how to get clean with uber-latex-allergy

how to get clean with uber-latex-allergy

I recently found out that I am allergic to an awful lot of the things I was eating. I already knew I was sensitive to most of the toxic ingredients in products on the market which pushed me to make my own products but it didn’t occur to me that I was ingesting things that my body was attacking me for. Oops. Now I know and now I can avoid those things and feel better. (If you suspect you have cummulative food allergies I took the Immuno Labs Food Sensitivity Panel by having a bunch of blood taken at SCNM that was sent off for testing and then processed the results with my wonderfully helpful naturopath, Dr. Geyer.) When I figured out the toxins in common body products were causing me major problems I delved into the ingredients world. Now I doing the same for my food and am learning about cross-reactants, particularly with my yeast allergy as it seems to be in everything I love from tofu to vinegar to berries and peanuts. It is frustrating to go without, even when my reaction is just uncomfortable.  And here I thought I could just skip bread and be a-ok. Hrmph.

So just as I am feeling really sorry for myself for my wimpy, inconvenient sensitivities I was contacted by a very nice woman today looking for products she can use.  She has REAL allergies, we are talking anaphylaxis, to latex and nitrile of which there are a slew of secondary allergens I had no idea about. Unfortunately, most of my wonderful ingredients are on that list including coconut, apricot kernel oil, almond, and many of the herbs I use like sage, birch, and even lavender. I’m SO bummed that there isn’t more I can do but I figured I could share here some of the information I put together as suggestions for how to get clean without all of the allergens.

*Just to be clear, the oils and herbs I use are fabulous, wonderful, luxurious and organic ingredients but it doesn’t matter if you have an allergy.. your body sees it as an enemy and that’s that. If you don’t have the allergy they are medicine, if you do, they are poison *

No poo:
If you’re looking for an alternative to get your hair clean you might try this route:  http://www.naturemoms.com/no-shampoo-alternative.html   I have many friends who have done it successfully, though it is not an overnight fix if you can do baking soda and organic apple cider vinegar it could be just what you need. Doesn’t get much more natural. :c)

Herbal Shampoo:
You could also try soap nuts or yucca root  http://www.motherearthnews.com/Natural-Health/1981-05-01/Natural-Shampoo.aspx (you can get whole yucca root at Basha’s or Food City most of the time or you can buy the dried fibers from herb shops or online here:http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/bulkherb/y.php#h_yuc).

If you have a serious latex allergy you are going to have a hard time with most natural soaps (this formula is the only one I’ve found to work, omitting the coconut just doesn’t work). I’ve just gone through all of the best local and purest national brands of soap and they all contain coconut. :c/

Washing your face and body:
Something you might consider instead for your skin is oil cleansing:  http://simplemom.net/oil-cleansing-method/ .
The best oils to use seem to be jojoba, hemp, olive, pumpkin seed, and soy. I will refer you to my supplier, Mountain Rose Herbs. They are out of Colorado and have the best quality I have come across and the best selection of organic products.

Here is the link for the base oils: http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/bulkoil/bulkoil.html
Here is the link for the essential oils:  http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/aroma/ess.html

* * * It should be noted that with a latex allergy one cannot use citrus products, however, the woman who contacted me had luck with citrus from organic trees grown without paint. Interesting!!  The more you know about the product you receive the better idea you can have of what you are reacting to. So amazing to me that the tree absorbs the latex from the paint and can transfer that to the fruit in a significant way. 

Of course, always do a spot check and if your allergies are SERIOUSLY SERIOUS have your epi-pen near by if you’re trying anything out. If you can, contact the supplier and see if they have latex equipment (I have rubber droppers on some of my oils for example). I wish there was more I could do, especially with my own frustrations and struggle finding things that will work for me, but hopefully these resources will help somebody.

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