BOOKS: Allergen or Not An Allergen?
Not An Allergen (but heads up!) Books Books are life and we love, love, love them. Most classic books — matte white or uncolored paper, plain text — tend not to have many top contact allergens. But there are definitely some things to watch out for. Vibrantly colored covers or papers contain inks and dyes, […]
CARDAMOM: Allergen or Not An Allergen?
Allergen Cardamom This delicious spice (Elettaria cardamomum) is made up of essential oils that include terpinyl acetate, terpineol, terpene terpinene, sabinene, and cineole. Terpinene and terpineol, in particular, are top contact allergens which can be found in compositae (feverfew, chamomile) and mint. Cardamom is well known to cause both localized contact dermatitis (such as on […]
Skin & Food Allergies Are Not The Same Thing
If You Can’t Eat It, You Can Probably Still Use It In A Cream. “I’m allergic to almonds…can I use a cream with an ingredient extracted from almonds?” “I can’t eat coconuts…that means I can’t use coconut oil, right?” If you have prick tested positive to something, it is more likely than not that you […]
What Is The Validated Hypoallergenic Rating System (VH-Rating System)?
How can you tell if a product is really hypoallergenic? VMV’s unique VH-Rating System shows you!
NOVEL CORONAVIRUS: Allergen or Not An Allergen?
Not An Allergen NOVEL CORONAVIRUS (SARS-CoV-2) Please note that this page is a summary of what we currently know about novel coronavirus, COVID-19, and skin concerns. As of the time of this writing, skin lesions were beginning to be described in COVID-19. Avoiding rashes and other skin problems from the irritants and contact allergens described below is important as they may be mistaken […]
COCONUT FLOUR: Allergen or Not An Allergen?
Not An Allergen Coconut Flour Like so many things from the coconut — its oil, jam, sugar, meat, and monolaurin — coconut flour is not a top contact allergen. Made from dried coconut meat derived from copra (more processed) or virgin coconut meat, coconut flour is a great alternative to rye or wheat flour, which are common causes of protein […]
FACIAL SHEET MASKS: Allergen or Not An Allergen?
Allergen Facial Sheet Masks We’re not talking about the DIY masks you might mix at home using ingredients from your fridge and pantry — although, because many natural ingredients are contact allergens, those can have issues, too. We’re talking about the popular pre-packaged, ready-to-go facial masks that come as a sheet with cut-outs for your […]
NOODLES: Allergen or Not An Allergen?
Not An Allergen Noodles Making noodles from scratch can expose the skin to common contact allergens, especially if they’re from of wheat or rye flour. But noodles that are already made and ready for cooking — especially if they are not wheat or rye but but made from rice, beans, starch, or seaweed — do not tend to cause […]
PAINT: Allergen or Not An Allergen?
Allergen Paint Contact dermatitis from activities where painting is done is common due to the many contact allergens — and photo-allergens — that go into paint. These include acrylates, resins, preservatives, formaldehyde, isothiazolinones, benzophenone, glues (the colorants need them to adhere to the painted surface), inks, dyes, and certain plastics. Water-based and soy ink are better (the base is not […]