I wrote them because I’ve always had an interest in canning. I’ve read about the process for the past handful of years – I guess I just haven’t committed to a specific project yet

I have a severe nickel allergy, so I made sure to write the “Ball” company over anyone else because they dominate the canning accessory industry. I specifically asked about nickel content in the metal tops. This is their response:

We appreciate your inquiry. Our home canning lids are made of steel with a coating of tin. They also contain a trace of nickel. If you have an allergic reaction to nickel, we do not recommend using our lids.

Thank you for contacting us.

Sincerely,

Consumer Affairs
Jarden Home Brands

Womp womp. So, there you have it folks. If you have a nickel allergy, stay away.

There are other jars you can buy where you won’t have to worry about nickel getting in your food. If you need to, use some gloves to open the jars. At least your food will be safe.

Here are a couple options below. Click the photos to go to the product sites!

I just went to the ophthalmologist the other day and he gave me drops for dry eye. Guess what? Number one ingredient was propylene glycol. Luckily, I looked at the list of ingredients before I accepted it and told him it was a no go since I know I’m allergic to it. He gave me a funny look and pulled out some other drops out without PG.

I also just made another PG discovery. I would go to sleep and be fine and then wake up with rashes on my eyes and cheeks along with swollen eyelids. I retraced my steps to see if I applied anything new the night before. NO. Then, I realized that my husband applies an aftershave from Old Spice. So I pull up the bottle tonight. You guessed it. Propylene Glycol. Bye, bye Old Spice. I’m so glad my husband is a gem and is so understanding. He’s changed so many things to accommodate my allergies and never makes me feel bad about all the restrictions as they affect him, too. It’s crazy how many things have PG in it.

And it’s true – PG is in sooo many different products from soap to anti-freeze to salad dressings to baking mixes and even other random ingredients like modified food starch.

To learn more about Propylene Glycol, click here!

Now, I’m not the biggest advocate of medication, but sometimes it’s necessary every now and then. If you haven’t been able to make it through the night without itching and your skin is in a horrible state, Xyzal can help. As long as you’re not allergic to any of the ingredients.

I was given this to try when my skin was in it’s worst state in 2009. It DID work

Xyzal is typically prescribed for seasonal and perennial allergic rhinitis and hives.

The active ingredient is Levocetirizine Dihydrochloride, which blocks histamine receptors and calms your allergies down.

The inactive ingredients are:

• microcrystalline cellulose
• lactose monohydrate
• colloidal anhydrous silica
• and magnesium stearate

The film coating contains hypromellose, titanium dioxide, and macrogol 400.

To read all of the facts, click here!

Sources:

http://www.drugs.com/pro/xyzal.html#S6.2

http://products.sanofi.us/xyzal/xyzal.pdf

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Histamine_dihydrochloride

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Levocetirizine

Moving on…

Cotton leggings are a staple these days – especially in the cooler weather. Leggings would go perfectly with an over-sized shirt or sweater and some cute boots.

I’m pretty impressed that there are cotton leggings out there because many cotton items don’t have much stretch. I’m glad people have figured out how to make it happen!

Here are my top eight:

http://tinyurl.com/bbbwq7h

http://tinyurl.com/bofbpdw

http://tinyurl.com/bz7fyq5

http://tinyurl.com/avsouk4

http://tinyurl.com/acatudb

http://tinyurl.com/bdx3jfm

http://tinyurl.com/b3b29d2

http://tinyurl.com/afqh4ml

My quick-fix is wrapping my pens in masking tape. I found these great wooden pens though! Much nicer looking than masking tape, lol. They’re $4.99 each.

(click the photo to go to the product site)

I also wanted to see what they look like without the cap on and I managed to find this photo online:

I don’t know if they’re nickel-free, so I’m going to stay away at this point, but maybe I’ll write in and ask…

Avoiding Plastic Pens Part I

I’m highly considering making an appointment with Dr. Scheman because I can’t find a doctor here that knows any more than I do (and that isn’t saying much). First, can you explain the process you went through with him? Second, would it be worth it? It will be a nine hour drive and staying over night for the days I’m there.

The Allergista:

It was two appointments. In the first one, we talked about my routine at home, at work and also any habits or hobbies. Then, he used that information to determine what I was most likely being exposed to. The next step is putting on the allergen patches. There are no needles or scratch testing – the allergen is applied directly to the skin. Then, they cover it and tape it up. Not only did my skin react to the allergens, but I reacted to the tape as well, go figure. My back was filled with patches from top to bottom. After five days of keeping the patches on and not getting anything wet, it’s time for the second appointment. They remove the patches, rate all of your reactions and then sit down and discuss everything with you.

To address your second question, it was a life changer for me. Had I not gone to him, my skin would still be destroyed. Now things are much more manageable because I know what to avoid. I didn’t do the synthetic fabric testing, which I regret now, but I plan to go back this year and go another round. I know it’s such a haul for you – I feel for ya! You’ll be near Chicago, though, so maybe you could make the trip kind of fun!

CORRECTION: omg omg I totally forgot. Ok, I just got off the phone with Dr. Scheman’s office because I scheduled another patch testing session (yaaay!). It’s THREE visits – not two. It goes like this: Monday, put the patches on. Wednesday: nurse takes them off. Friday: Dr. Scheman rates the reactions. They reminded me when I called just now and I had forgotten since it’s been a couple years. My appointment is the first full week in February, so I’ll make sure to take lots of photos! SO excited!

(click the photo to learn more about the photographer)

Propylene Glycol is in  so many different types of things, which makes adjusting to a PG allergy quite aggravating.

Here are 13 things you should avoid/always read the label on if you have a PG allergy:

1. bar soap / body wash
2. mouth wash
3. shampoo / conditioner
4. baking mixes
5. desserts in the bakery section of the grocery store
6. modified food starch
7. salad dressings
8. pre-packaged salad dressings
9. sauces
10. ointments
11. baby wipes
12. deodorant
13. gel cap pills and vitamins

Click here to find more!

And to read all of my posts on Propylene Glycol Allergy, click “PROPYLENE GLYCOL” in the top-left of this post.

(click the photo to learn more about the photographer)

I could leave it at that because that’s the exactly how I feel every time I think about it, however, it wouldn’t make much of a blog post.

Why does it suck? It’s insanely itchy.  I’ll scratch myself to the point of bleeding and I wake myself up doing it – sometimes. A lot of the time, my hunny has to wake me up because it’s woken him up and I’ll just keep going to town.

There are different ways for each type of skin condition to be handled, but this is my routine for my atopic / allergic contact dermatitis before bed.

• Shower with a mild soap in luke-warm water
• Blot with a 100% cotton towel
• If there are any super itchy spots, apply a thin layer of prescribed steroid ointment
• Apply fragrance-free cream (not lotion) and work gently into skin
• If my skin is in abnormally bad shape, I’ll wear thin 100% cotton gloves which I get at Walgreens The world has yet to design the perfect thin cotton glove that will stay on through the night, by the way. This keeps me from itching my hands, but the gloves don’t cinch at the wrist, so they come off fairly easily.

What’s your routine?

Needless to say, I hate my keys. I don’t hate much, but I definitely hate my keys. Why? Because it’s not possible to copy every single key into a nickel-free or coated one. House keys, yes – car keys, no. And touching your keys is inevitable, for the most part.

So, this is what I’ve done so far. The string is cotton and I keep any nickel-laden keys or rings at one end and the “good” keys way at the other end:

These are the “coated keys” I’ve referred to a couple times on this blog:

I also put plastic covers on for an extra layer of protection. They don’t seem to bother me. I have another set of car keys that I don’t even keep on this key chain because it means more nickel added onto it.

Granted, I could put on a glove every time I touch my keys, but it’s not the most ideal solution because sometimes you need to think quickly. Or sometimes your keys and glove are at the bottom of your purse and it’s dark wherever you are. Playing “where are my keys” in the dark is not my most favorite game. It usually ends in a lot of itchiness.

I’m thinking of seeking out some hemp and nickel-free rings so I can make my own key chain. I used to do it in high school actually

I’m having trouble finding a dandruff shampoo. I haven’t used one since all this (developing a PG allergy), but the cold is getting to me. Any recommendations?

The Allergista:

Yes, actually! I alternate Neutrogena’s T-Gel with Prell. Neither of them have overwhelmingly great scents or anything like that, but it does the trick in the shampoo department.

Reader:

That is what I got, but was worried about sodium laureth sulfate. Something I read at one point associated it with stuff to avoid with pg allergy. But I just looked it up, and it is not remotely the same thing. I think I’m going to try it and see how it works. Especially since you do ok with it. Thanks!

And this calls for sweaters!

Here are my fav nine

(click on the photos to find the product site links)

http://tinyurl.com/bkhegpc

http://tinyurl.com/b83gplv

http://tinyurl.com/balv9mb

http://tinyurl.com/az62s2h

http://tinyurl.com/b8yvnkl

http://tinyurl.com/byzwjoa

http://tinyurl.com/bky6bs6

http://tinyurl.com/bch27oa

http://tinyurl.com/adhbgc4

Stay warm!

(click the photo to learn more about the photographer)

You know, I still don’t know how to pronounce that word. I even used an online word pronouncer, but I still don’t trust it.

So, when I found out that I’m allergic to a bunch of common chemicals, I was also told that I’m allergic to gallates. I was told that they’re in hydrogenated oil, so to stay away from that and only consume extra virgin or expeller pressed oils. After that, I eliminated hydrogenated oils from my diet and didn’t think much about it again.

However, I decided I should do some research recently and stumbled across some interesting stuff!

So, what are gallates, anyways? They are salts and esters of gallic acid.

This led me to research what gallic acid is.

It’s been around for hundreds of years and back in the 1800′s, it was used for developing photography. These days, it’s used in the pharmaceutical industry for testing analytes for phenol content (a type of acid) and it can be used to create mescaline, which is a psychedelic like LSD.

Gallic acid DOES have some beneficial qualities such as being anti-fungal, anti-viral, being an antioxidant and it’s also used with various medical issues such as cancer and diabetes.

Here are some foods that contain gallic acid:

• areca nut
• bearberry
• bergenia
• blackberry
• hot chocolate
• walnuts
• mango peels and leaves
• indian gooseberry
• raspberry
• cloves
• vinegar
• wine
• white tea
• pomegranate extract
• grape seed extract
• rooibos tea extract
• genetically modified crops (used for the anti-fungal quality)
• witch hazel

This explains why my face would get splotchy after using 100% witch hazel! I never understood that until now. Definitely makes me go “WOW”

I haven’t spoken with anyone else who has this allergy and I’d love to know of more items to avoid, so post some insight in the comments if you have any!

Sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gallic_acid

http://herbs.maxforum.org/2011/11/17/gallic-acid-sources-that-are-food-grade/

http://www.livestrong.com/article/535607-foods-with-gallic-acid/

I was recently diagnosed with propylene glycol allergy, and I stumbled upon your list of other names for this. Is is true that PPG and PEG are the same, or at least that I would be allergic to both?

Thanks so much!!

A:

I’m sorry to hear that you’ve developed a PG allergy :-/   Not fun! As long as you have a good routine down, though, it’s completely manageable, I promise.

My dermatologist who specializes in allergic patch testing stressed that PPG and PEG are two separate things and I’m only allergic to PG. He said that I need to avoid anything with “PG” or Propylene Glycol, as we know it. He said as long as those two letters are together, even if there are other letters in front of it such as “di-ppg” or “peg/ppg”, I’m allergic to it. If all it says is “PEG” or Polyethyleneglycol, I’m fine. A lot of people who are sensitive to PG are also sensitive to PEG, though, so I recommend giving your doctor a call and asking if they tested you for PEG (Polyethylene Glycol) and if not, if they are able to. If they can’t, you can search for doctors here: http://theallergista.com/tag/find-a-patch-test-doctor/

I saw Dr. Scheman (scheman.com) in the Chicagoland area and he is the best of the best. Not all of the doctors in the searchable list can do the extensive testing he does, so make sure to call and ask how many allergens they test for. You’ll want to be tested for the chemicals that are in body care products for sure and it can’t hurt to be tested for other substances as well, obviously.

I wish you luck! Let me know what happens

Hi Allergista!  I love your blog and I’ve read every post!  Looking forward to reading more from you.  Anyway, I was curious as to how you determined you are allergic to coffee and caffeine.  Was it through a skin prick test or just trial and error with noticing it made you worse?  What kind of symptoms do you have when you consume coffee and/or caffeine?

A:

Thanks so much for the compliments! I can’t believe you’ve read every post! You rock!

Well, it was a combination of two things. I went to a “Wellness” place that provided acupuncture among other things. I, personally, was interested in the acupuncture. I wanted to see how it would help my allergies because I’ve heard some good stories about acupuncture getting rid allergies over an extended period of time.

The owner  I spoke with swung me in a completely different direction and told me she had more effective ways to treat it. I figured I’d give it a shot because she felt so strongly about it. What she did was called “muscle testing”. The whole thinking behind it is that everything is connected in your body and when your body is exposed to certain allergens, your muscles will weaken. So, the owner ran all of these different waves through my body with a small machine and had me hold my arm at a 90 degree angle from my body. Then she would push on my arm with each different wave setting and if my arm gave way to her pushing down, I was considered allergic to the item. She told me that I’m allergic to caffeine and coffee separately.

I used to be a coffee feign, but I’ve haven’t had any in months. It’s better for me to be banned from it, though, because I get seriously out of control with coffee. I’ll drink it all day at work… Ahhhh the days of caffeine fueled productivity…

There’s been more than one day where all I’ve had was coffee in the first half of the day (bad, I know) and my hands and fingers would almost immediately start reacting. Then, I’d stop drinking the cup of coffee and my skin would settle down shortly after. So, between the muscle testing and watching my skin react, that’s how I figure that I’m allergic to it. I’m also very allergic to Propylene Glycol which is in a lot of coffees, especially flavored ones.  I don’t know how I really feel about the muscle testing place I went to…. they also said that I’m allergic to soy and I’ve been tested for that more than once at my regular doctor and it always comes up negative.

I didn’t do a lot of testing for different foods at the patch testing specialist, but I wonder if they do test for caffeine or coffee beans… I’m going back to that specialist in 2013, so when I do, I’ll make sure to ask and post what he says!

Thanks for writing and good luck in your quest for more knowledge on coffee and allergies!

I’ve been using Dove’s Fragrance-Free Hypoallergenic Sensitive Skin Bars for a couple years and it’s been great…

…until the other day when I brought home some soap without reading the label.

It sat in the bathroom for a couple days and then I picked up the package to rip off the wrapping, but before that, and I read the label…

UGH, SERIOUSLY? Come on…

Another thing I noticed is that they don’t list PG in the ingredients on their website.

This is what it used to be made out of:

I really liked that soap. I even used it to wash my face every day and loved it. This same EXACT thing happened to me with PG when I was using Mane ‘n Tail Shampoo. It’s funny how they call it “The Original Mane ‘n Tail Shampoo”, right? I’m sure their lawyers could say, “Well, ‘Original’ is referring to the actual brand name”. Yeah, I get it, but still…

So, to review the rule, if you have a Propylene Glycol allergy and the ingredients list any other word or letter before or after “Propylene Glycol”, you’re allergic to it. Take the above example of DIpropylene glycol. If there’s any word or letter IN BETWEEN “Propylene” and “Glycol”, then it’s a different sort of chemical and not to worry about it.

I pinned this Dial Deodorant Soap last week and I saw some at Walgreens today, so I bought a pack. Now… it does have Polyethylene Glycol in it, which I’m not allergic to, but some people who are allergic to PG seem to also have a problem with PEG. I’m one of the lucky ones.

I’m interested in the whole deodorant aspect of it since it’s rough trying to find a good deodorant without propylene glycol.

The only thing that worries me about it is the active ingredient, Triclocarban:

I’ve heard bad things about antibacterial soaps before, so I did a little reading about the ingredient. It’s linked to cancer and it can weaken our immune systems. The EPA has listed it as a pesticide, so… I dunno about this stuff…

I was still thinking about trying it, but as I’m writing this, it just doesn’t seem like a good idea….

I’m going to check out some of the other options that I have on my “PG-Free” Pinterest board and pick one out to settle on. I still have a couple bars left of the good Dove stuff, so I’ll be ok til I can get to the store

(click here to learn more about the photographer)

Avoiding nickel is soooo far from being fun. In fact, it’s downright aggravating because it’s used in SO many places. I react to nickel like a normal person reacts to poison ivy. I’ve been told to stay faaaar away from it. Actually, one of my keys touched my finger for half a second the other day (right before I got in my car, so I couldn’t wash my hands right that minute and of course I forgot once I got to work) and the first red bump popped up that day. Since I wasn’t putting steroid ointment on it, it’s just gotten worse. I finally succumbed and put the ointment on today.

Nickel makes metals harder and prevents them from rusting. It’s used anywhere a small metal piece needs to be used – like on the zipper on your pants or the chain on a drain stopper or even parts of your umbrella. So, here are some ways to avoid it! Everyone seems to go for “10 things” in this sort of list, but I went for 13 because that’s my lucky number

1. Copy all your house keys and any key you possibly can and choose the new kind of keys that are coated with a design all over the entire key. Also, put plastic key covers over the tops of all your keys
2. To avoid metal doorknobs and handles, keep a bandana (I cut mine in half) in your pocket or purse. My bandana is a different color on each side, so only one side will ever touch my skin. I also use it to start my car.
3. Use your sleeve or the bottom of your shirt if you forget your bandana. This is good for doors. Probably not for starting the car.
4. Keep a cotton glove in your car for pumping gas. Sometimes the gas pump handles have metal on them
5. Put masking tape over the metal part below the eraser on pencils – or paint it with nail polish.
6. Keep a set of plastic silverware in your purse for eating out or eating at other people’s homes. A lot of stainless steel has nickel in it due to the use of alloys
7. Buy vinyl-coated paperclips
8. Only wear sterling silver or platinum jewelry. A lot of gold has nickel because gold is soft and the nickel makes it harder
9. Use a nickel testing kit to test the items in your home and at work
10. For clothing: Use iron-on patches for the button on your pants (the metal part that hits your skin on the inside of the pants). I bought some at my grocery store. Also check for any other metal parts on the inside of the pants or skirt. You can also paint the part with clear nail polish. I like the nail polish better because the wax on the iron-on patched patches dried up and they fell off. They’re also not made of cotton, so I can’t use them anyways. Paint any metal zipper pulls with clear nail polish too!
11. Avoid change (coins) when making purchases. This one can be tricky. A lot of the time, I’ll have the cashier plop the change in my change purse for me.
12. Tell your dentist! Some of the stainless steel used in dental work has nickel in it. My doctor told me to have my dentist call if they’re ever going to do work that involves metal (like braces, etc) because he said the dentists don’t always know there is nickel in the steel.
13. Avoid touching your face or other parts of your body – the allergen DOES transfer! And wash your hands often.

I think the hardest thing to avoid is keys. They can so easily touch your fingers when rifling through your purse or when you’re switching the key you’re holding onto. I was able to change all of my house keys to the coated kind, but they can’t switch my car keys You have NO idea how badly I want a push-button car. I think about it every time I get in my car. One day….   

Highlights From the Year in Review Feature

Infectious Disease: Be aware of the risk of mycobacterial infections from tattoo ink. The CDC is continuing its investigation of this issue. There have been advances in topical therapy for head lice infestation — spinosad appears to be a valuable addition to the arsenal of topical therapies for head lice, especially in the face of increasing resistance to existing treatments.

Wound Healing: Researchers at the Wake Forest University Institute for Regenerative Medicine are investigating a new method of using one’s own stem cells to treat burns and other skin injuries.

Acne and Rosacea: Brimonidine tartrate 0.5%  (Galderma Laboratories), a highly selective alpha-2 adrenergic receptor agonist, is effective in treating persistent facial erythema associated with rosacea. A Phase III study has been completed and an FDA New Drug Application is being pursued. Investigators recently isolated 11 viral bacteriophages that infect P. acnes from sebaceous follicles of individuals with acne and sequenced their genomes. Researchers are investigating how bacteriophages may be an ideal candidate for a novel therapeutic approach to acne treatment.

Atopic Dermatitis: A novel, small-molecule inhibitor of phosphodiesterase 4, apremilast (Celgene Corporation), increases intracellular concentrations of cAMP, a second messenger that modulates production of pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory mediators. Phase II open-label trial of apremilast 20 mg twice daily in 10 adult patients with atopic dermatitis or allergic contact dermatitis showed improvement in Investigator’s Global Assessment (IGA) and Eczema Area and Severity Index (EASI) over 12 weeks.

Psoriasis: Two new biologic agents targeting interleukin-17 (IL-17) appear to be highly effective in the treatment of psoriasis — ixekizumab (Eli Lilly) and Brodalumab (Amgen).  Recent studies have demonstrated that biologic therapies for psoriasis decrease risk of myocardial infarction.

Photoprotection: There is a growing body of evidence on the dangers of indoor tanning that has prompted tighter regulation of tanning bed use, including a ban on the use of tanning beds by minors in several states.

Cutaneous Malignancy: Ingenol mebutate (Picato) (LEO Pharma) is a novel topical agent derived from the Euphorbia peplus plant; proposed mechanisms of action in destruction of premalignant cells in actinic keratoses include direct cell death and induction of an immune response via activation of protein kinase C. It provides an additional treatment option in the arsenal of topical chemotherapeutic agents for actinic keratoses, with the benefit of potentially improved compliance due to short application courses. Vismodegib (Erivedge) (Genentech), a novel oral small-molecule inhibitor of smoothened (SMO), was recently FDA approved for the treatment of metastatic or locally advanced basal cell carcinoma (BCC). Its approval represents a significant advance in therapy for carefully selected BCC patients. Last year’s FDA approval of vemurafenib (Zelboraf) (Genentech), an oral, small-molecule BRAF inhibitor for advanced BRAF-positive melanoma, represented the greatest advance in melanoma treatment to date. A new oral BRAF inhibitor, dabrafenib (GlaxoSmithKline), is in development for the treatment of BRAF mutation-positive melanoma patients. A Phase III trial of dabrafenib demonstrated similar results to vemurafenib, with progression-free survival of 5.1 months versus 2.7 months with dacarbazine.

Cosmetic Dermatology: A new, non-surgical injectable agent for the treatment of submental fat, ATX-101 (Kythera Biopharmaceuticals, Inc.), has demonstrated promising results in a Phase II trial. Cultured autologous fibroblasts (azficel-T; Fibrocell Science, Inc.) may improve signs of aging by replacing dermal constituents such as collagen and elastin. Platelet-rich plasma (Selphyl; UBS Aesthetics) is an established wound healing therapy that has more recently been utilized for treatment of volume loss in the face, neck or hands. Latanoprost, used to treat glaucoma and to increase eye lash growth, is now being investigated for its efficacy as a therapy for androgenic alopecia.

Contact Dermatitis: This year’s Contact Allergen of the Year was announced at the 2012 American Academy of Dermatology Annual Meeting. Acrylates are ubiquitous plastics that are formed by the polymerization of acrylic or methacrylic acid.

Read the full article.

Oh zit, thanks for starring! -_-)

And so, today I went back to the my dermatologist who has got a pretty cool vintage clinic! I was so waiting for this day — to finally go back to that clinic and emerge myself in the vintage atmosphere, to wait for a thousand years for my turn, (this time, without my Kuya Mark waiting outside) and of course, to be absent from work! My dermatologist was a bit warm today, and he didn’t look that stiff, as he is. He even called me by name in a very gentle way. I gave him a genuine smile in return. And because I wasn’t able to stop being awestruck with his vintage clinic, even though I was hesitant, I told him, “Your clinic is reeeaaalllyyyy nice!” just before I stepped out of it. And I so meant it. I guess I just envied his collection. HAHA.

I was asked to go back for a follow-up check-up regarding my contact dermatitis. In all fairness, my skin got better. Praise God. However, it has gotten a little bit darker. Until now, I don’t know what the cause is, and what to avoid. Anyway, I’m gonna be back there on January! Yaaay, another day-off from work to look forward to! HAHA. And what did my derma tell me? I should continue putting on cream on my face day and night until January, or until forever, who knows. WHOA. I was stunned. All my life, I never dreamed to become a skin product endorser that I should maintain the smoothness of my skin by applying those dead-tiring facial products day and night! Okay, I’m not complaining. Just sayin’! It’s kinda new to me. I’m a bit strange in this because I know almost all women of my age, and even those younger, maintain the condition of their face by applying all those beauty products and all. Even men do! I wonder why I did not think about applying some of those before. Perhaps I’m not “maarte,” you know! HAHA. And I’d like to believe that I’m not.

On the other side of the cake, I can rejoice even if I’d continue applying those facial products that cause so much hassle because I can now wear my make-up on! Woohhoo! A lot of people have been shocked seeing me not wearing my make-up on. Most of them said I look younger than when I put make-up on. Others said my being natural is strangely cute and innocent-looking. And someone said I look more beautiful without make-up on. ^^,) I’d like to believe that, buddy! HAHA. But everytime I look at myself without any make-up on, I look really tired and sleepy even if I’m not. And of course, whether you admit it or not, you look a bit different from your original and rather “dry” appearance when you put make-up on! You know, we need some alterations on the way we look, sometimes. HAHA. How-ever I look with or without make-up on, I am pretty sure that I am beautiful in the eyes of my Maker, because it was He Who made me, and He doesn’t make any second-best.

Putting on those oily cream and hassle-ful facial products day and night until i-don’t-know-when? I am so not ready for this. But if that’s what it take to not just maintain my skin, but to discipline myself as well in keeping my whole body healthy, then let’s get it on! Let’s see how far I’ll go with this. Well, I hope far enough! HAHA. So, I’ve gotta go wash my face up for another 15 minutes of my daily ritual.

One way to prevent contact tape dermatitis is to us a porous tape such as Cramer 950 Porous Athletic Tape from Atlas Biomechanics. If you like your current athletic tape, then the use of a tape under wrap, such as Cramer Tape Underwrap from Atlas Biomechanics will decrease the rate of contact tape dermatitis.

Atlas Biomechanics offers Cramer Tape Underwrap in 12 colors to choose from. It comes in 2 3/4 inch by 30 yards. So one roll of tape under wrap provides a lot of protection from tape contact dermatitis. Our tape under wrap is thin and flexible to allow comfort for the patient.

cramer tape underwrap from atlas biomechanics

A tape underwrap goes under the athletic tape, directly on the skin. This allows air to past through and prevent the maceration of the skin. Tape Underwrap from Atlas Biomechanics is a great way to prevent tape dermatitis.

You seem to maybe have some answers I am looking for.  My 7 month old son seems to have an allergy to polyester.  So my question is:  Do we need to avoid all synthetic fibers (nylon, acrylic, spandex, lycra)?  Also, what about elastics and is there often a cross reactivity to latex (we haven’t noticed one, but wanted to know if I should be watching for)?  The only fiber we are certain of the reaction, which is a red rash that I would assume itches, is polyester as that is what bunches of the baby toys, clothes and blankets are made of (not to mention disposable diapers).  Anyway, it may have been a long-shot contacting you, but from what I have read you seem to know your stuff when it comes to allergies to synthetic fibers.  Thanks for your help.

A:

I’m so sorry that your poor baby is having to deal with this!

I still have to undergo the patch testing for fabrics myself. I discovered my polyester allergy after sleeping on some 100% polyester sheets. There were a billion tiny red raised bumps all over the front of my body because I was sleeping on my stomach aaand it was pretty itchy. I also reacted those cheap stick-on counter tops – polyester is in those as well.

I still have more to learn about all of this, but here are my answers to your questions:

• Given that I know there is patch testing for a whole bunch of different fabrics, I would say that means a person could be allergic to just one or a combination of many types of fabrics. I haven’t been able to completely nail down my reactions to other synthetic fabrics, but a little bit of elastane here and there seems to be ok with me. I wear 100% cotton, but I have a couple tops that have 3% or 5% elastane.
• Spandex is the same thing as Lycra and elastane
• This is what Polyester is: polyethylene terephthalate
• This is what Spandex is: polyurethane-polyurea copolymer
• I have definitely noticed that I react to the elastics on underwear.I really only react to the traditional elastics on women’s underwear. Victoria’s Secret has some that don’t bother me. It’s from their PINK line.
• I haven’t noticed that I have any reactions to latex, but one of my doctors told me to avoid it

I plan on getting the patch testing for fabrics done in 2013, so when I do, I will make sure to post the results!

I’ve noticed that there are a lot of cotton items online for babies, so definitely start to search around there. Jessica Alba started a company called “The Honest Company”.

It looks like they make some diapers without polyester:

“Chlorine-free fluff (paper from CERTIFIED sustainably managed forests – no optical brighteners), BIO-core (wheat/corn starch blended with SAP), plant-based PLA (in outer layer, inner layer, & moisture barrier layer), Non-Toxic adhesives (in seams & joints), polymer spandex and polyurethane (in fastening system & leg/waist elastic) & ink (no heavy metals).”

You can get a free trial of their diapers here.

I hope this helps!! Give your baby a hug for me! And please let me know how those diapers work out if you try them.

**UPDATE from the reader about the diapers:

“We tried the honest diapers before, but backed off due to cost after the free trial.  I may go back to them. Turns out the Honest diapers are polyester free. However, all regularly commercially available cotton cloth diapers are surged and sewn with polyester thread (probably not a big deal because of how little touches them, but thought it was worth knowing).”

(click here to learn more about the photographer)

We are in the full swing of holiday season, so it’s time to make sure you have that perfect dress for it! I happen to love black and it’s definitely a staple for every woman’s wardrobe. These are my favs:

(Click the photos to go to the product site.)