% tell you to try them. It is a wonderful company and their products are great! If you would like more information contact me and I would be happy to tell you more.

I did a lot of research on replacing Dreft when we got our new HE machine. You can't use Dreft in an HE machine because it is too sudsy. However, I saw so much online that said that regular detergents are actually better if you get "free of dyes and perfumes". Dreft (and most other baby detergents) have lots of perfume to them to give that "baby smell". All, Tide, Cheer, and just about all the other brands make a "Free" detergent. Purex is a good brand at a great price. I believe they also have a version that is dye and perfume free.

I use the Target brand of Dreft. It's just as good & much more affordable.

Try SA8 sensitive

I sell it. Not sure I can self promote, so if interested, email me w/ soap in title. 100% satisfaction guarantee w/ this product, too.

____@____.com

ALL (in the white bottle). It has no softeners, dyes or perfumes, and is not expensive. My children and I all have Eczema and this detergent is simply a lifesaver!

Our dermatologist recommended All Free and Clear. Works for my daughter (also with sensitive skin and exzema).

We use All Free or Baking Hammer Free- anything that is dye free adn scent free- Also, my daughter had horrible eczema, and we took her off dairy all together- WHEY etc, her skin cleared right up.
Good Luck.

We use All Free and Clear on all of our clothes. Both of my daughters 2 & 1/2 and 8 months have eczema and they seem to do okay. We still have to use lots of lotion and prescription cream for my odest but no detergent I have tried works better.

Y.,
I had a similar situation with my son when he was about 4 months old. My aunt advised me to try using Dove Dish detergent and run the load through the rinse cycle a second time. It worked great! Clean clothes and no outbreaks!

I actually love the Target brand Dreft! It smells very clean and is half the price of Dreft!

I never used Dreft with my daughter because my husband was allergic to it. It turns out it was a good thing because she has alot of allergies and eczema as well. I used Ivory Snow with her, but it is actually more expensive than Dreft. We never had a problem with it. I switched her to All Free and Clear when she was 14mos old, which is what my famliy uses. She is now 20mos and has had no problems with the All. Some of my friends used the Baby All and really liked it.

BTW- Eucerin Original Cream is a great moisturizer for eczema. It is the only thing we use on my daughter. Her allergist also said not to use Johnson & Johnson's Baby wash. He said it was the worst soap for baby skin. We swtiched to the Aveeno Baby Wash at 11mos and her skin improved dramatically.

Good Luck, H.

Tide Free is the only thing we can use. You can sign up on the Tide website and they will sent you coupons too! Still less $ than Dreft.

Hello,
I researched Dreft and found more than it would be appropriate to share here. If you want to contact me personally, I'll send you what I found. The recommendations also deal with eczema so it may answer more than one of your questions. You can reach me at: ____@____.com of luck in your search for something better.

My son had very sensitive skin and developed red bumps all over when I put him in clothes washed in Dreft. His doctor told me to use regular laundry detergent - which I used either Ivory or Cheer and his skin problems went away. Hope this helps.

"All Free and Clear" is a good alternative. I used this with my son who also has excema. "All" also has a baby formula, but I can't remember the exact name at the moment. I have never used this but I saw it in the store! Good Luck!

Don't know that you'll find anything cheaper than Dreft, but some other store brands offer "all natural" ingredients (Tide, All, Purex). There's also the company Melalueca that offers natural products via mail order. Check out their website (I may have misspelled) or ask some people you know if the use products from them and if you could sample the detergent.

All Free and Clear has the exact same ingredient list as Dreft and Baby All, just at a fraction of the cost.

All Free and Clear works for my daughters with eczema.

I have been using ALL brand for babies. I found it at Walmart, it has a rubber duck on the bottle. It is considerabley cheaper and works well for us!

As a mother of an almost 5 year old with sensitive skin too, when you do change go to a free & clear detergent. I use usually the Arm&Hammer version of this or Purex....once you find on stick to it, same with a softner, I use the pink lid Downy. I try to keep it to one of the two of these detergents but have alot more leeway than I once did. Good luck & I hope this helps....oh also there are "generic" versions of Dreft in some stores too!

My daughter (now 11) has always had sensitive skin. I have found that using Tide Free has worked just as well as Dreft. It is all of the dyes and purfumes that bother her skin. Good luck.

Y.,

I use All Free and Clear. We have had no problems with this. I know a few other mothers who are using it also, and it is just as good as Dreft.

Hope this helps!

Try usining All Free and Clear. I suffer from eczema as well as 3 of my 4 children. It works for us.

I use Charlie's Soap - www.charliessoap.com - and I love it. It seems expensive (around $20.00 a gallon), but it lasts forever b/c you only use 1/8 of a cup each load. It's supposed to be great for sensitive skin, etc. I use it for all my laundry, so you don't have to buy 2 kinds :)

Hope this helps.

I switched to ALL Free and Clear. I'm the one that get's the rashes if I used anything besides Tide but I have not had any problems since and it's about $1.50 cheaper.

I use Method. It is all natural and very concentrated. So the little bottle goes a long way.

I use All "free and clear" which comes in a white bottle. It is free of perfumes and dyes, which Dreft is not. It has worked great for my daughter who has sensitive skin.
Good luck!

my son has sensitive skin too. we use all brand detergent. they have a baby one and one called all free and clear. i didnt see a difference between the two. we wash all of the families clothes (unless they are soiled badly) in the same wash. the detergent has no dyes or fragrances. it has worked for us since birth with no problems. i think you can get on the all website and get a sample. :) hope this helps.

Hi Y.,
My daughter also suffers from eczema and we use baby purex for her, also much cheaper then Dreft. For her bath and lotions we use Cetraphil. When i see red or dry patches i use a 100% cocoa butter stick you can purchase at any body shop store. I know we have one at Westfield. Good luck!

I have used All Free and Clear for years until about a year ago when I started making my own laundry soap. It is so inexpensive, it's an incredible savings with 6 in our family. One of the ingredients is Fels Naptha. You can also use just plain old Ivory instead of that, although I've never tried it yet.

You can also start using just plain ol' distilled white vinegar instead of fabric softener. It naturally clears out any residue and leaves clothes soft. (I still use a squirt of fabric softener for a good smell and the baby is doing ok so far.)

If you are interested in the whole recipe, I could email to you or something.

We use All Free and Clear. It is a lot cheaper :-)
Good Luck!

I used Dreft for like 2 months with my daughter, but changed since it was getting expensive to buy 2 detergents. I change to All Free & Clear and had no problems and she has sensitive skin. I still use it but sometime I change and use other "Free" detergents like, Tide, Purex, Arm & Hammer. As long as it doesn't have any dyes you should be fine.

i highly recommend using Cetaphil lotions and soaps for your daughter. My friends son has the same problem and that is what her pediatrician recommended. Use both the bar soap and lotion. You can get them in larger sizes for a decent price at Target. CVS makes an off brand. It works really good and fast too.

We use Allen's Naturally. It's $25 for a box, but I only use 1/2 scoop per load and we're only through half a box a year later - and we do CD every other day with it too, so you'd probably use less. It doesn't look/smell/have any additives - it's all natural, thus the name. We've loved it. Make sure you lotion her up after baths too!! When we forget that we get eczema too....

Good luck!

Hi--I use All Free and Clear detergent and for a fabric softener, I use the Bounce sheets that are dermatologist recommended--can't remember what they're actually called. My daughter has REALLY sensitive skin and these work great for her.

Yoanis,

Like the other moms have said All has a really good "free" detergent. Also you need to be sure you are washing anything that comes in contact with your child in the "free" detergent. Your clothes, towels, washclothes, and any bedding/blankets she may touch. Also be aware of what lotions, soaps, and perfumes you are wearing as they can also cause baby to break out. I assume you are still using a baby bath tub for her but when you switch her to the big tub you may have to rethink the bath soap/shampoo/conditioners you and your family use as they can leave residue in the tub that can cause a reaction in her. When my daughter transitioned to the big tub I ended up having to buy a storage tote that was big enough to bath her in because everything we used made her break out and no matter how well I cleaned our tub or what I used she still would break out. Hope this helped.

Hi,

I have very sensitive skin as well as my children. My youngest child is 6 yrs old now. I have been using ALL free and Clear for several years now. I even used it when my 6 yr old was a baby. She still develops eczema, especially in the winter, but it is not as bad.

Any "free" detergent is just is good, if not better. My kids were sensitive and I used Tide Free most of the time and All Free some of the time. Even Arm and Hammer has a "free" version that I like and is very inexpensive when it is on sale. My kids are older now but I still use the "frees" since fragrances added to most detergents are bad for the environment.

I don't know how much Dreft costs but I've been using Seventh Generation Baby detergent. It is totally fragrance free and has a petroleum free(ie vegetable based)formula. I buy it through amazon by the case(6 bottles at a time) I still haven't gone through my first case and my baby was born in July!!If you join their subcribe and save you can get a case for $25.59 and they ship it for free.If you don't go through it in 6 months you can push back the shipment until you need it again. (they may even have dreft, but I 'm not sure)I haven't had any problems with eczema using this detergent(and my boy is extremely sensitive to detergents, he gets a rash when he lays his head on his grandma or grandpa's shoulder for any length of time)Also, I stopped giving Gabriel a bath every day he now gets one about two times a week and he hasn't had as much of a problem with dry patches. The doctor said that we often overbathe them and as long as you keep their dirty parts clean there isn't a problem with bathing them less.

I second (and third!) any response taht says to try a fragrance and dye free brand of detergent. What really workd for my son was to switch detergent, dryer sheets (Bounce Free or All Free) and the baby wash we were using. Find a baby wash for sensitive skin (Aveeno comes to mind) and use that, too. Her excema may be caused by many sources, not just detergent. Good Luck!