Welcome to Allergy Products & Advice site - information for sinus, ocular and skin allergies ; Allergy forum & links

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Skin allergies and cosmetics

Practically anything may cause an allergic reaction in someone. The ingredient that is an irritant to you personally may be completely harmless to others. It may be in the food you eat, the clothing fibers you are wearing, the pollen of flowers carried on the wind, in the fur of your favorite domestic cat. It may be in the deodorant you are using, or the depilatory, or in any one of your hair preparations. There is no accounting for it, nor is there as yet any specific "cure". When the word is used in connection with cosmetics, it means simply that one woman in a thousand (or in many thousands) reacts to some ingredient in a cosmetic product which others use with joy and without ill effects of any kind. The reaction usually takes the form of a skin eruption or rash, which breaks out after contact with some specific preparations. Generally, the symptoms are merely redness, swelling or itching in a small area, although sometimes they may resemble the effects of a common cold or hay fever. If you think you have an allergy to any one of the various cosmetic preparations you use, the first thing to do is try to find out which one of your beauty aids is the culprit. It is always wise to consult your doctor, but it will help him to help you if, in the early stages, you try this simple but effective preliminary test. Rub a little of the cream, lotion, lipstick, or other preparation which you suspect may be unsuitable for you in a small area just below or slightly behind one ear (in the place most hair stylists normally use to test your reaction to any permanent hair coloring before they go ahead with the first application). Do not wash this part of the skin for at least twenty-four hours unless you start to feel some reaction such as burning or itching. When there is any sign of reaction, immediately sponge the skin with warm water and baby-mild soap. There is no need to wait longer, for you have established your case and have pinned down at least one likely offender. If you feel nothing after three days and if there is no sign of redness, pinkness or rash, then the particular cosmetic you have put to the test is innocent and you must experiment further with others, one by one. If you are allergic to any cosmetics, do not despair. There are many who suffer in the same way. We are living in the age of allergies and each year sees an increase in the number of allergic reactions reported. Advances in cosmetic science have resulted in more chemically treated and formulated compounds, as well as in a vastly increased number of preparations used in the pursuit of beauty. To be allergic to the use of any favorite cosmetic is, in itself, heart breaking to the individual concerned. Recognizing this fact, some cosmetic manufacturers now produce specially created ranges of hypoallergenic creams, powders and lipsticks. A complete range of these non-irritant cosmetic products is made by "Almay", purchased from good chemists or beauty counters in various department stores. Michael Russell Your Independent guide to Allergies Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michael_Russell

Hidden dangers of cosmetic products

In the US, literally thousands of people are suffering from adverse effects and reactions from cosmetic products. According to The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, there are over 900 chemicals in cosmetics contents that have toxic substances and are dangerous to your health and well-being. Decorative Contact lenses You may want your eyes twinkle like your idol superstar but do you know that wearing decorative contact lenses can snatch your eyesight? Decorative contact lenses carry the same risks as corrective contact lenses, including conjunctivitis (pink eye); corneal (the eye's outermost layer) ulcers; corneal abrasion; and vision impairment or blindness. Further, sharing of contact lenses prescribed for one person can also lead to infections, abrasions, allergic reaction or blindness. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) of America has received reports of corneal ulcers associated with the wearing of decorative contact lenses, especially when worn overnight. Corneal ulcers, an infection of the eye, can progress rapidly if left untreated. Uncontrolled infection can lead to corneal scarring and vision impairment. In the most severe cases, this condition can result in blindness and eye loss. Anti-Wrinkle Cream “Age doesn’t bring you wisdom, it brings you wrinkles.” How true the words spoken by American actress, Estelle Getty. For years women all over the world are using the anti-wrinkles creams to look young and stay beautiful – to perennial despair. Formally, collagen used in anti-wrinkle is crucial to keeping your skin as smooth as silk. Unfortunately as the years go by, collagen also ages and shrinks, contributing to wrinkles. Lanolin, promoted as being able to ‘penetrate the skin better than other oils’, was found to contain pesticides, dioxins and known carcinogens. Collagen, lanolin, liposomes, and elastin in the cream cannot get rid of wrinkles. They only help to moisturize and merely “make-up” up the skin to create unconvincingly youthful appearance. They cannot slow down or reverse the skins ageing process. Just as eating bone would not repair a broken arm, applying an anti-ageing cream on your face won’t repair or remake saggy skin. And vegetarians take note: Most collagen and elastin is waste from the meat industry! Foundation Many liquid foundation make-ups contain mineral oil, a suspected human carcinogen (cancer-causing agent). Mineral oil (classed as a petrochemical pollutant) can have negative effects on hormones and the skin’s ability to breathe, attract moisture and detoxify. It can also slow down cell renewal and causes premature ageing. In fact sunscreens produced from mineral oil may promote skin cancer as well as colon and breast cancer. However, no cosmetic manufacturers put health warnings on their products, and in the US, the FDA does not require this information to be on packaging. Lipstick The most toxic of all cosmetics. Some lipsticks contain substances that can cause cancer, deformities and stillbirths. Many women also experience dryness, chapping, cracked and peeling lips from using lipsticks. Other problems that have been reported are inflamed eyes skin rashes, burns, numbness, swollen gums and respiratory problems. The cause of the problems may be the perfume oils used, any of the colours, indelible dyes, vehicles for the dyes, or some of the other ingredients in the lipstick. It also contains lanolin, which can cause allergic reactions. Nail Polish A toxic product which should have a warning label. Contains phenol, toluene and xylene. Its basic ingredient is a formaldehyde resin which can cause discoloration and bleeding under the nails. Phenol is suspected of causing cancer in humans, it can cause swelling, peeling, burning or breaking out in hives and pimples, if it comes into contact with skin. Toluene is easily absorbed through the skin but eliminated slowly from the body. It can cause fatigue and weakness. Chronic exposure to toluene may bring in irritation of the mucous membrane, headache vertigo (giddiness) nausea and loss of appetite. Nail polish removers are just as harmful. Its primary ingredient is acetone, a solvent which can cause your nails to become brittle and split, and can cause skin rashes to develop on your fingers. The fumes from nail polish remover, when inhaled, can irritate your lungs and make you feel light-headed. Lydia Ismail is a writer, who writes about issues that affect our health, lifestyle and well-being. Her first ebook titled "The Fashion Crap" certainly ruffles up some feathers in blogs and forums. It discusses fashion that can hurt, maim and kill. Lydia can be reached at http://www.fashioncrap.com and her blog at http://www.verygoodtips.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lydia_Ismail

Perfume Allergies

You know what it is like to have a perfume attack. This is when you are in a room filled with people that are drenched in perfume. There are so many different types of perfumes out there that it is hard to determine who is wearing what. Most women love the smell of perfume and wearing too much of it is a very big problem with them. They will coat their entire body in perfume and this will leave innocent bystanders dying from the stench. A perfume allergy is not limited to the woman that is wearing the perfume. There are many people that have problems with a certain type of perfume that they put on but there are more and more people out there that are having difficulties with the public that they are surrounded by and all the perfume that they are wearing. There is perfume in most everything that is on the market today. There are cleaners, hair spray and even shampoo that have certain perfumes in them that can cause a person to go into a breathing attack or perfume allergic reaction. There are so many different products on the market today that can help a person with a perfume allergy. For some people that have asthma, a perfume allergy can send them into a terrible asthma attack and give them terrible side effects. You cannot control who is wearing perfume and what types they wear. For this reason, there are different ways that a person can protect himself or herself with to stop a perfume allergy. This may include complaining to a boss, wearing a mask, or taking certain medication. If you have the symptoms of itching eyes, runny nose, wheezing, or coughing you may be having a perfume attack. Many people have a perfume allergy but they do not even realize it. They may think that this type of reaction is caused by something else. Sometimes even a doctor will miss a perfume allergy because they are more accustomed to treating seasonal allergies, pet allergies, and other types of allergic reactions. If you are having an allergic reaction to a perfume or smell, you should get out of the room or away from the culprit anyway that you could. You should get some fresh air to help clear your head and you will notice that you start to feel better right away. Sometimes this is all you need and in some other circumstances, you will need to have the counteracting or medication to make you feel better. A doctor usually recommends these. Having certain perfume allergy can be frustrating but you have to find something that will help you feel better and get through it because there is really nothing that you can do to stop others from wearing the wrong perfumes. EXPOSED, At Last! 10 Of The Most Shocking, Proven Methods Anyone Can Adopt To Instantly Diagnose, Treat, And Eliminate Seasonal, Food, AND Common Allergies In An Instant,more I am echo,if more about Allergies,please visit my website: http://www.allergiesknowledge.info/ Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dick_Lin