PICKLES: Allergen or Not An Allergen?

Not An Allergen. Pickles Not a skin allergen (for food allergies, ask an allergist for a scratch test), and a great source of probiotics, pickles are wonderful additions to your diet. BUT, there are four things to watch out for. First, be wary of pickles with preservatives like parabens, which are top allergens. Pickles, strictly speaking, don’t need […]

COTTON (Unbleached, Unpreserved, Un-dyed, Untreated): Allergen or Not An Allergen?

Not An Allergen. 100% Raw, Untreated, Organic Cotton But let’s be clear: we’re talking organic, untreated cotton, from start to finish. While colored clothing is often a “red” flag (pun fully intended) because of the likely presence of dyes (which are both allergens and photo-allergens), even plain cotton fabric can be allergenic. White cotton is bleached, and several bleaches […]

NAIL POLISH: Allergen or Not An Allergen?

Allergen. Nail Polish Nail polish contains several ingredients that are common allergens, including: shellac, glues, preservatives, and acrylates. If brightly colored, dyes as well. The most common: tosylamide formaldehyde resin; butyl acetate, and the nail varnish. And this is just the polish. Several products involved in nail polish application and removal, including fake nails have their own […]

PAPER (UNTREATED): Allergen or Not An Allergen?

Not An Allergen. Untreated Paper This is a bit of a tricky one. Paper, as itself, is not on published lists of common allergens. But, most of the paper that we use is treated with multiple allergens that can be real issues for those with contact dermatitis who have patch tested positive for them. Printing […]

AVOCADO: Allergen, or Not An Allergen?

Not An Allergen. AVOCADO This fabtastic, delicious superfood is not on published lists of common allergens. However, there are some reports of possible cross reactivity with latex as well as mango (or poison ivy, which have similar skins), tomato, peach, kiwi, tomato, banana, and chestnuts. If you have patch tested positive for latex, practice caution. Avocado is so nutritious and […]

OLIVE OIL: Allergen or Not An Allergen?

Not An Allergen. Virgin Olive Oil Virgin olive oil — with minimum processing and no additives — is not a common allergen and can be a good emollient or moisturizer. Recent studies, however, are showing that it is a penetration enhancer, helping ingredients go deeper into the skin. While that might sound like a good […]

GRASS: Allergen or Not An Allergen?

Allergen. Grass Grass might not appear as “grass” in patch test trays, but it is a common cause of contact irritations and allergies, often because of common insecticide ingredients used to keep it green and lush in some gardens, parks, and on golf courses. Even if completely wild and organic, pollens that fall on grass from […]

YOGURT: Allergen or Not An Allergen?

Not An Allergen. Yogurt Natural, unflavored yogurt — without fruit, sweeteners, flavors, or other additives — is not on published lists of common allergens. It is a protein, however, so if you have a history of allergies to food, ask an allergist for a scratch test. But applied on skin? Yogurt is not currently a known allergen. Taken […]

LEATHER: Allergen or Not An Allergen?

Allergen. Leather Leather in and of itself is not on published allergen lists, but so many of the chemicals that go into its processing are, including preservatives (leather is, after all, an organic material that needs preservation in order to last), dyes, and metals like cobalt and (as in blue jeans) mordants that help colors bind to […]