Allergy Questions, Allergies and other reactions to oils

[darklorelei]

I think it really does just come down to skin thickness. I've never gotten a rash, but I always get a mild burning sensation when I first put on bpal (I've way sensitive skin).

 

The skin on the inside of your arms and anywhere directly beneath a joint (think knees, armpits, chin, behind ears) are simply the thinnest on the body. Unfortunately, these areas amp scent the most for the same reason, because the blood is so close to the surface.

 

Have fun, but be careful!

[blackheartedangel]

Black Phoenix burned the crap out of me! I haven't experienced this with any other blends yet. Unfortunatly, since the description doesn't list what is in it, I have no idea what the reaction was to.

[Rhowan]

HELP!

 

I got 3 different orders yesterday - all from Bpal Members and ebay. My 1st BPAL ever!! Of course I couldn't help myself and I used about 12 to test in different areas.

Just a touch of the wand of ANY imp I tried (I am not talking a drop - just a touch) was

1) way overpowering

2) left red welts

I could count the places I touched with the oils because of the welts- and that was even after about 5 hours and trying to wash in some places.

This morning I was getting an imp out for a trial and just touching the imp around the cap was too much for me. I didn't even put it on - went to the bathroom, washed my hands several times and I am sitting here with itchy eyes and a headache.

Has anyone ever had this strong of reaction? I am devastated! My DH of 23yrs was even frustrated for me because I have done nothing but talk about my excitement since I discovered Black Phoenix.

So, my question is - would carrier oils work to lighten the scent? How do you use carrier oils? and if not carrier oils what about making it in to a spray perfume using alcohol? I know absolultely NOTHING when it comes to oils and mixing so if any one could help me .... I love some of the scents I got too much to just give up!

[fragrantgrasse]

HELP!

 

I got 3 different orders yesterday - all from Bpal Members and ebay. My 1st BPAL ever!! Of course I couldn't help myself and I used about 12 to test in different areas.

Just a touch of the wand of ANY imp I tried (I am not talking a drop - just a touch) was

1) way overpowering

2) left red welts

I could count the places I touched with the oils because of the welts- and that was even after about 5 hours and trying to wash in some places.

This morning I was getting an imp out for a trial and just touching the imp around the cap was too much for me. I didn't even put it on - went to the bathroom, washed my hands several times and I am sitting here with itchy eyes and a headache.

Has anyone ever had this strong of reaction? I am devastated! My DH of 23yrs was even frustrated for me because I have done nothing but talk about my excitement since I discovered Black Phoenix.

So, my question is - would carrier oils work to lighten the scent? How do you use carrier oils? and if not carrier oils what about making it in to a spray perfume using alcohol? I know absolultely NOTHING when it comes to oils and mixing so if any one could help me .... I love some of the scents I got too much to just give up!

 

 

Try using jojoba oil to dilute your imps with - it has no odor, does not go rancid and is the best carrier oil for perfumery. Using a perfumers alcohol with your level of sensitivity may just inflame your reaction.

 

Swipe a teeny tiny amount from the imp wand into your palm and then dribble a tiny bit of jojoba over that right away and blend together with your finger. That may do the trick - which is allow you to smell the fragrance without the nasty reaction.

 

Good luck!

[Elanya]

Since this thread was revived earlier today, and since I was just reading the TAL thread, I thought I would take this opportunity to bemoan my allegy to lavender, which stops me from trying a lot of the conceptually hermetic blends, like Sophia, as well as general relaxation blends, and others that I otherwise love (Envy)... and now I find out Hermes, a TAL oil I was hoping to pick up eventually, also has it.

 

*sigh*

 

It's like turning on a faucet in my face. Or maybe three faucets...

[Rhowan]

Try using jojoba oil to dilute your imps with - it has no odor, does not go rancid and is the best carrier oil for perfumery. Using a perfumers alcohol with your level of sensitivity may just inflame your reaction.

 

Swipe a teeny tiny amount from the imp wand into your palm and then dribble a tiny bit of jojoba over that right away and blend together with your finger. That may do the trick - which is allow you to smell the fragrance without the nasty reaction.

 

Good luck!

 

Thanks for the idea but I absolutely hate the idea of even touching it to my palm or my finger. Today I decided to try one scent - samhain- I touched the wand to my wrist and was immediately overpowered by the scent! My hand kind of burned but I thought "hey I can live with this" but later as I sat by the by the computer, I started to get a really bad migraine and then my cheek and my mouth started burning - Yes! I had rested my head in my hand and somehow gotten the oil on my face and around my mouth - this was several hours after applying! So, you can see why I hesitate to even touch it.

 

Do you think that maybe if I get a like 1/3oz roller applicator and fill it mostly full of jojoba oil and just add a couple of drops of the BPAL oil that that would dilute the smell AND the burning? I have never thought of my skin or my sense of smell as sensitive so this whole thing is new to me. I am so frustrated that I just want to sell everything! Of course, I won't give up that easily but you know what i mean!

Edited October 19, 2005 by Rhowan

[fragrantgrasse]

Wow that is pretty sensitive! My business is skin care and that is a severe reaction.

 

Yes, you certainly could try that - dilute the fragrance waaay down. As you adjust to the intensity of the perfume (samhain may not be the best to start with, it has a very strong character, throw and lasts for hours on many people) you may add more fragrance.

 

Hang in there!

[ladymissspyder]

I already report my allergic reactions and skin irritations in reviews, but I figure it can't hurt to post them here, too.

 

Blood Amber - horrible stinging welt

Fire Eater - very mild tingly burn that went away after an hour

Saturnalia - sneezing fit upon opening, never applied

Silk Road - very itchy

 

Headache-inducers

 

Black Phoenix

Snake Charmer

[Rhowan]

YAY ME! I AM SOOO EXCITED!!!

 

:

 

 

I just got Hamadryad in the mail (THANKS FREYA), put it on, and I can actually smell the different scents in it and I am not itching very bad at all with this one! I am still kind of headachey but not as bad as all the rest I have tried! I think if I dilute this down with a bit of vitamin E or Jojoba it might be perfect!!!!

 

 

[AngelFireHeart]

Over in the UK we use grapeseed oil as a carrier oil that works really well - I would suggest staying away from Almond oil as a carrier for this type of problem because Almond oil sinks into the skin really quickly & would carry the fragrance deep into the skin which wouldn't be good if it causes an allergic reaction.

 

I myself am allergic to Carnation & Liquorice root (fortunately I don't find the latter in BPAL) But Carnation brings me up in a red hot itchy rash which I end up bathing in calamine lotion - Although I have discovered one or two scents that I can get away with it in such as Saint-Germain which just leaves a mild irritation. Two of the Panacea's Quietude strangely enough & Moxie bring me out in a stinging nettle type rash. I've discovered the only way to deal with these is to put them in my scent lockets.

 

I had a really weird reaction to Magus when I 'tried' it - meaning it didn't get as far as my skin. I took out the stopper of the imp & sniffed it & then spent the next hour throwing up - which wasn't fun.

 

Fortunately none of the scents I've tried have given me a bad headache so I consider myself lucky.

 

Good luck to all those who're allergic to different things

[PeshaRocha]

I am new to BPAL and am awaiting my first order from the lab, but I got some imps and 5 mls through eBay: Gluttony, Nosferatu, Venus, New Orleans, Incantation, and Depraved. I had a strong allergic reaction to all of them! For some of them, I didn't even have to open the bottle before I started sneezing, burning, itching, getting a soapy taste in my mouth,and swelling in my sinuses and throat. And that's despite the fact that I always take antihistamine every day (and also nasal spray).

 

I know I'm allergic to many fragrances, so I ordered tons of imps in hopes that I can find at least one that I both like and am not allergic to. But now that I've reacted so badly to the varied, albeit small, selection I now have, I'm scared that I won't be able to use any of BPAL's scents. What a waste of a couple of hundred dollars that would be!

 

I expect to get contact dermatitis from many oils, too, but I can work around that. Unfortunately, I can't avoid breathing!

 

Has anyone else managed to find a usable BPAL scent after having allergic reactions to a whole passel of 'em? I think some of my allergies are resins, some flowers, some spices, some woods, and some musks. But some flowers and spices are fine, and so far, I think fruits are okay.

[cranberry]

yesterday I put All night long (also Voodoo blend) and although it didn't actualy burn, everywhere i applied it left red hot circles.

 

 

That made me wonder.....

 

*whispers* should it be applied somewhere else than on the skin

 

I am thinking along the lines of Viacreme?

 

And NO, i am not going to try, it's just a question!

 

<snipped out a couple of blushes for emoticon allowance>

 

this just made me laugh - thanks!

[harmonyfb]

Has anyone else had a reaction that included a taste?

 

I had a really bad experience with Cathode this morning (it made me sick to my stomach, and I could not get it washed off for hours) - at one point, I got a weird metallic taste in my mouth that seemed to be related to the smell.

 

Anyone got a possible explanation?

[Penance]

Smell and taste are linked, so that doesn't sound so far-fetched to me.

 

Never had it happen personally, but I'm sure that it could. I believe I've heard of other people having that happen, but I can't think of any specific instance off the top of my head.

[PeshaRocha]

Has anyone else had a reaction that included a taste?

 

I had a really bad experience with Cathode this morning (it made me sick to my stomach, and I could not get it washed off for hours) - at one point, I got a weird metallic taste in my mouth that seemed to be related to the smell.

 

Anyone got a possible explanation?

 

I always get a soapy or metallic taste in my mouth when I breathe in scents I'm allergic to. It happens even faster than I start sneezing, itching, swelling, etc., so when that happens I immediately wash off or walk away from the offending scent. (You should see me run past the laundry aisle at the supermarket while holding my breath--those fabric dryer scents do me in!)

[Thorne]

I frequently get a "taste" of BPAL in my mouth, just from sniffing. And ususally it is a metallic kind of taste, especially from florals. I haven't had allergic reactions to many of the scents, though.

[Rhowan]

Has anyone else managed to find a usable BPAL scent after having allergic reactions to a whole passel of 'em? I think some of my allergies are resins, some flowers, some spices, some woods, and some musks. But some flowers and spices are fine, and so far, I think fruits are okay.

 

DON'T GIVE UP!!! I know what you are going through (just read back in this thread) I too had the same problem and it seemed like every scent I tried burned my skin and gave me headaches.

 

People here have given me a lot of different ideas to try (you'll find them by reading back over this thread) like diluting your oil with a carrier oil. I haven't tried any carrier oils but I did try Vitamin E mixed with a drop of oil before applying to my skin. That worked okay. I was totally frustrated! I had spent lots of $$ in BPAL and I wanted to get joy from using it like many of the other forumites.

 

What finally worked for me was to write down all the different ingredients (I guess that's what you'd call it or maybe fragrance notes?) like Patchouli, each kind of floral, resins, mosses, woods - what ever is in the description of each imp I had tried and mind you - I tried a buttload! What I finally found was that patchouli, amber, resins, some musk, some sandalwood and frankincense all made me burn and quite frankly every oil with these ingredients smelled the same to me.

 

I though that I would be very limited with my choices after I figured it out but I have found TONS of other oils that don't burn my skin and that I can smell the individual notes in. Just keep the faith! You'll eventually find your way! Everyone here is so helpful.

 

Good Luck.....

[AngelFireHeart]

Yep, I agree with Rhowan giving up is NOT an option! We don't do giving up Rhowan's Idea is very good, you will eventually find scents that don't bring out a reaction, but sometimes it takes a little thought, the one's I *thought* I'd like weren't the ones for me for various reasons including allergies, but then I started to open my eyes a bit more - it's an artform to read & interpret the descriptions on the site, so you're bound to get some wrong, especially at the begining - & I found some beautiful oils which I didn't react to & that I loved. My things to stay clear of are for example, Carnation, Tobacco Flower, Fig, Cocoa, almond, Jasmine & Honey, everything else is normally fine if though, I find a scent that I love but it brings me up in a rash I use it in my scent pendant, which solves most of the problem. There are usually ways around things if you really like a scent, you've just got to be a bit crafty - For example, I'm allergic to citric acid found in all bathbombs, but if I use something with a high concentration of cocoa butter with it, I'm usually fine, & by doing this over the last year & exposing myself to it, I'm not quite so allergic anymore either I can react quite badly to a lot of things on my face, so now I make my own face masks of which ALL of them contain calamine, which reduces significantly any reaction I do have, if at all to many things. It's all about working around things & if it's something you love, then building up a tolerance to it. You know you can pay a lot of money to have this done to you professionally, it's called Immunotherapy.

[PeshaRocha]

Thank you for your wonderful replies! I'll just be persistent, then, and keep careful track as you suggested. I've found in the past that with a scent I like and have only a mild allergy to, I do fine if I put the fragrance on my clothing and away from my face. But when I have a strong reaction, even that is too much.

 

I decided to try Gluttony as a room fragrance, because I like it as a faint whiff and am not too allergic to it, just a bit. I put a drop or two on a cotton ball and left it near my computer. That worked pretty well, although I did start sneezing eventually. Next time, I'll try putting it farther away from me.

 

I ordered Ginger Poppet and Sugar Cookie since I posted before. I've had pretty good luck with "bakery" smells in the past with other products, and I like them.

 

Thanks again for your help.

[Rhowan]

Good luck in your endeavors and if you need some moral support, you can contact me any time! Just keep at it!!!!

[Seajewel]

well, all i know is Chimera has to go. the first time i got this imp, i put it on 3 days in a row, first day, no problem, 2nd day i noticed a few bumps, said, whatever! and 3rd day i broke out so bad that the scar-looking things didn't go away for 2 weeks. for some reason, i still bought a bottle. mainly because i was really really really hoping i could make it work, maybe if i only put it on sparingly. but no. put it on today. well, i was recovering from a cold and my skin chemistry's out of whack but it smells bad, for one thing.. though i loved it a couple months ago so i'm sure it's just the time of the month. but it helps with resolving that Chimera must go.. because though i attempted to wash it off thoroughly, it has left a red red rash all over my wrist. very ugly allergic reaction type rash.

 

elegba also did this to me.. also buck moon.. regan.. chaste moon (only some times).. bearded lady.. snakecharmer.. i wonder what it is..? and i stil bought bottles of elegba and buck moon of course, as well as multiples of snake charmer (which i'm determined to use anyways)! wishful thinking.. i'll try them again, if it doesn't work, most of these are going to have to go in a swap pile. why does my skin have to do this? or why can't it do this with stuff i hate anyways?

 

so in love with BPAL.. but for now the oils that don't break me out and i still love (antique lace, dorian, morocco are going to have to keep me company)

[cranberry]

Alone has bit me - twice. The first time, I thought oh, it's too close to the shower, so I didn't give it any mind. But it left big red marks whereever I used it. Big, sore red marks. I swapped for a bottles after falling in love with the imp, and I picked it up yesterday at lunchtime. I put some more on - the same thing! so I"m going to have to go back and reread this thread, and get experimental with jojoba oil. Such a beautiful scent. *sigh* I still have hope...

[amrita]

Has anyone else had a reaction that included a taste?

 

I had a really bad experience with Cathode this morning (it made me sick to my stomach, and I could not get it washed off for hours) - at one point, I got a weird metallic taste in my mouth that seemed to be related to the smell.

 

Anyone got a possible explanation?

 

 

I've had this happen a handful of times, and it's really unpleasant. I checked through my notes and it looks like the last oil this happened with was Grandmother of Ghosts. For me, it takes a few minutes for the taste to appear, and then it's overwhelming, and that oil is straight off to swaps.

 

I think there are way too many variables to figure out the real reason this is happening... we have no idea of the exact ingredients, how they were processed, or where they came from.

 

This reminds me of a visit I had with a nutritionist earlier this year. She took out a bottle of colloidal zinc, poured me some in a tiny paper cup, and had me swish it around in my mouth for a minute before swallowing. Then she asked me what it tasted like. At first, it tasted slightly sweet, then I swallowed, and the aftertaste was slightly foul, like bad tap water. She said that an individual's perception of the taste of colloidal zinc is one way to gauge how much zinc is in their system; if it tastes really sweet, you need to increase your intake of zinc, and if it tastes foul, that means you already have enough zinc in your system.

 

Fascinating...

[emmsy]

Tintagel did that to me. I could taste it, and my lips tingled. Not a pleasant sensation. I also had a terrible headache for hours after I first applied it to my wrists.

[ivyandpeony]

Alone has bit me - twice. The first time, I thought oh, it's too close to the shower, so I didn't give it any mind. But it left big red marks whereever I used it. Big, sore red marks. I swapped for a bottles after falling in love with the imp, and I picked it up yesterday at lunchtime. I put some more on - the same thing! so I"m going to have to go back and reread this thread, and get experimental with jojoba oil. Such a beautiful scent. *sigh* I still have hope...

 

The same thing happened to me with Alone and I'm so sad. I managed to swap for an imp before my bottle arrived and couldn't believe that it made me react. I have reacted to just a few oils and the reaction is the same, red marks or welts and a burning sensation. Bengal, Al Sharain, Alone, and once Jailbait (of all things!) have done this to me. Oh, and Inferno, but if it doesn't do that to your skin it's supposedly proof that you are spawn of the devil.

 

I can wear Chimera with no problem, so I don't know if it's cinnamon, or maybe an issue of its concentration. A friend on another forum suggested it was cardamom - but I can wear Whippoorwill (an all time favorite) which lists cardamom as an ingredient, and Silk Road which smells like it has it to me. Again, it could be an issue of concentration if that's the component that I'm sensitive to.

 

I made rollers of Bengal and Al Sharain diluted with jojoba oil and that seemed to make them gentle enough for me (both have lots of fragrance so I don't notice any decrease in that at all!) I decided just to put my bottle of Alone up for swaps and hang on to my imp though - I'm hoarding too much and had to make some cuts somewhere.

 

I feel lucky that those are the only reactions I've had when I see how sensitive some of y'all are. Must be all the industrial chemicals we kids got exposed to in the last 60s and early 70s.