Product Reviews and my Allergies: Dove and Other Cleansing Bars

For the time being, I'm using Ivory Soap. For moisturizer I'm applying olive oil and then washing it off with the Ivory. I've found I can't even use Dove Sensitive Skin Beauty Bar, which is normally something people with sensitive skin can use.

Dove Sensitive Skin Beauty Bar has one different ingredient from the regular Dove Beauty Bar. It omits any fragrance and adds maltol. Something in the ingredients the Dove bars share is causing me to have an allergic reaction. I've tried the "Sensitive Skin" version several times over the past couple of weeks, and it's always caused me to feel sick--it's hard to describe my reaction other than that. I've already found out I can't use the regular bar. I can't narrow down which ingredient(s) could be causing my reaction, but for now I'm stuck with Ivory. Here's a comparison of the Dove Sensitive Skin Beauty Bar ingredients to the Dove Beauty Bar: http://www.etherealauraspa.com/blog/stop-using-soap

Rose 31 Body Bar by Le Labo Fragrances--the bar I have is for sale to hotels so the ingredients list doesn't appear to be online. The box says the product is not tested on animals.  Ingredients listed on the box:  sodium palmate, sodium cocoate, water, glycerin, parfum (probably rose), lauryl glucoside, shea butter, sodium chloride, titanium dixoide, pentasodium pentetate, limonene, tetrasodium etidronate, alpha-isometheyl ionone, linalool, citrionellol, gerniol. I don't see any reason to stop using Ivory for as an overall skin cleanser, but for hand-washing this product appears to cause me no issues other than some dryness. 

Update, 3/27/20:  

Grandma's soap is sold at ACE Hardware, and lists three, and only three, old-fashioned basic soap ingredients--lard, lye, and water. If someone had a reaction to this product, it'd be easy to narrow down the cause. However, some of the packages are labeled, "itchy." So you're buying something that you want to be itchy, apparently.

Shampoo and My Allergies

I've come to the conclusion I can't find a single commercial shampoo or conditioner that doesn't have at least one ingredient I'm allergic to. Most have mold-derived citric acid, and even if they don't, they have green tea, chamomile, sunflower seed, lavender, and similar ingredients known to trigger my allergies. Right now I use Suave because it causes only a mild reaction that is controlled with a Benedryl capsule--so far--but unless I discover some very unusual product, I'll probably have to resort to a homemade concoction. 

The problem with citric acid is that when it's used as an ingredient, it's almost always made from mold, not citrus. That means it causes a cross-reaction for people (such as me) who are allergic to yeast or mold. Not only would I have to find a brand that used a source from citrus, I'd also have to avoid several other ingredients.

Such brands as Suave and Herbal Essences advertise themselves as "natural" but that's just marketing. They're made with dozens of chemical ingredients including citric acid. Even Castille soap may contain citric acid, so don't use it unless you've read the ingredients label and know the source of the ingredients.

For True Botanicals a customer service representative tells me "Our Citric Acid is derived from 100% pure anhydrous citric acid from sugar cane. The crystallization process occurs by a submerged fermentation process, using natural carbohydrates from sugar cane." That's marvelous, but except both the shampoo and the conditioner use green tea so I'm sad to say that product remains a "no."

Bamford Botanic Shampoo contains lavender (another allergen for me) and citric acid of unknown origin.

If I can't find a commercial shampoo that contains nothing I'm allergic to, that means I must get used to using homemade shampoo and conditioner instead. That means getting the ingredients, utensils, and containers (got to have something to put the shampoo in) in preparation for the project, and make mixing up a batch a regular activity. Some sites that provide instructions on how to make homemade shampoo and conditioner follow.

Wikihow shows how to make homemade shampoo using soap flakes (leftover soap). It also calls for almond oil (nut oil) but I'm sure another oil can be substituted:  https://www.wikihow.com/Make-Shampoo

Shampoo in bar form can also be made from a soap base, if you want to use a soap mold, but the soap base called for in this recipe contains soybean oil. If I were going to try this process, I'd have to use a different base:  https://www.imperfectlyhappy.com/diy-melt-and-pour-shampoo-bars/

Here's a recipe for homemade hair conditioner that is very flexible, basically says any vegetable oil and any essential oil (for fragrance) mixed with guar gum and distilled water will do. Guar gum can be purchased online or at a health-food store:  https://www.myfrugalhome.com/homemade-hair-conditioner-recipe/

Here's another site that shows several recipes for homemade conditioner that appear to be free of anything I'm allergic to. I can use whatever essential oils I can tolerate, or just do without the essential oils. https://www.fabhow.com/diy-homemade-hair-conditioner.html

Cruelty-free Make-up and My Allergies

I look for two things when shopping for make-up and other toiletries. The ingredients must be ones that don't cause me to have allergic reactions, and they must be from cruelty-free companies. The PETA site is a good place to start when researching cruelty-free brands, and but their information may not be complete. Seek out other sources as well:  https://www.peta.org/living/personal-care-fashion/beauty-brands-that-you-thought-were-cruelty-free-but-arent/?fbclid=IwAR0QH-ZcTHfLC-5SEaqubZ5zhZwAZ4SQTeeaRlP8yUhefxEJAGsqxu4JGIY

What make-up is cruelty-free?  What causes my allergic reactions?

Aveeno Active Naturals Daily Moisturizing Lotion has an olive green label, and it's a simpler product than Aveeno Skin Relief Moisturizing Lotion (blue label). Aveeno isn't named on the PETA site, but here's another site that says the brand wasn't cruelty-free as recently as Nov. '19:  https://www.crueltyfreekitty.com/brands/aveeno/

Besides the cruelty-free question, both Aveeno products have 1.2% dimethicone as their single active ingredient. Although ingredients for all Aveeno products are available on the Aveeno site, there's not much detail. Another site, that describes the ingredients more fully, includes the information, "Dimethicone may cause side effects of burning, itching or stinging, but these are fortunately rare." Given my experience with other products that contain dimethicone, I don't see any reason to spend time or money on these: https://www.leaf.tv/5061929/aveeno-daily-moisturizing-lotion-ingredients/

Aveeno Positively Radiant Daily Moisturizer, Broad Spectrum SPF 15 contains soy and dimenthicone, which rules it out for me. 

Mary Kay Endless Performance creme-to-powder foundation has two strikes against it. The company is on the PETA list of companies that test on animals, and one of the dozens of ingredients is dimenthicone, which can cause burning/itching/tingling skin (see above). I tried this cosmetic product 4 Feb '20 and although I didn't notice it causing much discomfort to my skin, I did notice a queasy kind of discomfort--adrenaline rushes and a general unwell feeling, like something was vaguely disagreeing with me. After about an hour I washed it off and had no further discomfort. The Mary Kay website doesn't list all the ingredients but here's a site that does:  http://www.beautyholicsanonymous.com/2015/03/mary-kay-endless-performance-creme-to-powder-foundation/

Revlon Colorstay pressed powder contains dimethicone. For many years I had no problem with it, but just in the past couple of months it's been causing itching, burning, and tingling skin every time I've applied it. (For dimethicone reaction, see link for Aveeno products above.) I tried it one more time on 1 Feb '20 and the skin reaction was mild, but I got an adrenaline rush. Besides that, the company is not cruelty-free as of Feb. '20. Ingredients are found via this link, although you have to click the three-dots key (which probably has a name in computer-tech language but I don't know what it is) to see the  list:  https://www.makeupalley.com/product/showreview.asp
/ItemID=103353/page=2/

Milani Rose Powder Blush is from a cruelty-free company, but it contains macadamia seed, so could it cause a problem for a nut allergy. For a complete ingredients list, follow this link: https://www.milanicosmetics.com/products/rose-powder-blush# 

Neutrogena Visibly Even Natural-look Makeup contains soybean oil and green tea. I've had allergic reactions to both in the past, so I'd probably waste my time and money if I tried this product. 

Garnier Skin Active Soothing Moisturizer 3-in-1 (offered with choice of rose water, green tea, or aloe) is not made by a cruelty-free company, even though Garnier doesn't show up on the PETA list, and it contains soybean oil and citric acid, both of which cause me to have allergic reactions. Another ingredient, cornstarch, may not be certified gluten-free, and could therefore indicate a problem for people who are gluten-sensitive (like me). Ingredients:  https://www.garnierusa.com/about-our-brands/skinactive/96-percent-naturally-derived-ingredients/soothing-3-in-1-face-moisturizer-with-rose-water

Garnier Skin Active Water Rose 24H Moisture Gel is another Garnier moisturizer but it contains citric acid, which I must avoid because of cross-reactions with my yeast allegy.  Ingredients:  https://www.garnierusa.com/about-our-brands/skinactive/water-rose/water-rose-24h-moisture-gel

Pond's Cold Cream Make-up Remover does not come from a cruelty-free company. There appears to be no Pond's facial cleanser for regular skin cleansing, just for a line of products sold as cold cream and make-up remover.

Olay Fresh Effects Everything Off Deluxe Make-up Removal Wet Cloths are not made by a cruelty-free company. They also contain dimethicone.

L'Oreal Paris True Match Lumi Cushion Foundation contains dimenthicone and is not made by a cruelty-free company.

Burt's Bees Radiance Lotion with Royal Jelly contains sunflower oil, citric acid, and soybean oil, and appears to contain chamomile which causes a cross-reaction with my yeast allergy. At least the company, by the most reliable information, appears to be cruelty-free.

Biore Self Healing One-Minute Mask contains dimenthicone and is not made by a cruelty-free company.

Simple Skincare Micellar Cleansing Water contains citric acid and is not made by a cruelty-free company.