I purchased a Japanese soap with persimmon and green tea for mom. It helps with noneal (older person oder which comes from the loss of a enzyme as we age) not perfumey. It last a long time, I use with wash cloth and has helped dry skin too.
I stuck with head to toe baby wash for showers and decided I like it for myself as well. For non shower days the No Rinse products were available at my local drug store and I thought they worked fairly well, with the benefit that I didn't have to be too concerned about getting all the soap residue off. There are good peri cleansers too (I used aloe vesta) for freshening up after diaper changes or toileting, ordinary baby wipes are a god send in that department.
I have been using one of the plastic bath sponge or whatever it is called with a long handle along with a moisturizing body washes. It seems to work on every part except the face. Bath wipes work for "touch up" washes. Such as after using the bathroom to help prevent irritations. Personally I would recommend that you experiment with different brands of body washes to see which works best for you. We are currently using Aveeno because of her itching so much. Others we have tried work but not as well.
Senset foam was the type used in the rehab centre so we stuck with that and it worked well. Spray it onto your hands or a dry wipe first because it comes out of the aerosol cold (!).
If you look online at "continence care" you'll see there's a huge range of brands for specific and general hygiene. Online is also useful for buying in bulk and having supplies delivered, of course.
Generally professionals will tell you not to use baby products. Babies' skin is sensitive, but elders' skin is fragile - they need different types of care. But plenty of people do use baby products, and they tend to be more easily available.
For general bathing, the best thing is warm water and very clean flannels and towels. For areas that, hem-hem how do we put this, clearly need actual dirt removed the key thing, whatever you use, is to rinse and dry gently but really thoroughly.
Unless you know your elder has developed the classic "tissue paper" skin, though, I wouldn't get too neurotic about it. There aren't many toilet soaps or bathing gels left on the market nowadays that are terribly damaging.
I've got to jump in about the flushable wipes - I know the manufacturers like to claim they are perfectly safe for your plumbing but the web is full of cautions that they can cause problems, especially if you are on a septic tank or you plumbing isn't new or in pristine condition. I would advise caution.
Flushable wipes really aren't. They will eventually clog a toilet and wreck havoc on a septic system if you have one. Sounds strange but for wash cloths I bought a bundle of Microfiber wash cloths at a Big Box Hardware store. They often put bundles of 8 on sale, with a cash back reward I could get a bundle of 8 for $1.00. They are soft, hold a lot of water and the soap lathers nicely. They are very absorbent as well so I used them for all sorts of things. The microfiber bath towels are great as well, absorbs a lot and they are soft all you have to do is pat the skin or just lay the towel on the skin and the towel will absorb the water. Also a biggie here..... Do not stress about showering daily. Keeping the "peri" area clean and dry is important but a full shower or bath is not usually needed. As we age and if we are not active odors from sweat are not a problem. The skin also thins and becomes more dry so showering or a bath will dry the skin more. I found out when my Husband went into rehab for a while that the state of Illinois requires that a resident be showered or bathed 2 times a week. The rest of the time a "bed bath" or routine cleaning after toileting is all that is required. (Shock to me)
Once home I used either a baby wash or a gentle body soap (think Dove or other balanced soap) He did love his shower though so many times it was a quick wash and then just letting the water run. And after he just loved the body lotion I or the CNA would use. (Actually who would not love a body rub with lotion every morning!) .
Also effective: Adult Premium Washcloth by Members Mark sold online through Amazon. The container is easy to open with one hand and the cloths do not drip. Ingredients include vitamin E, aloe and chamomile. I used them for my husband when he was a home hospice patient. I have no way to send a picture
While they have Adult Wipes, I found it was easier to use Baby Wipes - the size was easier for me to manage. I used Aloe Vesta Cleansing Foam (the no rinse perineal) with great success. You can even use as a shampoo and the instructions are on the bottle.
Because of my honey's IV and a diabetic ulcer on the heel of his foot, he is not able to shower right now. I went to the medical supply store and bought Nedline Ready Bath Lux (Bath Wipes) and then we also use the adult bathroom wipes (flushable) for after restroom). This helps to keep him fresh, smelling good and feeling good. The Nedline leaves him not only clean but moisturizes his skin and leaves it soft. When he was having a problem with incontinence due to the edema, I bought Attends Advanced Underwear (pull ups) which worked very well. Attends also makes a diaper style that does not have to be pulled up but has tabs like a child's diaper.
Backing up CW. Google "Fatberg Autopsy." For the purposes of public health and environmental responsibility, there is no such thing as a 'flushable' wipe.
Personally I would recommend that you experiment with different brands of body washes to see which works best for you. We are currently using Aveeno because of her itching so much. Others we have tried work but not as well.
If you look online at "continence care" you'll see there's a huge range of brands for specific and general hygiene. Online is also useful for buying in bulk and having supplies delivered, of course.
Generally professionals will tell you not to use baby products. Babies' skin is sensitive, but elders' skin is fragile - they need different types of care. But plenty of people do use baby products, and they tend to be more easily available.
For general bathing, the best thing is warm water and very clean flannels and towels. For areas that, hem-hem how do we put this, clearly need actual dirt removed the key thing, whatever you use, is to rinse and dry gently but really thoroughly.
Unless you know your elder has developed the classic "tissue paper" skin, though, I wouldn't get too neurotic about it. There aren't many toilet soaps or bathing gels left on the market nowadays that are terribly damaging.
Sounds strange but for wash cloths I bought a bundle of Microfiber wash cloths at a Big Box Hardware store. They often put bundles of 8 on sale, with a cash back reward I could get a bundle of 8 for $1.00. They are soft, hold a lot of water and the soap lathers nicely. They are very absorbent as well so I used them for all sorts of things.
The microfiber bath towels are great as well, absorbs a lot and they are soft all you have to do is pat the skin or just lay the towel on the skin and the towel will absorb the water.
Also a biggie here.....
Do not stress about showering daily.
Keeping the "peri" area clean and dry is important but a full shower or bath is not usually needed.
As we age and if we are not active odors from sweat are not a problem.
The skin also thins and becomes more dry so showering or a bath will dry the skin more.
I found out when my Husband went into rehab for a while that the state of Illinois requires that a resident be showered or bathed 2 times a week. The rest of the time a "bed bath" or routine cleaning after toileting is all that is required. (Shock to me)
Once home I used either a baby wash or a gentle body soap (think Dove or other balanced soap)
He did love his shower though so many times it was a quick wash and then just letting the water run. And after he just loved the body lotion I or the CNA would use. (Actually who would not love a body rub with lotion every morning!)
.
I used Aloe Vesta Cleansing Foam (the no rinse perineal) with great success. You can even use as a shampoo and the instructions are on the bottle.
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