Overwhelmed Newbie w/ Allergies...Product Recs

irishwavie79 · 09-02-2010, 08:58 AM

Hi =)

So I have finally decided to embrace my waves/curls after finding this amazing website. But I have no idea what products to use! This is because I have a sensitivity to sulfur ( I'm not sure if sulfates are the same?) and I am allergic to tree nuts. I can't use shea butter or anything almond. I recently discovered that I am protein sensitive. I was using Natural Organix Coconut Milk Shampoo/Conditioner which has proteins and now I know why it is drying out my hair instead of helping it! Below is my hair info:
Curl Pattern: 2b, possibly a 2c
Texture: medium- coarse
Porosity: high
Density: medium
Elasticity: ?
Any advice or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. TIA =)

MirCurls · 09-02-2010, 11:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by irishwavie79

Hi =)

So I have finally decided to embrace my waves/curls after finding this amazing website. But I have no idea what products to use! This is because I have a sensitivity to sulfur ( I'm not sure if sulfates are the same?) and I am allergic to tree nuts. I can't use shea butter or anything almond. I recently discovered that I am protein sensitive. I was using Natural Organix Coconut Milk Shampoo/Conditioner which has proteins and now I know why it is drying out my hair instead of helping it! Below is my hair info:
Curl Pattern: 2b, possibly a 2c
Texture: medium- coarse
Porosity: high
Density: medium
Elasticity: ?
Any advice or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. TIA =)

As someone who has crazy buttload of allergies, I efel your pain!!! I have some products I love but can only use sparingly/must rotate and take breaks from cause I get itchies and rashes, etc.

You'll need to spend some time online READING the ingredients list of recommended products, even those targeted at the sensitive (which we who are really sensitive know is no guarantee we won't have a reaction).

Curlmart, Drugstore.com and other places give ingredients list so you can check for sulfites, proteins, parabens, etc. Spend time looking for recommendations here by using the "forum search" and using key terms "sensitive" "allergies" "hypoallergenic" and such....

I had a bad reaction to some fave Curl Junkie products a couple months back and had to take a break. I bought Abba Pure Gentle line and it helped a lot. I wouldn't recommend it for you as it does have protein, sorry.

Rymorg is on here and she is like me, allergic to loads of stuff. Might wanna see what she recommends (look for her name in the thread about treatments for newbies about protein and moisture, it's on this page and listed on the TECHNIQUES LINKS thread I started this week).

Lots of natural products loved here have nut oils, so well, you may have to search a lot. I hope some ladies here can give you great advice.

I would suggest you try Flaxseed gelee if you are NOT sensitive to flax seeds. This is an excellent styler that is easily customized for your particular hair. You can make it at home (you can search for that, too, as some recipes have been posted here) or order some customized for you from Botticelli Botanicals on Etsy.com (started by one of our own CurlTalk regulars). Check the recipes subforum/threads to see what treatments you can make at home safely. Other curlies here have allergy issues....

I hope you find great stuff for yourself.

pedaheh · 09-02-2010, 01:11 PM

Would GVP CB work?
http://www.sallybeauty.com/condition...efault,pd.html

Fruit of the earth Aloe Vera Gel (used mostly for sunburns) might be another option. It is used as a curl enhancer. There are non aloe ingredients in it even though it says 100% aloe on the front. You will want to check the ingredients out.

irishwavie79 · 09-02-2010, 02:24 PM

Thanks so much MirCurl and Pedaheh! I guess I have some research to do... =)

redheadmommy05 · 09-03-2010, 02:23 AM

My 5 year old daughter has severe contact dermatitis so I have to be careful with anything that comes in contact with her skin and scalp. Perfumes, dyes, certain proteins, nuts, etc etc can set her off. She also has dry, frizzy, wavy, hair ....so i have to use products that will actually help her hair as well. She takes a quick bath three times a week in water mixed with sea salt and Aveeno oatmeal packets. I know it seems gross to bath only three times a week but as her dermatologist pointed out every day showers or baths with harsh soaps dry out your skin and hair and lead to dryness and irritation. The sea salt/ oatmeal combo seems to help her hair retain moisture but is mostly because I cannot use soap or cleanser on her skin so the oatmeal acts as a natural cleanser. I use Kinky Curly Come Clean shampoo (from naturallycurly.com) or Burt's Bees Baby Shampoo (I get this from Target) to cleanse her hair 2-3 times a week. Neither of those seem to contain anything harsh that sets her skin off. Conditioners are iffy. Some that are scented send her skin into a massive frenzy of itching and redness. The one I have used now for a year that seems to do very well with her skin is TIGI Bedhead Moisture Maniac. (from the local drugstore) I also love this one for my hair and my stonger herbal conditioners like Aubrey Organics are too much for her skin any way. As for stylers and detanglers I use Curly Qs Moist Curls Moisturizer (from naturallycurly.com) and Fruit of the Earth Aloe Vera Gel (Walmart) for her. It is the unscented clear kind of aloe you put on sunburns. Both of these keep frizzies away and you can apply the Curly Qs to wet or dry hair. I hope that helps. I don't experiment to much after I find something that works for her because I don't want to have to take her to the doc for a steroid injection due to a massive outbreak of her dermatitis.

rymorg2 · 09-03-2010, 05:13 AM

Yes, I have sensitivities too. Welcome to the world of trial and error.

I can recommend all kinds of things to you, but sometimes what I recommend will cause you a flare up. For instance, the Tigi Moisture Maniac that Redheadmommy has been using in her dd's hair for over a year with no problems makes me itch like MAD. You can be sensitive to so many ingredients. Who knows what it is. It's literally taken me 4 plus years to figure out what sets me off, and now I know for the most part, though occasionally I'll try something new and get a reaction.

As far as your organix shampoo/condish, I'd suspect the sulfates in the shampoo were drying you out instead of helping. I know it says that its sulfate free, but I don't remember the non sulfate cleansers in it and some can be as irritating and drying if not more so than sulfates.

There are many things we can be allergic or sensitive to, and each individual is different. I'm sensitive to sulfates (though can use them occasionally, and with some brands more often than others, I choose not to) and some non sulfate cleansers, fragrances, some polyquats and silicones, lavendar, cinnamon, magnesium sulfate, glycerin and citrus oils. Notice there are natural and non natural things in there.

Unfortunately the best recommendation I can give you is to continue to research and try things. If you start with naturally based or organic brands, other than your nut allergy, a lot of the time they will have more choices for sensitive people. It will take awhile to figure things out though. If you want to start with some non fragranced items, you can go to Sallys and try their Hypoallergenic Naturelle line. They have a shampoo conditioner and gel. They actually have an ingredient in them I'm sensitive to though...LOL....I can't use them. But they're a starting place.

Feel free to PM me if you need any help narrowing things down. HTH.....

2poodles · 09-03-2010, 05:42 AM

Free & Clear Shampoo and Conditioner for Sensitive Skin might be an option for you. They're available at amazon.com and were recommended by a dermatologist to a friend of mine with lots of skin allergies.

MirCurls · 09-03-2010, 09:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by redheadmommy05

She takes a quick bath three times a week in water mixed with sea salt and Aveeno oatmeal packets. I know it seems gross to bath only three times a week but as her dermatologist pointed out every day showers or baths with harsh soaps dry out your skin and hair and lead to dryness and irritation. .

I had some bad dermatitis earlier this summer and needed steroid shot and creams.

And on days when I don't have to go out and don't do anything strenuous, I skip showering and just use baby wipes with some Cetaphil or Aquaphor (old formula from my nearly gone stockpile, new one sucks) or a mild cleanser on the "special spots" , ahem...to stay fresh (ie, back of neck, armpits, crotch). I'll sink wash my feet. But I find it's easier on my body to only poo 2x a week, though with summer it's sometimes 3x.

It's summer and it's Miami and sometimes I need two showers a day---but if I can skip showers, my skin prefers it. I use Eucerin calming creme from neck to toes after I shower. I try to use cool to cold water in the shower.

I did try Exederm, and it's totally non-irritating (they have some child/baby items). The cleanser is very nice. The lotion, eh, I prefer the Eucerin. But it's a line aimed at those with eczema and sensitivities. It's for ultra-sensitive skin like mine. No sulfates, no CAPB, no parabens, lanolin, fragrance, dyes, no propylene glycol, no phthalates, no formaldehyde... If you or your child has issues, worth checking the line out: http://www.exederm.com/

Here's the link to the shampoo: http://www.exederm.com/eczema-shampoo.html

With these ingredients: Purified water, decyl glucoside, glycerin, xanthan gum, disodium cocoamphodiacete, phenoxyethanol, caprylyl glycol, polyquaterium-10, guar hydroxypropyltrimonium chloride, EDTA, citric acid

The conditioner has cones. For some, that doesn't matter...but...

I got my stuff with a 20% discount (I ordered more than 3 items) and free shipping (I ordered more than $50).

yuhwoo · 09-04-2010, 06:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MirCurls

Quote:

Originally Posted by redheadmommy05

She takes a quick bath three times a week in water mixed with sea salt and Aveeno oatmeal packets. I know it seems gross to bath only three times a week but as her dermatologist pointed out every day showers or baths with harsh soaps dry out your skin and hair and lead to dryness and irritation. .

I had some bad dermatitis earlier this summer and needed steroid shot and creams.

And on days when I don't have to go out and don't do anything strenuous, I skip showering and just use baby wipes with some Cetaphil or Aquaphor (old formula from my nearly gone stockpile, new one sucks) or a mild cleanser on the "special spots" , ahem...to stay fresh (ie, back of neck, armpits, crotch). I'll sink wash my feet. But I find it's easier on my body to only poo 2x a week, though with summer it's sometimes 3x.

It's summer and it's Miami and sometimes I need two showers a day---but if I can skip showers, my skin prefers it. I use Eucerin calming creme from neck to toes after I shower. I try to use cool to cold water in the shower.

I did try Exederm, and it's totally non-irritating (they have some child/baby items). The cleanser is very nice. The lotion, eh, I prefer the Eucerin. But it's a line aimed at those with eczema and sensitivities. It's for ultra-sensitive skin like mine. No sulfates, no CAPB, no parabens, lanolin, fragrance, dyes, no propylene glycol, no phthalates, no formaldehyde... If you or your child has issues, worth checking the line out: http://www.exederm.com/

Here's the link to the shampoo: http://www.exederm.com/eczema-shampoo.html

With these ingredients: Purified water, decyl glucoside, glycerin, xanthan gum, disodium cocoamphodiacete, phenoxyethanol, caprylyl glycol, polyquaterium-10, guar hydroxypropyltrimonium chloride, EDTA, citric acid

The conditioner has cones. For some, that doesn't matter...but...

I got my stuff with a 20% discount (I ordered more than 3 items) and free shipping (I ordered more than $50).

Not to hijack this thread, but thanks for posting that info about Exederm, MirCurls. I have SD so it doesn't take much for it to flare up, especially if I break from routine. Since going (mod) cg, my scalp has been really unhappy with me with the barrage of different products I've tried over the last 3 months. I've been trying to narrow down the ingredient(s) that's been triggering it, but as rymorg mentioned, it's nearly impossible to pinpoint exactly what the irritant is. I even tried doing a raw honey treatment that I read about on another board, and after a couple of weeks, I actually think it made it worse.

After much trial and error, and a little process of elimination, I think one the culprits might be propylene glycol. It seems all of the products I've used that bother me the most have this ingredient in it. However, what I didn't realize was that CAPB could also be an irritant! While I try and limit how often I shampoo, I do need it to wash out coconut oil pre-poos, and also to keep my scalp in check. Since all the shampoos I've tried have had CAPB in them, and my scalp still isn't happy, I think I need to reevaluate. This may suck since I just ordered a bottle of CJ Daily Fix. *Sigh*

To the OP, I hope you're able to find something that works for you. I wish I had some good suggestions to offer, but as I'm still in the process of figuring out my own sensitivities, I am no help at the moment.

irishwavie79 · 09-04-2010, 10:15 PM

Thank you everyone for your suggestions and for steering me in the right direction. I will definitely try them out. Although I wouldn't wish allergies on anyone, it's comforting to know I am not alone. I really feel for redheadmommy05's daughter...poor thing. I hope that she can grow out of her allergies.