I have known I was allergic to the adhesive on some band aids for years. Applying the wrong type of band aid would leave me with dihydritic eczema if applied on my hands, and horrible itchiness and red, bumpy rashes if applied anywhere else. The rash took weeks to go away completely, and my topical […]
Anyone can tell you that being sick is stressful. But what if you were sick off and on all the time and didn’t know why? You’d have a good day one day, and just about start to feel normal, and then go right back to being as sick as a dog by the end of […]
I’ve had eczema all my life. From the two-year-old who scratched her arms to scabs to the 18-year-old who reached for the hydrocortisone the moment she felt an itch, to now, when the once-fulfilled, “You’ll grow out of it,” seems like a distant memory. I’ve used steroid creams, nasal steroids, steroid mousse, and immune suppressant […]
I got a bad cold recently. One of those ones where you can’t stop coughing, and your throat gets raw and sore. All you want to do is reach for the cough syrup so you can soothe your throat and sleep. I walk to the bathroom and open the medicine cabinet. Yes! We do still […]
I’ve said it before, and I’m sure I’ll say it again: Most situations are manageable with proper preparation and planning. That part out of the way, I’ll say that going to stay in hotels feels like a tough one. Not only do they tend not to assign you a specific room until you arrive, but […]
If you’re not used to reading ingredient labels, a positive patch test to propylene glycol might not mean much to you. If you do read labels, finding our you’re allergic to propylene glycol could send you into a bit of a tailspin. Propylene glycol is everywhere! It’s even in hydrocortisone cream, a common topical steroid […]
I started looking for a new deodorant about three years ago. Part of the reason for this was a desire to move away from deodorants and antiperspirants with aluminum. I had also found that my underarm skin was getting rashy and sore, though I didn’t know why. I started by moving to Adidas cotton tech […]
Before I get too far into posting safer cleaner and toiletry recipes, it’s important to talk about just what we’re getting into by stepping away from brand name products. Lots of people post natural “alternatives,” but very few talk about how your life will change. There’s a reason that companies make big profits selling us […]
A very common chemical allergy or sensitivity is a reaction to “Fragrance.” This can take the form of an asthmatic reaction, a tight throat, a runny or stuffed up nose, hives, a rash, dizziness, or even something entirely different. Fragrance can trigger both sensitivity and allergic reactions. Usually fragrance does not contain proteins (allergy is […]
I used commercial chemicals in cleaning my house for years. We have been using Mr. Clean on floors and in bathtubs, Nature’s Miracle to clean pet odours, bleach sprays to clean bathrooms and spots on floors, and so many more chemicals to condition leather furniture, polish wooden furniture, clean toilets, and more. I never once […]
Have you ever noticed the smell of those Glad Kitchen Catchers? After years of use, one day I looked at the box and realized that these bags contain Febreeze. Febreeze is one of those products that is full of fragrance and even contains methylisothiazolinone (MI). And that’s in my garbage bags, releasing itself into the […]
Laundry detergent is one of those things most people think nothing about until they have to. Most people go out and pick up the cheapest one, or the one they’ve always used. They may have a preference of liquid, powder, or scent, but there’s not much to it. My mother always used powdered laundry detergent […]