Laundry Detergent Made Me Itch: Foodie with Allergies

   As a foodie with food allergies I feel that any packaged product is potential death waiting to happen.  That might be a bit dramatic.  Seriously, my step son with bakers dozen food allergies and I of a few call certain products boxes of death.  Largely, because it is. Shockingly it gets worse, food allergies are NOT just in the food aisle. They lurk every where.   As a matter of frightening fact, companies can pretty much put any claim or statement on their product with little to no accountability.  There is one major Federal law to "protect" us foodies with food allergies.  Thank you foodallergy.org for informing us that only eight allergies have warning labels on a certain number of food products.  If you clean with it,  take a prescription, take an OTC, put it on your skin, has a kosher label, or smoke it (ew) then a company is not obligated to tell you when an allergen may be in their product.

Lesson one is read labels on household products but they are not required to have a warning label.  We learned this the hard way with lotion containing almonds and hand wash with casein (milk protein).  It was right on the ingredient label and we just didn't think. Have you read their labels? I decided not to become a chemist for a reason.  Read labels and learn the chemical names.  Especially when it comes to cosmetics.  Speaking of,  lip balm and lip glosses may contain fish oils.  Watch for that.

It isn't always on a label either.  After taking on the GF life, I was still reacting as though I was still eating gluten.  As wise sage informed me that it may be my laundry detergent.  She was right.  Water and flour are suspected added as fillers.  We switched to a concentrated, natural product and the reactions stopped.  Along with the laundry switch and a reading/investigation about peanut oils in products, cleaning products were changed too.  I like my house clean but don't want to put my sons life at risk.  Lesson two here is: if you have an allergy and have removed it from your diet, chances are its in a household or self care product.  "Get rid of it" instructions below.


Other scary food allergy things
- Play dough contains wheat
- Marzipan is made from almond paste
- Worcestershire sauce contains fish
- Soy sauce is blatantly out there with having soy
- Read supplements and vitamin labels.  Example, many joint supplements contain shellfish
- Ask before you vaccinate- some contain eggs

 You have my PSA.  Food allergies are everywhere.  Practice food allergy safety- know chemical names, read labels, and listen to your body.  If you are reacting as though you have a food allergy and you haven't eaten it, it may be skin deep. Or more.  Take away whatever you suspect for two weeks (takes that long to get out of your system) then keep it away if you get better or you can "challenge" by adding it back to see if the reaction happens again. If the reaction is severe or life threatening, don't play chicken and stay out of challenges.  If you aren't sure if you are reacting or why or the reactions are severe, see an allergist.

Namaste and Share for the Good of other Allergy Foodies