Allergy Questions, Allergies and other reactions to oils

[Gwydion]

@ RachelElizabeth: I have no trouble with cinnamon, but almond burns as it ages, getting worse, the older the sample.

[unlaced]

Oh Chimera! Why have you turned against me! You didn't give me any kind of reaction before, but today you gave me itchy, burny red welts on my wrists and elbows where I applied. I'm thinking cinnamon-induced but it used to be one of the few cinnamon blends that behaved. *sigh* Maybe it's just

different-time-of-my-cycle-thing

? But this is the time when I should be most balanced and my skin chemistry should be most stable.

 

cinnamon... I love how spicy you smell but you burn me so...

[RachelElizabeth]

@ RachelElizabeth: I have no trouble with cinnamon, but almond burns as it ages, getting worse, the older the sample.

 

Thanks! I had no idea that almond would burn - maybe there's hope for me and cinnamon after all!

[Gwydion]

@ RachelElizabeth: I have no trouble with cinnamon, but almond burns as it ages, getting worse, the older the sample.

 

Thanks! I had no idea that almond would burn - maybe there's hope for me and cinnamon after all!

 

No promises. A lot of people react to cinnamon. It could be both together are too much. It could be you react to one or both. I suggest trying imps with them separated to see if you are reacting to one or both. Aging tends to concentrate allergens, so fresh is less likely to cause problems than aged.

 

Don't give up though. You could be like me chemistry wise.

[diamondstars]

Cinnamon scents (ie Pickled Imp) don't usually burn on me, although at random intervals of the month they tend to! Must be my skin chemistry changing. It doesn't hurt enough for me to not wear it anyhow.

[Venneh]

Hm. In the category of odd reactions, I have allergies to codiene. My parents and I have theorized that this reaction might apply to any opiates; however, this is only when ingested, as far as we know, as I haven't gone rolling in codiene.

 

Would any of the perfume blends have opiates in them and, if so, do you think there would be an allergic reaction if I applied them to my skin? (I don't exactly plan on ingesting the perfumes, just for the record. )

[lilirose]

The BPAL page says "Terms used on this site such as 'brimstone', 'saltpeter', 'opium', and the like are intended as descriptive copy, and are not literal translations of the ingredients of our scents. Srsly.", so I expect that means no real opiates are harmed in the process of making BPAL.

[crimescenecleanup]

Actually, reactions to codeine are very common.

 

Codeine is derived from opiates, and is metabolized back into morphine by the body. This is what makes it an effective painkiller. Unfortunately, it's estimated that about 10% of the population are unable to metabolize codeine into morphine, and receive no benefit from taking it.

 

A much higher percentage of the population are able to break codeine down into morphine, just not well, and suffer from side effects ranging from skin rashes to headaches and nausea after taking it. These same people may not have the same reaction to other opiate drugs. True opiate allergies are actually very rare.

 

Definitely confirm with your doctor that this is a true morphine allergy - and not just a nasty side effect of codeine - before deciding that you are allergic to all opiate drugs.

 

As for BPAL blends, well...opiates and the plants they are derived from are really tightly controlled in the United States, where BPAL is produced, so it would be illegal for the lab to use actual opium in any of their products. Products like perfume and incense labeled "opium" are using a scent accord, basically a blend of other oils designed to be evocative of, but not actually containing, real opium. Even if Beth is using extracts from plants that contain natural opiates, like poppies, you probably have nothing to worry about.

 

It takes many pounds of resin a particular species of poppy and a refining process to produce even a small quantity of morphine or codeine.

 

The amount present in a perfume oil would be less than, say, the amount present in a poppy-seed bagel, which is generally considered safe for just about everybody.

Edited August 28, 2009 by crimescenecleanup

[Venneh]

The codiene reaction we know for sure, from a reaction in preschool with medications after my tonsillectomy. Fun times.

 

Good point on asking the doc about complete opiate allergic reaction, will ask that the next time I'm in.

 

And thanks for answering this slightly bizzare question. Yayz! I'm safe!

[cranberry]

I wonder what kind of a carrier base they are using now. I seem to be more reactive to scents than I was - before I remember reading that it was oil based but that's been stripped from the site so I'm wondering what else is in there now.

[kohimame]

Well, cinnamon in most forms tends to give me a slight headache (Big Red, I'm looking at you!) but I bought Red Devil anyway. It gave me a headache, but I was kinda expecting it, lol.

 

Now, oddly enough, any scent that has a spice blend in it tends to make me feel nausceous. I don't know why, I've never had an issue with them before, so I don't know what's up with that.

 

I'm reaching the point where the only scents I own that don't bother me right now are citrus'y ones, such as Baobhan Sith and Kumiho.

 

 

[ian]

Oh Chimera! Why have you turned against me! You didn't give me any kind of reaction before, but today you gave me itchy, burny red welts on my wrists and elbows where I applied.

just decided to test out the frimp i received of Chimera, and it seems like i'm having a similar reaction. a drop on my inner elbow has yielded a red burning/itchy rash...

[hlemonds]

Bengal and Snake Oil both burn if i put them on more sensitive skin (inside elbows, between bewbs, and sometimes my neck) so i just have to be selective about where i apply.

[obsidienne]

I'm starting to think that I have an allergy to certain blends with sandalwood in them -- Morocco, Inez, Anne Bonny, and now Veil have given me the sniffles of doom. Not all sandalwood blends seem to do this to me (so far? I wasn't paying attention until recently). *is baffled*

[bellevivre]

so, we know rashes can occur- currently, I cant put any scent behind my ears as they are all bumply, though luckily not itchy)

 

any ideas on how to soothe the reactions? I'm assuming oatmeal may be good for this in spite of the non-bothersomeness (i just dont like the skin behind my ears feeling like bumply snakeskin!)

[ivyandpeony]

Benadryl cream/ointment or hydrocortisone cream will work pretty quickly to set you right. My husband and I both have itchy, reactive skin so we have both on hand all the time, not specifically for BPAL related problems of course.

[NoinHime]

I had my first BPAL allergic reaction today.

 

It was to a scent in the Bewitching Brews: The Conjure Bag section called "Red Devil."

 

Does anyone know what's in it? There aren't any specific notes listed for it.

 

Thanks!

[Altaira]

My bottle of Samhain (ordered unsniffed based on recs) came in yesterday and I just put some on. Seems to be fine on my wrists, but in my cleavage it burns and turns the skin bright red!

Truly the scent of autumn itself -- damp woods, fir needle, and black patchouli with the gentlest touches of warm pumpkin, clove, nutmeg, allspice, sweet red apple and mullein.

 

I've worn Pumpkin V with no issues, so I doubt it's the pumpkin or the spices. And I've never had a problem with patchouli in the past. That leaves "woods," fir, red apple, and mullein as possible culprits. Anyone have ideas?

[Klepz]

My bottle of Samhain (ordered unsniffed based on recs) came in yesterday and I just put some on. Seems to be fine on my wrists, but in my cleavage it burns and turns the skin bright red!

Truly the scent of autumn itself -- damp woods, fir needle, and black patchouli with the gentlest touches of warm pumpkin, clove, nutmeg, allspice, sweet red apple and mullein.

 

I've worn Pumpkin V with no issues, so I doubt it's the pumpkin or the spices. And I've never had a problem with patchouli in the past. That leaves "woods," fir, red apple, and mullein as possible culprits. Anyone have ideas?

 

Hmm, Snake Oil turned my cleavage bright red, almost like a rash a few days ago. I would say that patchouli is common to both blends but you say you've never had a problem with it, and I don't know if varying types would make a difference. Lilith Victoria did the same thing to me yesterday.

 

I'm thinking it's either 1) a reaction to a particular ingredient, or 2) repeated application of concentrated oils on a daily basis. I mean, I'd imagine that cleavage-skin ( ) is thinner and more sensitive. Have you ever had other oils produce a similar reaction?

 

I've been giving my cleavage a rest in case it's just reacting to continued application. Does anyone think that could be it?

[Gwydion]

1. Had you just bathed when you applied? I find skin is more sensitive without a layer of natural oils to cushion it.

2. Sometimes repeated application to one spot can have the effect the previous posted described.

3. Patchouli and pumpkin can both me irritants, but concentration matters. Patchouli is very light in snake oil, I don't know about your blend. I find pumpkin can cause irritation with il aging as evaporation increases concentration. It's not in all pumpkin blends though, so it's hard to track.

4. It could be that you are fine with two elements that are irritants, but not enough to cause a skin reaction, but may be too much together.

Edited November 21, 2009 by Gwydion

[backthatelfup]

So, I have a few food allergies. Nothing too serious. However, I have come across a few awesome sounding scents that have one of my issue foods: pepper.

 

In your experience, is it better to shun these scents? Could I maybe do a perfume but not a scrub? Eating pepper gives me hives, which would definitely detract from the enjoyment of the scents if I'm itching like a madman. I only get hives, though. No swelling, no inflamation of mucous membranes (I know, delicious).

 

Thank you for your help.

[ImperatrixMundi]

Hi. I am not really qualified to answer your question but in doubt I'd say better safe than sorry. Pepper is not an extremely common note anyways, it would be harder to avoid vanilla or amber or something else that is a common base note. Not that many blends have pepper. If you are absolutely dieing to try something with pepper in it then take a cotton swab and put a tiny little bit of the oil on the underside of your forearm with it and wait for 24 hours to see what happens. But do not slather the perfume all over yourself the first time in any case.

 

Apart from that there is a thread in the BPAL FAQs section of the forum that is for all allergy-related issues:

Allergies and other reactions to oils

The mods may probably move your post there as they see fit. The people who post there might be able to help you out, maybe someone has a similiar problem.

[backthatelfup]

Thanks very much. I will comb this thread and try to figure it out, though I'll probably forgo for now.

 

And thanks to the mod who moved this. I appreciate it!

[ivyandpeony]

It might be worth talking to your doctor/allergist about it - but it does seem to me that if you are allergic to something in food form, the essential oil made from that food could trigger an allergic reaction. I have heard of people who are allergic to shellfish or nuts who can't even handle those foods or prepare them for others.

 

I remember hearing somewhere that black pepper and pink pepper come from unrelated plants, so that might be something worth researching - if that's truly the case you might be allergic to one and not the other.

[bonny]

has anyone ever experienced a reaction like this? i've got small rough bumps all over the inside of my forearm, they don't hurt or anything but are just sort of bumpy and ugly. i got a new batch of imps and wore a few different ones that day so I don't know what in particular I might be reacting to.... but i didn't apply it to that area, it was inside my elbows. i could always be reacting to something else but....