The other morning while peering into the mirror and putting on my mascara for the day, I noticed that my pulse was racing and my breathing was a little forced. Hm. Mornings are usually not my best time as I'm not very perceptive to my body's reactions before my morning coffee injection...but this felt like...an allergic reaction. I quickly thought backwards of all the prior steps to the mascara-applying stage, since I had not put anything in my mouth except for toothpaste. Shower: soap, shampoo, conditioner. Lotion. Toothpaste. Cleanser and moisturizer on the face. Styling product in the hair. You can see where I'm going with this (the picture is a big clue, btw). Four of the seven items that I used that morning included ingredients to which I was allergic, and I was having a cumulative allergic reaction before I had even had my morning cuppa joe. *sigh*
Here's the list of culprits
Shampoo and conditioner: hydrolyzed wheat protein
Lotion: chamomile (which is related to ragweed, so if you react to one you're likely allergic to both)
Styling product: wheat protein and soy oil
The irony is that because I'm more sensitive to synthetic ingredients (I try to avoid anything with petroleum products) instead I purchase toiletries with natural ones. However, after that morning reaction I found it necessary to pay attention in the toiletry cabinet just as carefully as I do at the grocery store -- the skin is an organ too and absorbs allergens just like your stomach does.
NOTE: soy and wheat are used EXTENSIVELY in toiletry products. They were in almost everything I found in the grocery/drug store shampoo products. Lots of soy in lotion-type products. My old lotion had sesame and sunflower oil as well. Because these are not food products, they are not going to be labeled as clearly as food products that which contain allergens. I am slowly finding replacements in my local beauty supply shop with the help of the proprietor, where the items tend to be more differentiated (but also more pricey). You could also hunt down items that don't include your allergens in your local health food store or Whole Foods.
Toiletries luckily list all their ingredients, so take a close look at what you're using and try to replace them when you can. Be careful out there.
The other morning while peering into the mirror and putting on my mascara for the day, I noticed that my pulse was racing and my breathing was a little forced. Hm. Mornings are usually not my best time as I'm not very perceptive to my body's reactions before my morning coffee injection...but this felt like...an allergic reaction. I quickly thought backwards of all the prior steps to the mascara-applying stage, since I had not put anything in my mouth except for toothpaste. Shower: soap, shampoo, conditioner. Lotion. Toothpaste. Cleanser and moisturizer on the face. Styling product in the hair. You can see where I'm going with this (the picture is a big clue, btw). Four of the seven items that I used that morning included ingredients to which I was allergic, and I was having a cumulative allergic reaction before I had even had my morning cuppa joe. *sigh*
Here's the list of culprits
Shampoo and conditioner: hydrolyzed wheat protein
Lotion: chamomile (which is related to ragweed, so if you react to one you're likely allergic to both)
Styling product: wheat protein and soy oil
The irony is that because I'm more sensitive to synthetic ingredients (I try to avoid anything with petroleum products) instead I purchase toiletries with natural ones. However, after that morning reaction I found it necessary to pay attention in the toiletry cabinet just as carefully as I do at the grocery store -- the skin is an organ too and absorbs allergens just like your stomach does.
NOTE: soy and wheat are used EXTENSIVELY in toiletry products. They were in almost everything I found in the grocery/drug store shampoo products. Lots of soy in lotion-type products. My old lotion had sesame and sunflower oil as well. Because these are not food products, they are not going to be labeled as clearly as food products that which contain allergens. I am slowly finding replacements in my local beauty supply shop with the help of the proprietor, where the items tend to be more differentiated (but also more pricey). You could also hunt down items that don't include your allergens in your local health food store or Whole Foods.
Toiletries luckily list all their ingredients, so take a close look at what you're using and try to replace them when you can. Be careful out there.