Here’s one for the guys: the #2 best selling beauty product on Amazon.com this week is an Old Spice Body Wash. Why is this interesting? Because of it’s ability to hydrate dry skin. Let’s look at the label and see how it works.
Water
As always the main ingredient in a body wash or shampoo.
Petrolatum
What? Petrolatum is a greasy skin moisturizing ingredient. Why is it in a body wash? Ah, that’s the secret of this product. P&G scientists have found a way to incorporate high levels of petrolatum in a body wash and still make it foam!
Sodium Trideceth Sulfate, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate
These two ingredients clean skin and make the oily mixture lather up.
Mineral Oil
Mineral oil is a close cousin to petrolatum.
Sodium Lauroamphoacetate
Another surfactant that is a mild cleaning/foaming agent.
Sodium Chloride
A thickener.
Trideceth-3
Another part of the surfactant package.
Fragrance
A man just wants to smell like a man. (Give yourself bonus points if you’re old enough to remember the TV commercial that originally featured this slogan.)
Citric Acid
pH adjustor (adjust down.)
Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride
Skin conditioning agent. Also used in conditioning shampoos because it mixes well with detergents.
Acrylonitrile/Methacrylonitrile/Methyl Methacrylate Copolymer
Thickener/stabilizer.
Isopentane
Can be a post-foaming agent. May also be added in small quantities to suppress viscosity.
Xanthan Gum
Yet another thickener/stabilizer.
Sodium Benzoate, Disodium EDTA
Helps preservation.
PEG-90M
Stabilizer/thickener.
Sodium Hydroxide
pH adjustor (adjust up.)
Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Methylisothiazolinone
Preservatives
Chromium Oxide Greens
Gives the product it’s manly green color.
If you’re in the market for a manly, moisturizing body wash you can buy Old Spice Dry Skin Defense 
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
If I use this can I not have to use lotion anymore?
@Rozy: It depends on how dry your skin is. P&G uses this technology in more feminine products as well, like the Olay body wash line. So look for similar ingredients and try one of those products to see if they moisturize well enough for you to skin the lotion.
I’ve seen some interesting info on Sodium Trideceth Sulfate. Do you guys know anything share-worthy about this surfactant? I really wish a DIY supplier would start carrying it so I could try a few recipes out.