Did you know that rolls of what we now call toilet paper were originally sold as facial tissue (for blowing your nose, etc.)? I never would have thought about my toilet paper being a problem if I hadn’t seen it on the methylisothiazolinone Facebook group. I have been having an issue with toilet products […]
“Cellulose” refers to a polysaccharide coming from plant cell walls and vegetable fibre, whether it be from cotton, wood, hemp, bamboo, or something else. Cellulose is the most abundant natural polymer, and is often reacted with other chemicals to form slightly different cellulose-based compounds conforming to specific needs. Pure, natural cellulose is not considered an […]
Fabric refresher sprays (you know the ones) are full of so many chemicals, including fragrances and preservatives, that you almost forget that they’re also mostly water. These sprays don’t claim to actually clean your fabrics, just to eliminate smells (and add new smells in their place). Nowadays, people are using fabric refreshers, and other products […]
When you find out you have allergies, making a few life changes is not so much an option as a necessity. When you have reactions so bad that they affect how you think and act every moment of the day, you’re almost excited to make changes and relieve the discomfort. The problem is, your family […]
My yearly dental check-up and cleaning came up just two months after my patch test confirmed a number of allergies. I was afraid to book my appointment, especially since I had been having a month-long reaction since the patch test, but it had to happen. Taking a cue from my hotel visits, I decided to […]
I figured out at least four years ago that I was allergic to something in my facial care routine. My skin on the apples of my cheeks would become red, flaky, and raw, and my eyes would itch. I tore out my eyelashes to try to stop the itch. I tried removing parabens because they […]
I think I started questioning the value of hair products about 10 years ago. Back then, I was a student on a co-op term in a big city. There I discovered Sephora. I was in awe. Here was a place where you could try anything, get samples, have your makeup done… My hair was limp […]
Once I’d changed my laundry detergent and other household products, I was still developing rashes. Even in places where the only thing touching me was water. It had happened before; after a heavy rain, I developed dry, red rashes on my face. This time the reaction was continuous. I started noticing the chlorine smell in […]
Did you know that if you’re like the majority of Westerners, most of the products you use to clean aren’t soap? Soap is a cleaning product made by saponifying vegetable oils or animal fat with an alkaline salt (strong base like sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide). Most of the products in the typical home are […]
I’ve been wondering for a little while now whether I might have avoided some of the allergies, sensitivities, and food intolerances I have if I had gotten help to figure out the cause of my problems sooner. Heightened Response The body is an amazingly complex construct. I won’t pretend to have any specific medical knowledge, […]
In short? No. Think about that. First of all, everything on earth either has a chemical name or is made of things that have chemical names. Yes, some have common names as well, but the fact is that everything in our world is made up of chemicals. Have you ever seen the warnings for dihydrogen […]