Triggers and Flare-ups Part 1 - Always read the label

As much as I would like my skin sensitivity to be a relatively straightforward contact dermatological reaction, my reality is that I have allergies that are affected by what I eat as well, and environmental factors. So with Melbourne's fairly confusing Autumn weather, my hayfever is acting in a similar way as when its spring.  Such fun.

To say my immune system has been through some battering at the moment would be an understatement - what with getting sick and then having an alleric reaction last week (thanks rain). However I pretty much can rule out any thing I've put on my skin or eaten because I've been VERY strict with my diet at the moment.

I have the trifecta of immune issues - asthma, eczema (genetic mutation and lack of filaggrin) and allergies (with anaphylactic reactions for some triggers).
"Allergies get better as you get older", well no, in my case they have become worse.  The difference is that now I am more aware of what my particular allergens are.  I've been to a few Immunologists for this, not dermatologists as the issue is not just skincare - its the whole body.

I follow the RPAH Failsafe allergy diet 90% of the time (family celebrations excluded). I manage my diet quite carefully and have to make choices about my food and the long term effects.
This diet aims to eliminate Salicylates, Glutamates, Amines and Preservatives from ones diet to minimise immune system flareups which can present as hives, mood swings, migraines, increased blood pressure to name a few.

The worse culprit for me is Salicylic Acid.  Common use?  Aspirin - derived from willow bark.  Also found in these foods (not a full list, and the ones with an asterisk I simply avoid totally).

-tomatoes

-strawberries

-green apples* 

-onion*

-corn

-oranges*

-lemons (lesser extent to orange)

-mint family

This website : FedUp Food Intolerance Network is my go-to-guide.  

So if I wanted to have pizza for dinner - I could have it one night.  The in the week leading up to it my food would have to be to very plain and for about a week afterwards as well.  Only through my recent testing did I discover the enormous range of foods that have Salicylic acid in (like spinach, I love spinach, spinach does not love me).  Meals out and "treats" have to be calculated for the risk they will present.

Salicylic acid is found in many acne-treatment products, so I am very lucky that I don't get acne! Otherwise I'd be in a bother.  It is also the main acid used in BHA products, so I tend to look for AHA products for chemical exfoliation.  AHA's are better for dry skin generally and BHA's are targeted for oily skin.

How does diet link to skincare and makeup?  Read the ingredients list on the back of the product.  I had an allergic reaction to a dry shampoo and could not figure out why UNTIL I read that ingredient list throughly - Benzyl Salicylate was quite high on the list.  I have now become the crazy lady who reads the ingredient list in the shop and mutters to herself.  There has been a steep learning curve.  I wish Australian/US/UK products made it easier to buy samples like Asian products do, considering the high mark-up cost of products in Australia, trial-and-error can be very costly.

These allergies are the main reason why I dont like to use "organic" and "natural" products, because they frequently have the addition of oils or extracts.  For example the Natio Rosewater and
Chamomile Gentle Skin Toner (sounds lovely), but here's the ingredients:

Looking so innocent

Water (Aqua), Glycerin, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Extract, Rose (Rosa Spp) Extract, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Oil, Cymbopogon Martini (Palmarosa) Oil, Citrus Aurantium Amara (Bitter Orange) Oil, Ceteth-20, Fragrance (Parfum), Phenoxyethanol, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Tetrasodium EDTA, Citric Acid, Ethoxydiglycol, Propylene Glycol, Butylene Glycol, Glucose, Bisabolol.

Simply due to the orange oil being in there, this product is one I will avoid.  Oranges are one of the worst things for me to have (the sad part is I absolutely love the smell of orange).




Garnier Fructis Conditioner also has a range of essential oils, which sound lovely in practise, but in reality would cause an allergic reaction.

So friendly, how could it go wrong?

Aqua / Water, Cetearyl Alcohol, Behentrimonium Chloride, Starch Acetate, Niacinamide, Saccharum Officinarum Extract / Sugar Cane Extract, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Chlorhexidine Digluconate, Camellia Sinensis Extract / Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Benzyl Alcohol, Isopropyl Alcohol, Pyrus Malus Extract / Apple Fruit Extract, Pyridoxine Hcl, Cetyl Esters, Citric Acid, Citrus Grandis Oil / Grapefruit Peel Oil, Citrus Medica Limonum Peel Extract / Lemon Peel Extract, Hexyl Cinnamal, Parfum / Fragrance,

I avoid Garnier Fructis as par the course - they always seem to cause a reaction - whether they have allergens in or not.  This is a brand I would suggest not using if you have uber-sensitive skin.

Sukin is a brand that touts itself as using organic and natural products, but make sure you carefully read those ingredients!  I was tempted to buy some of their range when Priceline had 3 for 2 recently, but there were no testers available so I just didn't risk it.  I've heard rave reviews about their Sensitive Cleansing Gel, but the presence of avocado made me wary, which I why wanted to test it first.

I'm organic, look I've got a leaf on my label.

Ingredients: Purified Water (Aqua), Aloe Barbadensis (Aloe Vera) Leaf Juice, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Decyl Glucoside, PEG-150 Pentaerythrityl Tetrastearate, Cucumis Sativus (Cucumber) Fruit Extract, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract (Chamomile), Camellia Sinensis (Green Tea) Leaf Extract, Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil, Rosa Canina Fruit Oil (Rose Hip), Glycerin, Phenoxyethanol, Benzyl Alcohol, Vanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract, Citric Acid.




DermaSukin seems to be their hypoallergenic range - I have their Daily Gentle Wash and it is gentle enough to use on my face as well.  So bonus points for that.  I got this in a Goodie Bag from Priceline, I dont know if I would repurchase it.  It's not mind blowing in terms of what it does.

Only actual innocent one of the lot

Ingredients: Aqua (Water), Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Chamomilla Recutita (Chamomile) Flower Extract, Cucumis Sativus (Cucumber) Fruit Extract, Glycerin, Glyceryl Stearate, Phenoxyethanol, Benzyl Alcohol, Citric Acid.






It takes a lot of research and reading of labels to know what is safe and what to avoid, but the risk of having an allergic reaction makes the time spent researching very worthwhile.  I would say 70% of my shopping time is reading the labels.  And googling up Latin names of plants - I've learnt quite a few now.  I would say the next step of refining the products I use is to research the chemicals used in them and see if there's any connections to skin flare-ups, which there probably are.

Another area to be aware of is the Laundry Detergent you use.  I don't go near any supermarket laundry detergents.  Even walking along that aisle will make me sneeze!  I make my own laundry detergent, and have been doing so for around 3 years.  I use the recipe from the Down-To-Earth Blog and am very happy with how it works.  If I have a flare up (like now) washing gets put in the drier to make sure all nasties are killed/removed from heat.

My next post will be on things I've been trying to help reduce the inflammations in my skin, both for face and body.

Do any of you have allergies?  How do you manage it in your lifestyle?