By Laura deCarufel

We’ve all been there. For women with allergies, dermatitis, rosacea, eczema or extremely sensitive skin, a trip to the drugstore can be as pleasant as cold toast. Trawling the aisles for moisturizer or lipstick, turning boxes to read ingredients while the familiar anxiety seizes. With hundreds of products and thousands of ingredients, how can you know which ones are safe?

Read on. More companies than ever before are creating skincare and makeup lines for sensitive and allergic skin, and many mainstream brands have adopted stricter rules about which ingredients they use. Still, there are dodgy areas. Cosmetic labelling, for example, is a tricky art: some ingredients are listed by their Latin names (peanut oil will on occasion turn up as “arachis hypogaea”), and while the terms “hypo-allergenic” and “organic” are encouraging, the words themselves aren’t regulated. There are certification bodies, which determine, according to their standards, if a product is organic, but it is not necessary to be certified before labelling a product as such.

In November 2006, additional light will be cast on such wording as amendments to Canada’s Cosmetic Regulations (under the Food and Drugs Act) come into effect. Chief among the changes is that complete ingredient labelling will be mandatory for all cosmetic products: all colouring agents in nail polish will be listed, as will all botanicals…

For the rest of this article, see the Spring 2005 issue of Allergic Living magazine.
To subscribe or order a back issue, click here.

For many, a bottle of Chanel No. 5 is the dream gift. But for those with allergic contact dermatitis to fragrance – 3.4 per cent of North Americans at last count – it can be a nightmare. Brand-name perfumes can contain as many as 5,000 chemicals. Allergic Living asked Dr. Sandy Skotnicki-Grant to clear the air on the topic.

Skin Testing
“Usually it’s only a handful of individual fragrances that cause a problem,” says Skotnicki-Grant. Ask your dermatologist about patch testing, which uses eight of the most common fragrance ingredients known to cause contact dermatitis: cinnamic alcohol (a mix of scents), cinnamic aldehyde (part of the cinnamon essential oil), eugenol (clove scent), isoeugenol (component of ylang ylang), geraniol (present in lavender, geranium, jasmine and citronella oils), hydroxycitronella, oak moss absolute and alpha amyl cinnamic alcohol (odour of jasmine).
Skotnicki-Grant also recommends a test for an individual scent. Apply a small amount behind your ear for seven days; if after a week your skin is not reacting, you should be fine.

In the Air
While true fragrance allergy is to the skin, a department store crowded with florals can irritate the airways of some asthmatics. Fragrance is also a knownmigraine trigger, and can potentially cause symptoms in those with sensitivities to chemicals. Such health issues are being taken seriously. In Halifax, for example, there is an official “no scent” awareness program in schools, hospitals and all city offices.

Final Note
Steer clear of products labeled “unscented.” They often contain masking agents that counteract unpleasant medicinal smells. Look for skincare and makeup lines that are fragrance-free, such as Marcelle, Clinique and La Roche-Posay’s superlative Toleriane line.
For fragrance, essential oils such as those from Neal’s Yard Remedies or The Body Shop are often safe bets (though there has been an increase in reactions to botanicals). L’Occitane makes some beautiful fragrances that aren’t packed with chemicals, as does Origins. Or, keep it simple with a lovely dab of pure vanilla extract.

Q & A: The Nose Knows

Susanne Langmuir has a beautiful nose, which she puts to good use as the founder of Susanne Lang Parfumerie, a company that uses mainly essential oils to create bouquets of customized fragrances and bath products – ideal for women with sensitivity to synthetic perfume. Over 12 years, the business has grown from Langmuir’s kitchen to become an empire, with locations opening this fall at shops across the Middle East, at Selfridges in the U.K., and at Printemps, the famed Parisian department store, where she is the first Canadian perfumer to be invited to sell.

What interests you about essential oils?
Essential oils are basically natural chemicals. They’re generally distilled from plants, flowers and organic materials, so they’re able to really capture the living essence of the flower.

What are some favourites?
In terms of health and well-being, lavender is the obvious one. For perfumery, oh gosh, I can’t pick one. I love sandalwood, and a beautiful frankincense is just unbelievable. I’m working with a 10-year-old patchouli, which develops new characteristics with age. Bergamot is also extremely versatile, and I use it as a top note in a lot of my fragrances. It reminds people of Earl Grey tea.

How do your fragrances differ from other perfumes?
Our customer is the woman who can’t wear commercial fragrance, who is overwhelmed walking through the fragrance floor in the department store. We get e-mails, letters, calls all the time from people who can’t wear anything else. For the first six years, I worked only with natural essential oils. It was to the point that I knew if an oil contained synthetics just by smelling it – I was that sensitive.

Have you noticed the growing number of women who say they are sensitive to fragrance?
That’s really why I started this. There are so many fragrance launches each year [Women's Wear Daily reports that 100 will launch this fall.] There’s an enormous need for fragrance producers to create something new, so there are even more chemicals going into the marketplace.

For the rest of this article, see the Fall 2006 issue of Allergic Living magazine.
To subscribe or order a back issue, click here.

HANDILY

A little effort can go a long way to protect hands, which lose moisture quickly in the cold weather.

1. Invest in a good hand cream:
   Absolutely essential this season, hand creams are thicker and richer than face or body moisturizers, and provide the extra protection hands need.
2. Cover up: The less that skin is exposed, the better. Choose
   a pair of thick gloves or mittens that don’t let in much air.
3. Try an overnight treatment: On an evening when you’re sleeping alone, apply a thick layer of hand cream, put on dampened cotton gloves, then rubber gloves. It’s not pretty, but the concentrated moisture will leave hands feeling soft and smooth the morning after.
4. Give yourself a manicure: Clip nails and file them, making sure to file in one direction to avoid tearing. Rub extra virgin olive oil on the cuticles to soften; wipe excess with a cotton ball. Apply a vibrant nail colour and wait to be asked where you got your nails done.

Recommended:

• Eucerin 5% Urea Hand Cream is a potent, silky blend that is free of fragrance and colourants. $13,www.eucerin.ca
• L’Occitane Extra-Gentle Lotion for Hands & Body offers strong protection for sensitive skin, with a formula that includes honey, oat milk and 5 per cent shea butter*. $30, www.loccitane.ca.
• If you are not nut allergic, L’Occitane’s best-selling Hand Cream ($28), features sweet almond oil, while a 20% concentration of shea butter makes it as luxuriously rich as it gets.
• Zoya Nail Lacquer comes in 60 colours. Its gentle, long-lasting
  formula is formaldehyde, toluene and dibutyl phtalate (DBP)-free. $12, www.artofbeauty.com

*Note: Shea butter is derived from an African nut. Check with your allergist before using if you are allergic to tree nuts.

SMACKABLE

Lips need extra love in the winter. The only part of the body that doesn’t have sebaceous glands (which produce oil), they’re thin, sensitive and particularly susceptible to UV damage. These tips will keep them kissably soft:

1) Exfoliate: Lips should be exfoliated about twice a month. Use a washcloth or toothbrush to rub gently over the mouth, removing dead skin cells.

2) Moisturize: When moisturizing your face, dab a bit extra on your lips. And be sure to wear lip balm with SPF every day.

3) Stock up: Like socks in the dryer, lip balm disappears. Keep one everywhere you might need it: purse, car, boyfriend’s place, pencil drawer at work.

4) Drink up: Chapped, dry lips are a sure sign of dehydration. Drink several glasses of water a day, and during the holiday season, try to alternate that glass of wine with one of water. Your lips – not to mention your head – will thank you for it.

Recommended:

• Aveda Lip Tint SPF 15 in Frosted Tulipa offers built-in protection and sheer, pretty colour. $17.50,www.aveda.com

• Kiehl’s Baby Lip Balm is extremely gentle, perfect for little ones – but be sure to add a dab of sunscreen with SPF. $10.50, www.kiehls.com

• Almay Pure Tints Protective Lip Care SPF 25 conditions lips with a fragrance-free formula. $6.95.www.almay.com

First published in Allergic Living magazine. © Copyright AGW Publishing Inc.
To subscribe or order a back issue, click here.

Interview by Laura deCarufel

In the world of natural cosmetics, Jane Iredale is royalty. In mineral makeup, she is queen. With the launch, 11 years ago, of her self-titled line, Iredale introduced an innovative option for women with rosacea, eczema and extremely sensitive skin. Her cosmetics are a mineral and pigment blend that is fragrance-free, filler-free, non-comedogenic (won’t clog pores) and anti-inflammatory. The mix is lightweight, even silky, allowing skin to breathe, and the minerals themselves are inert, which means they can’t support bacteria.

The line is now sold around the world, from Cyprus to Estonia to Taiwan. In North America, the cosmetics are available at select spas and skincare clinics. The reason for its success? “We can effect a change in someone’s self-esteem in 15 minutes,” Iredale tells Allergic Living.

How did you develop an interest in natural cosmetics?

I had my epiphany when I was working in the entertainment business, spending time with actresses and models. They were in and out of makeup four, five times a day, and a lot of them had skin problems as a result. I remember thinking, ‘Why can’t makeup be part of the solution, instead of the problem?’ I started the company shortly after.

What inspires you?

Knowing that we’re really making a difference. There are a lot of studies that indicate the better we feel about the way we look, the healthier we are. We look good, we feel good and our bodies respond by giving our immune systems a boost. I get letters all the time from women saying their skin is better now than it has ever been, and how that has truly changed their lives.

Is there a story that particularly touches you?

Louise Kurtz lost her face in the 9/11 Pentagon bombing. It was reconstructed with skin grafts and for years she wore a mask constructed by her plastic surgeon. About a year ago, she said, ‘Is there anything we can do?’ I mean, the grafts were all different colours from different parts of her body. Her doctor brought in several makeup companies, and she chose us. Our makeup was gentle enough for her skin, which is still incredibly sensitive, even painful. The difference is astonishing. She lost her hands, too, so her husband puts her makeup on.

What should people know about the term “natural cosmetics”?

It’s difficult to define what ‘natural’ means. You could go into the garden, throw mud on your face, and call it natural, but the mud would probably contain acid rain, weed killer, and so on. My personal definition of natural is a product that substitutes natural ingredients for synthetic ones, that gets rid of known sensitizers, fragrances and dyes. But having found the substitution doesn’t mean you’re off the hook. Products need to go through strict challenge tests. And even then, I still always, always read the ingredient list.

Why is that important?

I don’t use natural products because I have sensitivities – I’m lucky in that respect – but because I know that 60 per cent of what I put on my skin will be absorbed into my body. Our skin is the largest organ in the body; it’s often called the third kidney because it’s taking in things all day long. We need to help it do its job.

From the Summer 2005 issue of Allergic Living magazine.
To subscribe or order a back issue, click here.

BY LAURA deCARUFEL

ECZEMA Although eczema usually improves in the summer, some people find they break out more because of the heat, and perspiration. Plan activities for early morning or late afternoon, to avoid the hottest hours. Central air conditioning can help, as can applying sun protection that includes the active ingredient titanium dioxide.
Try: Neutrogena SPF 30 Titanium Dioxide Sunscreen ($9.99)

ROSACEA A good sunblock is essential for those with rosacea, but finding a non-irritating one can be tough. While titanium dioxide sunblock is great for the body, it’s generally too thick and white to be used on the face. Look for products that are light, fragrance-free
and high in SPF. Try: La Roche-Posay Anthélios Lait SPF 45 ($11.99)

RAZOR BURN Blocked hairs are the cause of razor burn,
or pseudofolliculitis barbae.
To loosen them, use an old-fashioned lather brush to apply shaving gel. Stick with a double blade, rather than a triple or quadruple – the closer the shave, the worse the bumps. Shave only in the direction the hair grows, and go over the same area only once or twice. Try: For stubborn cases, Skotnicki-Grant recommends Clindamycin 2 per cent antibiotic powder mixed with glycolic acid. It’s prescribed by a dermatologist, and used at night.

For the rest of this article, see the Summer 2006 issue of Allergic Living magazine.
To subscribe or order a back issue, click here.

© Copyright AGW Publishing Inc.

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*See article on how bleach reduces eczema.