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Supacase's avatar

Is one of these ingredients a common allergen?

Asked by Supacase (14563points) July 4th, 2011

I have had a rash for over a week now. (Some of you may have seen my previous thread.)

My husband caught a possible connection with a conditioner I have been using for a couple of weeks. I do seem to have considerably more new break-outs a few hours after using it. There was a rash on my shoulder a couple of weeks ago, but I didn’t connect it to what I have now. I’m not sure it is an allergy (I have never had an allergic reaction to anything before) but figure it is well worth considering.

I have compared the ingredients against three other conditioners I used just prior to this one in hopes of narrowing down the culprit. There are still TEN ingredients left! I have researched them online, but can’t find anything of much value.

Does anyone know if any of these things are known for causing allergic reactions?

Camelina Sativa Oil (Camelina Sativa Seed Oil)
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Capric Triglyceride
Caprylyl Glycol
Distearoylethyl Hydroxyethylmonium Methosulfate
Malpighia Punicifolia (Acerola Fruit Extract) Octyldodecanol
Pyridoxine HCl
Pyrus Malus Extract (Apple Fruit Extract)
Saccharum Officinarum Extract (Sugar Cane Extract)

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11 Answers

dabbler's avatar

From my experiences with allergies I’d just recommend to stop using it and see if your symptoms go away. Then start using it again and see if they come back. If so, it’s guilty, case closed.
Allergies are very personal and you might be allergic to the ingredients even if none of them shows up on allergen lists anywhere.

Seaofclouds's avatar

You could do a skin test with the conditioner to see if it is causing a rash. Take a small amount and put it on the inside part of you arm. Leave it sit for a few minutes , then rinse off (like you would with washing your hair). If you develop a rash, you know you are sensitive to something in the conditioner. From there you could talk to your doctor about it.

JLeslie's avatar

All of those natural ingredients, probably it is the culprit.

50% of the time when I use products that boast about having biotanicals and plant extracts, I wind up allergic, my husband too. I do much better with the chemicals.

Stop using it. You can test it again in a month, if you react, give it away.

Mariah's avatar

Keep in mind that you can begin being allergic to anything at any time. So it’s not necessarily true that you aren’t allergic to any of the ingredients that this condition has in common with your other conditioners. Patch testing like @Seaofclouds suggested is a really good idea.

JLeslie's avatar

I wouldn’t bother with patch testing if this is the one product that bothers you. I was patch tested for chemicals and was not reactive to one, but every place the adhesive hit my skin to hold the chemical I was allergic. Plus, I don’t think the patch testing tested for any plants or biological agents, it was all chemicals, and I bet money you are allergic to either the camelina leaf, camelina oil, apple, cane, capric etc.

Mariah's avatar

@JLeslie I meant, put a patch of the conditioner on her skin, to make sure it is indeed causing the reaction. I’m not suggesting that she get testing done by an allergist.

JLeslie's avatar

@Mariah Got it. I read too quickly probably. Good idea. Although probably unnecessary, it seems like the conditioner is the likely culprit.

Supacase's avatar

I’ve stopped using the conditioner and the rash has already cleared up significantly.

Someone on a hair care website suggested, Hexyl Cinnamal. I initially ruled it out because it was in one of the other conditioners I used as a comparison, but it so happens that was the conditioner I used right at the time of the first rash.

There was one old standby conditioner that I used once or twice between the two and I was rash-free during that period.

So, Hexyl Cinnamal at the top of my stay-away list for now.

I only wash my hair once or twice a week as part of a particular curly hair regimen. That is how we noticed the breakouts occurred after using the conditioner. I might never have figured it out if I used it everyday.

JLeslie's avatar

@Supacase If you used it everyday you would have had an insanely bad rash that got worse daily, and figured out it started when you started the new conditioner. It happened to my husband. I gave him my Biolage shampoo because I was allergic to it. Around the same time he mentioned he was running out of soap for the shower. Long story short, about a week later he is complaining about being itchy on his body, has a rash. A day later he reminds me to buy soap, he is now out of soap and has been using the shampoo as a body wash the last few days. He was allergic to the shampoo also. That’s why on the first Q I asked if you had changed any soaps or shampoos,

Supacase's avatar

I know – everybody kept asking me that and I couldn’t think of anything. I didn’t consider it to be new since I had already been using it for a few weeks, but since I was only using it a few times a week, it really was more like a new product than I realized. Thanks for all of your help.

BrentFoust's avatar

Yes, you could be having an allergy to any of the components present in this conditioner. Fiest of all stop using it. Consult your physician for the same. He/she will prescribed you an appropriate anti-allergy medicine.

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