Celebrating the Winter Holidays with Chemical Allergies

My husband and I both grew up celebrating Christmas. Over the course of our life together we’ve had big, fully-decorated Christmases, smaller, effortless Christmases, and everything in between. About 8 years ago, we bought a fake Christmas tree with natural-looking, moulded tips, and that has been a staple of our Christmas decorating most years since. […]


Merry Christmas!

Hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and is enjoying boxing day.  Come back Friday for my next post.


Making “100% Cotton or Wool” Really 100% Cotton or Wool

I mentioned before having a lot a shirts and socks that were *almost* wearable with my chemical allergies, except for the presence of polyester or nylon in the threads. Polyester is made with polyethylene glycol, which is a cross-reactor with my allergen propylene glycol, and nylon fibres are lubricated with an oil containing isothiazolinone(s). While […]


“I Have a Rash! What Product Should I Buy to Fix it?”

It’s a question popping up on message boards and Facebook walls all over the place: “I’m allergic to x chemical, what products can I use that don’t contain that chemical?” While everyone jumps in and tries to answer and help as best they can, it’s less often that the key issue is acknowledged – the […]


Minimizing Contact with Allergens – Blankets and Mattress Pads

I’m starting to get my clothing and house more under control for my chemical allergies. We have gotten rid of all body care and cleaning products that directly contain my allergens. Fabrics have been tougher, but I have the materials I need to cover up or change out the polyester seams in my cotton shirts […]


How to Make Your Own Soap – My Hot Process Soap Procedure

Once you’ve chosen your ingredients and recipe, it’s time to make soap. There are two main ways to make soap: Hot process and cold process. In hot process soap making, the saponification reaction is completed before the soap is moulded. In cold process, the saponification reaction is initiated and then left to complete while the […]


How to Make Your Own Soap – Designing Your Own Soap Recipes

While it’s easy to buy at least one version of a plain olive oil soap in most places, soap is expensive. A single bar can set you back $3 to $6, or more. Not only that, but what if olive oil soap isn’t the best option for your skin? Finding other fragrance-free bars can be […]


More Methods of Safely Washing When You Have ACD

If there’s one thing that’s clear, it’s that different people with allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) react to different things and have different “safe products.” The general advice from doctors for contact dermatitis sufferers is to avoid their allergens. Newly-diagnosed ACD patients may find themselves directed toward any number of products which do not contain their […]


Natural Fibre Jackets/Coats, Part 2

I spoke on Monday about natural fibre coat options I had found. Today I’d like to share a few more ideas for more natural fibre jackets: Canvas jackets – Canvas is a heavier cotton fabric that functions similarly to Ventile, absorbing water and swelling to block water penetration. Its fibres are not water resistant without some […]