Mysterious Scent Allergies

[rth97601]

Well, I've always had some occasional sensitivity to scented things. Some perfumes and scented candles can give me sneezes, sniffles, and/or watery eyes. It's never been a big issue, nor has it been consistent. I didn't expect this to be a problem with scented soap (it never has been in the past), but I was wrong.

I ordered a Susie's Bubbles sample pack, my first non drugstore (VDH) soaps, and was really excited until I opened the package and my nose and eyes went into fits. I had to get rid of them, unused (sent them off to another B&Ber), and now I'm leery about scented soaps, at least those scented with standard essential/fragrance oils. I'm not sure what the particular culprit was this time, since the soaps (and their scents) were commingled in the package, but the reaction was too strong for realistic experimentation.

Suffice to say, the experience was disheartening, and a bit surprising--I'd sniffed the C&E soaps and had no reaction, so it's not scented soaps in general. Anybody else have this problem? If so, what works for you? I'd still like to try scented soaps, if it's possible, but there's few brands available to pre-sniff around here, so I'm at the mercy of the web.

Thanks,

Ryan

 

[Deltaboy]

Bless your heart go see a Allergy Dr.

 

[cymric]

+1000. Go see a doctor. With a reaction that strong and that specific it should be a breeze figuring out what's the culprit. Bring along a new sample pack to show your response---analysing the product is almost a routine job.

 

[rth97601]

The doctor is certainly the best move, but allergist visits/tests are not covered by my insurance, and the standard introductory visits/tests are quite expensive, running to the hundreds of dollars.

I've needed to see an allergy doc for some time, to get shots for seasonal and animal allergies, but as a grad student with a kid due any day, the budget is way too tight for such things. Trial and error has gotten me this far, and it'll have to last awhile longer.

Funny thing is, my uni is actually attached to a major medical school/research hospital. You'd think we'd have better coverage.

But so it goes ...

 

[stuff495]

Funny thing is, my uni is actually attached to a major medical school/research hospital. You'd think we'd have better coverage.

That's a damn shame.

I don't have allergies to soaps, but I have a sensitivity to most of them. Out of the two dozen or so I've tried, the two that work consistently (read comfortably) for me are Col. Conk and Tabac (heavily scented). You can often find Conk in malls or tabacco stores if you want a sniff. It's not too expensive, but doesn't last very long, because it's a soft soap like VDH.

I don't know what thing(s) in soaps I'm sensitive too. YMMV for sure. But that's my personal short list of irritation-free soaps with a scent.

Take care,

--Vincent

 

[rth97601]

Conk and Tabac are two soaps I was hoping to try, so I'm glad to hear that they work for you. Also, I found a place here in town with a wide selection of sniffable essential oils, so I may head down there and sample 'til my face swells, to try and pin down the ones I really need to avoid ...

 

[sanpaku]

i would say that even those with the most mild of allergic reactions should avoid tabac. it's *very* loaded with parfum. cavaet...

 

[rth97601]

Ooooh ... I hope it doesn't cause a problem ... Everyone seems to love Tabac so much ...

I would be sad.

 

[kingfisher]

I have been to an allergist and been allergy tested. From this I know that I'm allergic to cedar. Therefore, I avoid scents that have cedar in them (you'd be surprised how many there are!).

 

[cymric]

You'd think we'd have better coverage.

Here I think I am covered for prenatal care. As a man, mind you. Go figure.

In any case, if scents are a problem, then you want soaps with as little scent as possible for now. There are some unscented or very mildly scented products out there. Art of Shaving makes unscented soap, Pré de Provence has a very light rosemary fragrance, Cella uses only a whiff of bitter almond, just to cover the soapiness of the product. With creams you have, I think, a better selection: Nancy Boy, TOBS, T&H Ultimate (contains lavender), and a few others. You can easily sample rosemary, lavender and almond; for that matter, you could easily go to a reform store which sells essential oils for 'aroma therapy' and the like to test yourself in a simple but effective manner.

Good luck!

 

[rth97601]

I tested out a few oils at the local health food store, discovered they also sold bentonite clay, and took the inevitable next step. I got a block of cucumber/avocado melt-n-pour from a craft shop (with discount coupon), filled my shaving mug, added a touch of clay and a few drops of balsam oil (nice earthy, non-sneezy scent), and stirred for five minutes. I can't wait to try it out tomorrow.

 

[rth97601]

The soap worked well, actually--lather etc. comparable to, if not better than the VDH (which is the only other soap I've used). Not much scent, though--the Balsam seems to be awfully mild. This isn't an issue, of course, since there was no sneezing involved, but it is a shame to lose out on such a nice smell.

In any case, I think homemades will have a place in the soap rotation, as it develops.

 

[RobbW]

I have a long history of allergies and sensitivities. I've been tested by doctors and now know most of the things that trigger my allergies and sensitivities. What I've found is that for me in general, I'm allergic to fragrance (artificial chemicals), but can get away with most essence (natural, steam distilled). In fact, most fragrance does me in, but I can get away with lots of different essence, as long as it's not concentrated.

On the other hand, if I'm allergic to whatever the thing is in and of itself, it doesn't matter whether it's frangrance or essence.

I've had good luck with Gentlemen's Quarter essence only shave soaps and creams. About half of them don't cause reactions in me.

I've also had good luck with The Shave Den's shaving milks that come from the Essence, not Fragrance, list.

 

[gone down south]

Do you think that maybe you had a bad reaction because the samples had been closed up in a box for a period of time, concentrating the scents? Maybe you'll be lucky enough to be able to use those soaps if they had a chance to 'breath' a bit?