← Allergies to Toilet and Tissue Paper, Part 1 After all of the issues with toilet paper, I started researching alternatives, and I decided to give “family cloth” a try. Family cloth is a term used to describe using reusable fabric pieces to wipe yourself rather than paper, although we have changed the term in our […]
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 […]
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 […]
After seeing so many heartbreaking stories in Facebook allergy support groups recently, I wanted to choose a topic today that will help as many people as possible as quickly as possible. One of the most important things to consider when trying to stop reactions in their tracks is to consider contamination and allergen exposure routes. […]