The skin’s natural acid mantle repels pathogens and ensures the skin’s barrier function is maintained. This stops it drying out and prevents the penetration of irritants and pollutants. Substances with a neutral pH value attack our acid mantle and if this outer layer is unstable, which is often the case in young children, old people, and those with skin that is damaged or highly stressed, they can even destroy it. This decreases the skin’s resistance against pathogens which encourage dehydration, irritation, and allergic sensitivity. pH-neutral products, i.e. soaps and creams with a pH of 7, are therefore not the best products for promoting your skin’s natural functions. They actually increase the skin’s pH value, and even if they are rinsed off straight away, your skin will need several hours to restabilize itself at a pH of 5.5. The ingredients in modern skin care products are very good at moisturising the skin, stopping it from drying out, and protecting it from environmental influences, but an overly high pH will minimise these effects by suppressing your skin’s natural functions instead of strengthening them. Products with a pH of 5.5 are the most effective carers for your skin and also the most compatible. Many consumers assume that products advertised as skin-friendly or skin-neutral have the right pH value, i.e. 5.5. In truth, all sort of pH values have been found amongst these products. There are preparations which are far too acidic and which can actually irritate sensitive skin, but there are also pH-neutral products and some which are even alkaline. On top of this, the pH value of products often changes over time. We guarantee that the pH of sebamed products will not deviate from 5.5 by more than 0.3 pH units throughout their shelf life. You can’t be sure that this will be the case with products advertised as skin-friendly or skin-neutral.

When combined with water, soap forms an alkaline solution with a pH value between 8 and 12. While the pH value of 7 marks the neutral point, the skin’s surface is naturally acidic and has a pH of 5.5, and so when an alkaline soap is used to wash the skin, it destroys the skin’s acid mantle. The acid mantle does regenerate itself within a few hours, but in the meantime the skin’s natural defence against pathogens, irritants, and dehydration is reduced. The chances of skin problems developing are also heightened, because soap makes the skin swell up. At first, your skin will feel soft and smooth when this happens, but the swelling will then encourage the penetration of harmful environmental influences and cause the skin to lose more moisture. As soap reacts with lime in hard water, which reduces its effectiveness, rather a lot is required to cleanse the skin properly when washing with it. The large volume of the alkaline solution is of course very unkind to the skin. Soap-free cleansers with a pH value of 5.5 do not cause the skin to swell up and preserve its natural acid mantle. They are therefore far more compatible with sensitive skin than soap.

Soap is just one of many substances which have a cleansing effect. Syndets (synthetic detergents) are capable of removing dirt from the skin and creating foam, too. In addition, these neither lose their ability to cleanse in hard water nor form alkaline solutions, like soap does. It is therefore possible to make them compatible with the skin’s acid mantle.

No, they are very similar in terms of their cleansing effectivity, gentleness, skin compatibility, and suitability for sensitive and problematic skin. Which of the two products people choose to wash with is simply a matter of personal preference.

People normally base the amount they use on the volume of foam. A product’s foam quantity, however, has very little to do with how well the product itself cleanses your skin. As the majority of consumers like a fine, creamy foam, many products have special foaming agents added to them, which actually have a very small cleansing effect or even none at all. With most high-quality products, less is more when it comes to foam. In the case of sebamed Liquid Face & Body Wash, a pea-sized amount is sufficient for washing your hands and face, which means you can use a 200ml bottle 400 times .If you use sebamed’s soap-free Cleansing Bar, rub it against your wet hands, flannel, or sponge four or five times. You will be able to use the amount that rubs off to wash your hands and face thoroughly.

Cleansing your body brings several unpleasant side effects with it, especially if you shower often. Your skin will swell, there is a loss of lipids and moisture, and it’s natural acid mantle will probably be damaged, too. Mild, soap-free shower products that suit the skin’s natural pH value of 5.5 can provide your skin with intensive care and protection in addition to freshness.

Your skin type will determine how often your skin can cope with a bath. Every day, however, is too often, even if you have normal, insensitive skin. If you have dry skin, you should limit your baths to a maximum of twice a week. Always apply a skin care product afterwards,  for example sebamed Body Milk.

Of course there is. There are shower products such as sebamed Shower Oil and Anti-Dry Hydrating Shower Balsam, which counteract dehydration from the very first time you use them. The water temperature, by the way, should  be no hotter than 35°C when you shower. Please don’t treat your skin worse than you would a wool jumper or a silk blouse! If you can spare an extra three minutes after showering before you throw yourself into a night on the town, you can give your skin a quick wellness treat with sebamed Anti-Dry Hydrating Body Lotion. The intensive lotion is absorbed immediately and won’t leave any residue on your skin. It also has the added benefit of optimising circulation, which multiplies the positive effects gained from winter sports during the day. sebamed Anti-Dry Intense Night Cream is ideal for your face. Its high concentration of phytosterols quickly alleviates irritation caused by temperature changes and leaves the skin smooth and silky.

Showering more than once a day is particularly stressful to dry skin. Shower products with high concentrations of skin care ingredients such as sebamed Shower Oil, don’t just refresh the skin, but also prevent it from drying out. Very dry skin does however need additional care after every other shower. You could apply sebamed Body Milk to your skin in this case, for example.

Many consumers are reluctant to use the same cleansing product for their face as for the rest of their body, and their reservations are partially justified because facial skin is thinner than the rest of the body’s skin. That’s why facial skin dehydrates quicker and is more prone to irritation. It therefore requires special cleansing products which are particularly skin-friendly and which don’t reduce its moisture content or ability to function as a barrier. The sebamed Cleansing Bar and Liquid Face & Body Wash were designed specially for sensitive skin and have been tested accordingly. They can therefore be used on the face, as well as on hands and on the rest of the body. To remove make-up, especially in the case of water-proof, long-lasting versions, a special cleanser is necessary.

Using a 24 hr. cream like sebamed Anti-Ageing Q 10 Protection Cream in the morning and at night is normally sufficient. However, if you have very dry skin, it can be beneficial to use a special night cream in the evening like sebamed Anti-Dry Intensive Night Cream with 3% phytosterols for example to captalize on the active regeneration process, which occurs at night as the skin is absorbing better, and is able to address the lack of lipid and moisture balance in dry skin, especially during the winter, more effectively than anti-ageing creams.

No. Aluminium compounds are the active ingredients in antiperspirants, which are currently dominating the deodorant market. If there is a build-up of sweat this can cause skin irritation especially for those with  sensitive skin. For this reason sebamed does not have aluminium compounds in their deodorants.

Protection against body odour is as effective using a deodorants without aluminium salts, as deodorants containing aluminum compounds, when they are not perfume deodorants that just mask the body odour. Aluminium deodorants, the so-called antiperspirants, do however have the added effect of curbing the sweat flow, which keeps the armpits dry. To many consumers, this is just as important as the protection from body odour. However, due to exactly this feature, people with sensitive skin are more likely to suffer irritation as a result and for this reason will often find deodorants without aluminium more suitable.

Yes, but it is best to use one that doesn’t contain alcohol. Those that do will sting your skin. sebamed Balsam Deodorant sensitive and sebamed FOR MEN Deodorant sensitive are ideal here.

The vast majority of sebamed products do not contain any ingredients of animal origin. Some exceptions are sebamed products that contain beeswax (Cera alba), a chitin derivative from crab shells (Carboxymethyl Chitin), a keratin hydrolysate (Hydrolyzed Keratin) from sheep's wool, a hydrolysate from the cocoons of silkworms (Hydrolyzed Silk), bees honey (Honey extract) or gelatin (Gelatin).  The ingredients (…) are also listed in the respective product description on the homepage, as well as on the product packaging itself. We will gladly answer any further questions via the contact form.

We are against animal testing of cosmetic products and their ingredients because we are convinced that harmlessness can be reliably tested using alternative methods. In the EU, the Cosmetics Regulation has banned animal testing of cosmetic ingredients for almost 10 years and our raw material suppliers confirm our compliance with the ban.