If you have sensitive skin, you’ve probably been through the routine of switching your laundry detergent at least once. Maybe you’ve tried fragrance-free options or tried something labeled “gentle”, or maybe both. In either case, it’s a frustrating problem to have when you can’t figure out what’s bothering your skin.
Most people look to fragrance first, which can definitely be a culprit. However, if you’re stopping there, you may be missing several other ingredients that are just as likely to irritate your skin.
The usual suspects
Conventional detergents (and a lot of pods & sheets, too) use optical brighteners that are added to make clothes look whiter and brighter. These optical brighteners actually leave a residue on the fabric that reflects light to make them appear brighter and whiter. But here’s the catch…that residue doesn’t rinse out. It actually stays on your clothes, which means it gets on your skin and stays there all day.
Other common culprits include phosphates which are widely used as water softeners and cleaning booster in conventional detergent. Chlorine bleach is another ingredient found in many detergents and used for whitening, however it can frequently cause skin and respiratory irritation. Instead, look for options like
Fragrance is a bit more of a complex issue because it’s a catch-all term that can cover many chemical compounds. That can make it really tricky to know what your skin is reacting to exactly and how to avoid it in a different fragrance. This can be why switching from one fragrance to another doesn’t help always help skin irritation. You might just be swapping one set of sensitizing compounds for another.
The residue problem
The one thing that doesn’t get talked about enough is simple detergent residue. This can easily happen when detergent doesn’t fully rince out of the clothes due to using more detergent than needed (which can be very easy to do with liquid detergent) or because the formula is too concentrated for the load size.
In either case, the residue left on the fabric then stays against your skin and for people with sensitive skin, that can sometimes be the actual source of the irritation.
Running an extra rinse cycle can help remove this residue, but it’s not the most effective or environmentally-friendly option. Looking at how much detergent you’re using can be a good first step in determining what may be causing the skin irritation.
What "natural" doesn't always mean
This can be a bit surprising to most people but detergents that use natural ingredients like essential oils or plant-derived fragrances aren’t automatically gentler. Some botanical ingredients are actually more likely to cause skin irritation than synthetic ones.
The more useful questions around fragrances is around whether they are developed to meet recognized safety standards like the International Fragrance Association (IFRA). This organization sets global safety benchmarks for fragrance ingredients. And as always, you can skip fragrance entirely and choose Free & Clear options instead.
What Loop does differently
At Loop, we believe what's inside is just as important as what's not. So here’s a rundown of what we kept out to keep your clothes, your skin and the planet happy.
No optical brighteners. Instead of using an ingredient whose sole purpose is to leave a light-reflecting residue on your clothes, Loop uses sodium percarbonate. This a non-chlorine, oxygen-based ingredient that naturally lifts stains and brightens fabrics without anything staying behind after the wash.
No phosphates and no chlorine bleach either. Instead, Loop’s brightening and cleaning power comes from plant-based enzymes instead. Protease targets protein-based stains like sweat, food, and body oils. Cellulase removes microscopic pilling that can tend to make clothes look dull over time. This keeps clothes brighter and smoother load after load without the irritation.
On fragrance, Loop's scented tiles (Fresh Linen and Amber Woods) use fragrances that are fully compliant with IFRA safety standards, so you're not dealing with undisclosed compounds or untested ingredients. And if you'd rather avoid fragrance altogether, the Free & Clear tile is completely unscented, making it the most straightforward option for anyone with reactive skin.
Our formula is also pH neutral. Some detergents are highly alkaline which can disrupt the skin’s natural barrier when any residue is left on clothing.
Lastly, because each Loop detergent tile is a single pre-measured dose, there’s no need to worry about using too much detergent and residue on fabrics.
