So Keeley..... Parabens?

[YORKO]

If you want utter twaddle tune in now to quack, sorry Dr Perricone show. Flinging Hollywood celeb names about to fool us

 

[YORKO]

ps what the feck are neuropeptides

 

[RedT]

I always thought it was a shame they didn't make
more of an effort with brands like A'kin but I guess it wasnt
bringing in the big money like Elemis, Gatineau etc. I liked the guest
a lot, she spoke of making your skin soft and comfortable
which is exactly what it did, no outrageous claims
of anti aging etc. In fact I think the only time she
mentioned anti aging was with the Rosehip oil. The geranium cleanser
is gorgeous, love the moisturisers, the rosehip oil and its very
goodvalue. Not something to be pushing to the customers eh?!

Tx

 

[Tyson]

Yes, I am very careful.
The condition is called 'Allergic Conjunctivitis' & bearing in mind it is lunchtime, I chose to put up a file photo & not my actual eye photos. Didn't want to put people off lunch!

That looks extremely painful. What do you use now?

 

[minim]

That looks extremely painful. What do you use now?

Dramatic more than painful. Bright red swollen eyes made the girls in Co-Op nervous lol
Took me a while to find out what was doing it I can tell you. My GP wasn't really interested other than prescribing eye drops & anti-histamines & said I'd have to live with it. Thank God for my optician & the internet! I had to stop using eye drops & anti-histamines to find the culprit. Months of trial & error established it was surfactants, in particular Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) - a harsh cheap detergent that can be found in almost anything that foams.
I use Extra Virgin Olive Oil to wash my face & bicarb. There are other cleansers out there but EVOO suits me best because I'm also sensitive to preservatives and fragrances now.
A change in toothpaste meant the canker in my mouth disappeared and my gums stopped shedding skin. ('Just one of those things' my Dentist had said).
A change in shampoo meant my hair has started to thicken up - thicker at the base, wispy at the ends.

 

[LADY TIA]

Dramatic more than painful. Bright red swollen eyes made the girls in Co-Op nervous lol
Took me a while to find out what was doing it I can tell you. My GP wasn't really interested other than prescribing eye drops & anti-histamines & said I'd have to live with it. Thank God for my optician & the internet! I had to stop using eye drops & anti-histamines to find the culprit. Months of trial & error established it was surfactants, in particular Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) - a harsh cheap detergent that can be found in almost anything that foams.
I use Extra Virgin Olive Oil to wash my face & bicarb. There are other cleansers out there but EVOO suits me best because I'm also sensitive to preservatives and fragrances now.
A change in toothpaste meant the canker in my mouth disappeared and my gums stopped shedding skin. ('Just one of those things' my Dentist had said).
A change in shampoo meant my hair has started to thicken up - thicker at the base, wispy at the ends.

I'm glad minim you found the cuase - I wish I could - it's a very uncomfortable condition - I use eye drops and have found some that keep it at bay but I'd love to know what makes it happen - I've done the eye drops, sls and anti-histamine avoidance but no joy. I do know alcohol, frangrance (articfical or essential oil based), mineral oil, nut oils etc cause problems but even with avoiding those I still get flare ups (along with my eyes, angiodema, peri-oral derm etc).

 

[WildRose]

Yeah well, tough shite Keeley - they're in there & you're flogging the stuff, why try & keep it under wraps anyway! Many other websites actually state a full ingredients list for items, shame QVC don't & their returns level might actually be a bit less if they did so! :dull: :taphead:

Yes, but QVC would loose out on the postage - it must be a significant percentage of their profit

 

[WildRose]

I'm sure I've heard Liz Earle go on about parabens. I think she said that some/all come from food?!! Food-grade parabens? Anyway, I'm fairly sure she said that the study that claimed a link between them and cancer was based on poor science or something or other, a bit like the MMR vaccine study. Bad science or misinterpreted results...but these things take off and get rooted in the public thinking like urban myths...(like the MMR vaccine!). Anyway, I get the impression that those who know the scientific background aren't bothered by them at all and believe that they are safe and that branding products 'paraben free' is a clever marketing tool in reaction to this belief that has taken off that they are bad. Kind of reverse marketing if you know what I mean. Having them in won't hurt, but take them out and you can use it as a usp to sell more - give them what they want kind of thing.

Re the point about the US allowing them - I wouldn't use the US allowing anything as evidence of anything. The US is the only country that allows the use of hydroquinone in products - proper research has been done into this and the links between that and health issues are MUCH more convincing. Europe and many other places have banned it...not the US...and the reason...vigorous lobbying!

some parabens do occur in foods, for instance blueberries

 

[WildRose]

ps what the feck are neuropeptides

would you believe if I tell you that they are protein like molecules used by neurons to communicate with each other, so neuronal signaling units really


You are all so right, there is a lot of rubbish being spouted in the beauty industry! The case for parabens as dangerous is due to one study which made a tenuous link with oestrogen and breast cancer - totally ignoring all genetic links and for that matter anything else.
The same must be said for "totally natural" substances in beauty products, as minmin so rightly shows. And some products advertized as completely natural (Aveda, Bio oil come to mind to name just 2) are def not so natural if you have a look at the ingredients, and I do not care as I like Aveda for my hair.
Buy what you like, despite what is in it (well avoid something really toxic obviously lol) and if it suits your skin, use it. life is too short to worry

 

[minim]

I'm glad minim you found the cuase - I wish I could - it's a very uncomfortable condition - I use eye drops and have found some that keep it at bay but I'd love to know what makes it happen - I've done the eye drops, sls and anti-histamine avoidance but no joy. I do know alcohol, frangrance (articfical or essential oil based), mineral oil, nut oils etc cause problems but even with avoiding those I still get flare ups (along with my eyes, angiodema, peri-oral derm etc).

It's very hard isn't it.

Have you tried a change of toothpaste? I had to switch from Sensodyne to Aldi or Lidl brands. A bonus is that I no longer have sensitive teeth. Work that one out! I can't fathom it. At one stage I got rid of my feather duvet & pillows, but they came back on the bed when that made no difference.

All I know for sure is that SLS is toxic for me as are some plant oils & fragrances.

 

[Tinkerbelle]

I really feel for you Minim. I don't suffer from allergies but had my eyes opened to what it might be like when I had adult acne a few years. I still have a fee issues to do with that but it's minimal and easy to cope with.

Glad you've found what causes it. Hope you do too Lady Tia.

 

[minim]

Aw, thanks for that Tinkerbelle.

I don't like being 'lergic, but at least I found out what to avoid.
It is horrible when you don't know what's doing it & I really feel for LADY TIA.

 

[Weathergirl]

Having experienced skin that just reacted to pretty much everything I can truly sympathise. It is very distressing, sore, and you feel poorly because of all those histamines in the bloodstream. Nothing cured me until I went cold turkey for a while and used nothing on my skin save for aqueous cream from the chemist and watched what I ate. I wondered whether I should go for allergy tests but my skin has been a lot better for the past few years and I can use nice things again, even though my routine is a fairly simple one based on "natural" based brand. I know natural does not mean allergy free but it's best for me. If I used Gatineau, Elemis, Perricone, Alpha H I would be back to having sore skin. I was also allergic to decleor, and even some of the Liz Earle products (the ones that say "not for sensitive skin") bring me out in a rash. The skin tonic, c & p and syperskin moisturiser and skin repair are fine on me, as is the full Emma Hardie range. When you have had your red raw skin crumble off in your fingers like I have you don't mess about and stick with what you know .

 

[donna255]

So many insist they have sensitive skin, but when you see some poor soul who really suffers.

I have mild roseaca and count myself very very very lucky compared to some. My big brother came over for a holiday from Canada. He is 65 and has roseaca, but he got cause in the sun(this is NI so not tropical by any stretch), he wore baseball caps etc. But still he face went raw red with the spots, the whole face!!!

 

[Tyson]

Dramatic more than painful. Bright red swollen eyes made the girls in Co-Op nervous lol
Took me a while to find out what was doing it I can tell you. My GP wasn't really interested other than prescribing eye drops & anti-histamines & said I'd have to live with it. Thank God for my optician & the internet! I had to stop using eye drops & anti-histamines to find the culprit. Months of trial & error established it was surfactants, in particular Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) - a harsh cheap detergent that can be found in almost anything that foams.
I use Extra Virgin Olive Oil to wash my face & bicarb. There are other cleansers out there but EVOO suits me best because I'm also sensitive to preservatives and fragrances now.
A change in toothpaste meant the canker in my mouth disappeared and my gums stopped shedding skin. ('Just one of those things' my Dentist had said).
A change in shampoo meant my hair has started to thicken up - thicker at the base, wispy at the ends.

I am pleased you found out what was causing you to react. I can't believe the advice given to you by your GP and your dentist. Thank goodness the optician was more helpful. It must be hard to find things that don't cause reactions as SLS are in everything.

 

[Breeze]

Minim, I've just seen your photo.
I get the same thing. Is it just your eyes? With me my whole face swells up at the same time, especially the skin round my eye sockets so that my eyes close up completely, and my lips. Twice it spread to my throat & I ended up in A&E on a ventilator as I couldn't breathe.
My GP did arrange for me to see immunology departments at the hospital, had to travel a distance to find one with the relevant department, but unfortunately even though I've seen two different consultants they still haven't been able to trace the cause of mine. I just have to carry antihistamines at all times & been told to phone an ambulance if it feels like a bad one.

I'm glad you've been able to find some clue as to the cause of your problem. It's a difficult thing to live with. Mine can flare up completely out of the blue, seemingly, most frightening time recently was when I was travelling alone on a train.

 

[minim]

I am pleased you found out what was causing you to react. I can't believe the advice given to you by your GP and your dentist. Thank goodness the optician was more helpful. It must be hard to find things that don't cause reactions as SLS are in everything.

I think my doctor was of the opinion that it was bad luck and treated it as if she would treat a hay fever patient. My dentist has since been "educated" as has the hygienist in the practice. The latter will never wave a sample of Sensodyne at me again lol
My optician is & was brilliant. My saviour was the internet.

Minim, I've just seen your photo.
I get the same thing. Is it just your eyes? With me my whole face swells up at the same time, especially the skin round my eye sockets so that my eyes close up completely, and my lips. Twice it spread to my throat & I ended up in A&E on a ventilator as I couldn't breathe.
My GP did arrange for me to see immunology departments at the hospital, had to travel a distance to find one with the relevant department, but unfortunately even though I've seen two different consultants they still haven't been able to trace the cause of mine. I just have to carry antihistamines at all times & been told to phone an ambulance if it feels like a bad one.

I'm glad you've been able to find some clue as to the cause of your problem. It's a difficult thing to live with. Mine can flare up completely out of the blue, seemingly, most frightening time recently was when I was travelling alone on a train.

OMG Breeze! How frightening!
In my case it was just my eyes. Everything came to a head towards the end of last year. I thought it came on suddenly, that one thing sparked me off, but my optician said it had been a long term exposure (she could tell by my thickened eye lids) and I just tipped. Things I had been putting down to just getting older (really, really bad eye bags, thinning hair etc) was in fact a build up to my intolerance of SLS.
I can only suggest that you trawl the internet. Yes, there are some alarmists out there, but there are some brilliant sites as well. Some allergy forums were very helpful & intolerance to SLS features on many of them so I was lucky.
I was told I would probably never find the cause, but I'm like a dog with a bone so keep at it. It could be something in plain sight but so obscure that it would not occur to you for example, my optician's husband has an intermittent allergy & it took them a long time before they made the connection - it happened when he wore a certain watch. He was allergic to the plastic strap. How random is that!
I began with analysing everything that touched my skin. My symptoms lessened as I excluded or changed products - eyes stopped watering for example - but it was still there. My last port of call was toothpaste & when I researched that and made a change I had my "full cure"
If 'touch skin' failed I was going to analyse what I put in my body - food etc.
Don't give up Breeze. Trawl the internet.

 

[Breeze]

Thank you, minim.
I will try the Internet more, especially now the hospital turned into a dead end. Was it just general allergy sites you found useful? I did look at sites for allergic oedema, which spotlighted symptoms but causes were so numerous I got a bit lost.

 

[iloveshopping]

My sister in law had allergic conjunctivitis and had to use eyedrops to keep it under control It turned out to be the dust from the gravel on their drive.

 

[minim]

Sites like this were good
http://www.livestrong.com/article/174367-dangers-of-sodium-lauryl-sulfate/?utm_source=RELARTICLES_R1

If you look to the right of that page there is a whole list of further articles, including this one -
http://www.livestrong.com/article/303970-sodium-lauryl-sulfate-hair-loss/
Recognise her?

Also -
http://www.webmd.com/allergies/guide/allergy-symptoms-types
http://forum.allergyuk.org/

I liked the forums because you got the alarmists and those that calmed them down.

Then there was pure luck - I'd just google something like "allergy + eyes" & trawled through the offerings or "allergy + toothpaste"
http://allergy-diary.blogspot.co.uk/2006/10/toothpaste-free.html
You just have to be inventive I think
Lol - I went everywhere

A lot has been written about reactions to anti-ageing products
http://www.mysensitiveskincare.com/anti-aging-skin-care-products.html

so I went there as well.