Lux Longs To Know:
As a woman, I find that when I wash my “sweet spot” with regular soap, it stings and burns. I wanted to know what ingredients in regular soap cause this sensation. I’ve been using Cetaphil, which I haven’t had any problems with, but I’d like to find something that I can use all over my body. There is a new company Sweetspot Labs, which makes products exclusively for a woman’s “sweet spot.” I’m wondering what makes their cleansing products different from the regular body soaps on the market? I’m trying to decide whether they are worth the expense.

The Right Brain Sweetly Responds:
Soap and certain detergents (like Sodium Lauryl Sulfate which is in Cetaphil) work fine when you’re shampooing your hair or washing your hands, but they can cause irritation if they come in contact with senstive areas like your eyes or your “sweet spot.” (It has to do with the way certain surfactants affect cell membranes.) Anyway, that’s one of the reasons baby shampoos are used for children - they use cleansing agents that are not irritating, and won’t sting their eyes. The same is true for “sweet spots,” detergents may cause stinging or burning. The acidity of the product can also be an important factor in a cleanser. (We wrote about this in a previous post on vaginal pH where we talked about Sweetspot’s Balancing Mist - but pH was not as much of an issue for that kind of product).

So, what about Sweetspot’s Cleanser? Well, we don’t buy everything they have to say - they talk about delivering humectants from a rinse off wash product which is not very feasible and and they don’t disclose exactly which surfactants they’re using which makes it difficult to know the potential mildness of their product. Nonetheless, it seems like a reasonable option if you’re experiencing stringing or burning from conventional soaps and body washes.

The Brain’s Bottom Line:
There are many surfactants that are milder than soap or SLS. If Sweetspot has formulated their product properly, it should be better than using soap and it should solve your stinging problem. If it works, then you can decide if it’s worth the money.

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