Bleach Bath Basics

Bleach baths can be beneficial for people with chronic atopic dermatitis (eczema). Atopic dermatitis causes breaks in the skin’s protective surface, as does scratching, and that provides an opportunity for bacteria that live on the skin’s surface to create infections. Adding a small amount of bleach to the bath can help decrease the amount of bacteria on the skin and reduce the chance of infections.¹

How do you make a bleach bath?

• Use regular strength bleach (6%), not concentrated bleach, which would be much stronger than recommended.
• Measure to ensure proper dosing: For a full standard size bathtub, use ½ cup of bleach. For a half-full bathtub, decrease the bleach to just ¼ cup. For a smaller bath, use 2 tsp of bleach for every 1 gallon of water.
• Soak in a bleach bath for about 5-10 minutes.
• After bathing, gently pat the skin dry. Leaving some dampness on the skin is preferable to completely toweling off. After patting the skin dry, a generous amount of moisturizer should be applied.
• Use bleach baths up to three times a week.

What warnings and safety tips should you know?

• As with all baths for people with atopic dermatitis, use warm water – not hot, which can trigger a flare and worsen itching.
• Don’t pour bleach directly onto the skin. Fill the tub to the desired level and add the appropriate measurement of bleach before getting into the tub. (Undiluted bleach is too strong and can irritate the skin.)
• Don’t submerge the head in the bleach bath. Soak up to the neck, or just soak the areas of skin affected by atopic dermatitis.
• More is not better – using too much bleach or taking more than three bleach baths a week can cause the skin to become too dry, which can trigger flares and itching.^2-4

Talk to your dermatologist about using bleach baths and how they can be part of your overall care plan for chronic atopic dermatitis.

What should you do after the bath?

It’s important to apply moisturizer following any bath, including a bleach bath. Moisturizers are one of the most important elements in the treatment of atopic dermatitis. The condition damages the barrier of the skin, which leads to increased water loss through the surface of the skin and an increased irritation due to allergens, chemicals, and fibers.

What do moisturizers do for eczema?

Moisturizers help repair the skin barrier, increase the hydration of the skin, and help control itchiness, redness, cracking, and lichenification (thickening of the skin). While bleach baths are beneficial for reducing the bacteria on the skin and reducing the number of infections, they can be drying, which makes the application of moisturizers immediately following bathing critical.^1,4,5