A few years ago I was diagnosed as having lichen planus in my mouth (thankfully, and I believe oddly, I don't have it any more). The consultant told me to avoid all products that contained sodium lauryl sulphate. He prescribed me some iron tablets. When I picked them up I found that an ingredient was...yes, you guessed it!

SLS is a detergent that is strong enough to be an industrial degreaser. It's in all sorts of things such as toothpaste and shampoos.

For a few months I tried to avoid all soaps and detergents, including shampoos. In addition, I always give my clothes three extra rinses after machine-washing, even though I'd moved on to hypo-allergenic washing powder. I did very well but eventually I ran into the rough with my hair ( which I'm a bit short of) so I now use a pea-sized bob of shampoo in the morning.

I don't use any soap or other bodily treatment that contains added perfume. When I get out of the shower I use Simple light moisturiser on my face, arms and legs. I've felt a lot better with this regime and I no longer get itchy skin in parts of me that are in intimate contact with clothing. Before that, life could be miserable. I have a feeling that detergent residues in our clothes, towels and on our skin are making a lot of us feel miserable. The best washing machine on earth is a failure when it comes to that final rinse. If you don't believe me, do a wash, take the clothes from the machine and put them in a sink full of water. You'll be amazed at what's still in your clothes. Enzymes, bleaches, perfumes, optical brighteners...