LAVENDER: Allergen or Not An Allergen?

Allergen. Lavender A beautiful, gorgeous-smelling, and soothing herb used for centuries, lavender is on published common allergen lists. Eating lavender does not seem to be an issue, but lavender in topically-applied products such as creams, lotions, shampoos, conditioners, essential oils and the like should be avoided if you have a history of sensitive skin, or if you […]

COCONUT JAM: Allergen or Not An Allergen?

Not An Allergen. Coconut Jam The relatively healthier spread coconut jam is not a published common allergen. To make sure you lower the risk of a skin reaction around the mouth or elsewhere, choose pure coconut jam with only coconut sugar and coconut oil or coconut milk as the ingredients. A coconut jam that contains flavors, dyes or other […]

RICE: Allergen or Not An Allergen?

Not An Allergen. Rice Rice is not on published common allergen lists. But if you have sensitive skin or have patch tested positive to bleaches and preservatives, white rice should give you pause, as eating rice that contains or was exposed to these substances could result in skin problems around the mouth or elsewhere. Opt for healthier rice […]

PEANUT BUTTER: Allergen or Not An Allergen?

Not An Allergen. Peanut Butter Peanuts, and therefore peanut butter, might be a relatively common food allergen — and a dangerous one — but the correlation between food and skin allergies is not so clear cut. As well, different cells are involved in food versus skin allergies (you test skin allergies with a patch test […]

ALUMINUM CHLOROHYDRATE: Allergen or Not An Allergen?

Not An Allergen. Aluminum Chlorohydrate: Allergic sensitivity to aluminum chlorohydrate is very rare, which is why it is not on published lists of common allergens. This is impressive considering how much exposure we have to aluminum chlorohydrate (exposure can tend to increase the likelihood of an ingredient becoming allergenic). Deodorants and antiperspirants can cause redness, rashes, itching, burning, and allergic […]

COCONUT SUGAR: Allergen or Not An Allergen?

Not An Allergen. Coconut Sugar Used as a sweetener for thousands of years, coconut sugar (from a coconut’s flower buds) is not on published allergen lists. Nutritionally, coconut sugar has some advantages over other sugars, such as having a both a lower glycemic index and more nutrients than most. For skin, there are currently no reports of allergic […]

OATMEAL: Allergen or Not An Allergen?

Not An Allergen. Oatmeal Not on published allergen lists, oatmeal is a traditionally popular ingredient to help manage atopic and contact dermatitis and other skin problems. There have been some reports of contact dermatitis to oatmeal, but if you, in particular, aren’t allergic to oatmeal, there’s no reason to miss out on its multiple benefits that seem to […]

COBALT: Allergen or Not An Allergen?

Allergen. Cobalt A strong, common allergen, cobalt is a naturally-occurring metal, frequently found with nickel, and was Allergen of the Year in 2016. If your patch test showed an allergy to cobalt, avoid it in cosmetics as an ingredient (frequently used as a colorant for makeup), in pottery and cement, as well as in colored […]

VITAMIN E: Allergen or Not An Allergen?

Allergen. Vitamin E Even excellent, well-proven ingredients can be allergens. Such is the case with vitamin E. Found naturally in avocados and green, leafy vegetables, vitamin E is an excellent antioxidant. Topically, however, vitamin E is a common allergen. If you have sensitive skin or your patch test shows an allergy to vitamin E, try […]