DermatALLogy’s Mission to Fight Skin Cancer in Costa Rica
Costa Ricans suffer from the highest rates per capita of skin cancer in the world. We spoke to Laura Muller Steinvorth of DermatALLogy — a Costa Rican organization focused on skin safety — about her mission to increase awareness about sun damage among the Costa Rican population, and about how they’ve been working with the country’s dermatologists since 2007 to provide high […]
Is “Non-Comedogenic” Important for Eczema?
Marcie Mom from EczemaBlues.com interviews Laura, CEO of VMV Hypoallergenics, to find out more about product claims and why they’re important when choosing your skin care…particularly if you or your child have eczema. Non-Comedogenic Q: I noticed that your products are listed as ‘non-comedogenic.’ Can you explain what this means? A: Non-comedogenic means that a formulation will not clog pores, which […]
A VMV Mother’s Day Tribute: #MomSavedMySkin
Mothers are heroes and they’ve saved us in more ways than you can count. We asked VMV Hypoallergenics moms and daughters how their moms saved their skins. These are some of their “skinsights”! Marie-Julie Ona What beauty and skincare tip has your mom given you? Don’t forget to moisturize your neck, décolleté and hands as well! […]
New Mom? Nursing? Take Care of Yourself…For You & Baby!
Reposted from Breastfeeding Journeys. I had a dismal experience nursing my first child. Much of the stuff you’re warned about that “doesn’t really happen,” happened. Raging mastitis, surgery, depression, check, check check. For my second baby, I went on the hunt for a more understanding coach and found Zeny — who has since coached dozens […]
INFINITY STONES: Allergen or Not An Allergen?
Not An Allergen…but a Strong Irritant SPOILERS ahead for Avengers: End Game. If you have not seen the movie, stop reading here. Infinity Stones Infinity stones are extremely dangerous, but we feel that they are more likely to be irritants than allergens. Irritants should not be thought of as less bothersome than allergens. In fact, irritants can […]
CRAB (the shellfish): Allergen or Not An Allergen?
Not An Allergen Crab While a shellfish allergy is not uncommon, and contact urticaria to crabs has been reported (particularly in the food industry) as well as other skin reactions after eating crabs, these shellfish are not on published lists of common contact allergens based on patch tests. Food allergies (type B cells are involved) […]
UBE (purple yam): Allergen or Not An Allergen?
Not An Allergen Ube This root vegetable is famous for its striking, Prince-worthy purple color and is native to the Philippines, where it comes in several varieties and is a staple in savory and sweet dishes. Possibly because of its relative newness, it is not a common contact allergen. It is already known to be […]
CHAMOMILE: Allergen or Not An Allergen?
Allergen Chamomile Its dried leaves make the beloved herbal tea, but chamomile belongs to the Asteraceae (compositae) family of plants, which includes arnica and chrysanthemum, and which is a top contact allergen. The nobilin in sweet chamomile and desacetylmatricarin in German chamomile are sequiterpenes, also top published contact allergens. Food and skin allergies aren’t straightforward, so work with your dermatologist if […]
PARABEN MIX: Allergen or Not An Allergen?
Allergen Paraben Mix Paraben Mix is on published lists of common contact allergens, and includes Benzyl-, Butyl-, Ethyl-, Methyl-, and Propyl Paraben. As far as hypoallergenicity is concerned, if you have sensitive skin (and certainly if you have patch tested positive for them), it’s best to steer clear of parabens. Other health scares are less straightforward. A 2004 […]