Allergy Questions, Allergies and other reactions to oils

[Nemesister]

so far i have reacted to anything containing cinnamon..... but i love cinnamon

 

and i'm not sure whether the voodoo blends contain it too but love me and follow me boy i've reacted to as well.....

 

i still wear them i just can't go out until the redness has worn off!

[kitt3h]

someone mentioned a reaction to kabuki and someone else mentioned anise. i've only tried 10 different scents, but i've had a (somewhat mild) reaction to two of them already: kabuki and kyoto. after a shower i applied to several pulse points and within several seconds the area where i'd applied to my armpits and the crook of my arms was burning and also turned slightly red. i notice that, after doing the same thing with kyoto, the reaction was similar but markedly less intense.

 

in both cases, it was gone within a few minutes, and my solution for the duration was just to to a little crazy dance. fun! i really love kabuki, so i'm glad it didn't last. i'm pretty sure it was the star anise that did it, since both of those feature it. also, when i applied later on (not right after a sower) the reaction was reduced to almost nothing. so far i haven't experienced anything similar with any other oils, right after a shower or not

 

also, kyoto sometimes gives m a mild headache when it's still wet, and i'm going to pin that on the white musk, just as a wild guess. i think it's a nice scent, but i'm glad i don't like it too much, since i can live without it. patchouli can also be stifling for me (once i was wearing a little too much lust and i almost felt like i was going to pass out), which is bad because i really love patchouli scents, but good because it strikes me as a typically masculine note, so i don't consider it particularly fitting to me

[aestien]

I was purchasing some oils for a friend who is allergic to almonds. So I e-mailed the lab for a list of oils that contain it as an ingredient. They replied with the following:

Eclipse

Voodoo

Inferno

Hellcat

Bastet

Hecate

Salomé

Seraglio

Eden

Port-au-prince

 

Any others you have questions about, I would recommend e-mailing the lab, as they were incredibly friendly and quick to respond.

[Torrilin]

I wouldn't think you had developed a true allergy to a spice or some spices, since you aren't experiencing skin rashes or welts, but you didn't mention whether you'd tried these on your skin yet. But I do agreee with HonorAlexandria, I think all the oils you mentioned all have spices in them that may be the common element. I remember when I first tried Silk Road, I described it as "Snake Oil Lite." Bengal raises welts on me, and I don't react to much. And I do find Morocco and Scherazade spicy too. I think that the descriptions of all these either list specific spices or the general term "spices" too. (I have suspected cardamom as an itchy-maker for me - Alone, Bengal, Al-Shairain all make me bumpy and red.)

 

Do things that trigger headaches in you come and go, or do they tend to always cause headaches once you've smelled them? Do your common allergens trigger headaches too?

 

Sounds really frustrating - I'm sorry you are having these troubles!

 

What I've done is carefully spread the imps out to air. Doing that has let me narrow things down a lot. Scherezade is very very strong, and had scented the outside of each imp. Morocco had *also* scented the outsides of the guilty imps, but I couldn't tell under the cloud of Scherezade. It seems like Silk Road may have gotten the outsides of some imps as well. So sniffing from the imp was giving me a headache, but the scent in the vial wasn't necessarily a problem.

 

I've tested things on skin, and Silk Road is a powdery white floral that is *very* headachy. It smells nothing like the usual review descriptions. No spice, no tea, no eastern bazaar. Honestly, it reminds me of White Linen or some other deathly white floral. It's not the right season, but it strongly reminds me of iris blossom and narcissus. Can't check very well tho since they're not blooming. There's also a green tone to the base, but I can't pin down what note is causing that.

 

Morocco has a sharp, painful headachy note over a soft vanilla scent. It smells like a less mellowed version of the Morocco I sniffed at Black Broom, so the headache is saddening but not the end of the world. I should probably do a comparison sniff of Morocco and Black Rose, because a good simple explanation is they've got a similar musk note. The musk in Black Rose is known bad.

 

Bengal is a dose issue. It's very easy for me to overapply and feel choked by the scent and a bit headachy. I've had the same problem with other scents, so I don't think I'm actually reacting to Bengal, just feeling overwhelmed by it and getting stressy as a result.

 

Scherezade is the same kind of problem, only moreso. The stuff is wonderful on skin... if I have an open air space with a strong breeze. The sillage is enough to fill the apartment if I apply a single carefully scraped imp wand dot to my skin. No headaches now that the vial is decontaminated, but the scent is just too overwhelming to actually wear.

 

Snake Oil is fine now that it's decontaminated. No headaches.

 

As far as the headaches go, there's the "allergy" kind, where I get stabbing pain from sniffing something and it happens every time. Generally that kind of headache gets worse the more I try to wear something, and happens whether it's on my skin, someone else's skin, from a live plant etc. The known bad list is made up of things that cause headaches, so neroli/orange blossom, night blooming jasmine, iris, narcissus/jonquil/daffodil, hyacinth, most lilies (calla lily and day lily seem to be safe, all others I've smelled are known bad), lilac, lily-of-the-valley/muguet, and freesia. I've got a list of other suspected problems, but I haven't been able to confirm them. I do get headaches (along with a massively bad runny nose) from dust mites and mold, but most people don't put those in perfumes .

 

Stress headaches (from dehydration or emotional stress) will have a different character to the pain, and don't happen from scent usually. If I get a stress headache when I first wear a scent, I may blame the perfume, but on repeated wearings the headache won't come back.

 

No hives, no choking feeling in my throat, no skin rashes, and no throbbing pulsing headaches like you'd get from a vasoconstrictor. So the problem scents aren't going to kill me, but I sure wish I had an idea of what's causing the problem.

 

Kalli

[allidavie]

Kalli, Are there any BPAL's you *can* wear?

 

I know this is a distasteful solution, but you may have to consider that the scents may just be too strong for you. I'm having a similar problem with my Mom - one day she'll say, oh, you smell so good and the next I'll get "Honey, I love you but if you don't get out of the room this second and wash that off I'll have to kill you."

 

And I'll be wearing the same scent both times. It's just sometimes a scent will affect her, sometimes it won't, and I never know what'll be the case when. So I have completely given up wearing any BPAL whatsoever when I'm going to be around her.

 

I know this isn't the answer you're looking for, but I'm afraid you might be trying to solve this if the headaches are intermittent and not always triggered by the same notes or even the same oil.

[Scylla]

Kalli, perhaps you should try some of the lighter scents? I'm pretty sure there is a thread in the Suggestions subforum where people recommended their favorite lighter scents.

 

Here's what I would recommend:

 

Dana O'Shee

Alice

Frumious Bandersnatch

Embalming Fluid

Dorian

Zephyr

[fairy]

I'm happy to have found this thread. I have no known allergies, just sensitive skin and sometimes I break out in mysterious hives (was a huge problem when I was younger) and stress does me in as well. So far I've sampled over 70 BPAL oils and had no reaction. This morning I put on a blend of Dixie Love Perfume and Dragon's Milk, got in the car to go out and was horrified when I looked in the mirror and saw what looked like strangulation marks on my neck. Big bright red welts. So yeah, I'm *hoping* it wasn't the dragon's milk because I love that fragrance. I have a feeling it was the tal. Now I know not to put that one on my neck I'm really curious to know which ingredient it was that actually did me in...

 

Just a heads up to those with sensitive skin/prone to hive...

[Dinerdulcinea]

Does anyone know if Snake Oil actually has cinnamon among those "Indonesian spices?" I am allergic to cinnamon and don't want to try it if it is in there.

 

Thanks!

[Honor]

Does anyone know if Snake Oil actually has cinnamon among those "Indonesian spices?" I am allergic to cinnamon and don't want to try it if it is in there.

 

Thanks!

 

If you really want to be certain, you can always email the lab to ask them specifically whether the component is present. *nods*

[Dinerdulcinea]

Does anyone know if Snake Oil actually has cinnamon among those "Indonesian spices?" I am allergic to cinnamon and don't want to try it if it is in there.

 

Thanks!

 

If you really want to be certain, you can always email the lab to ask them specifically whether the component is present. *nods*

 

 

AWESOME! I didn't know that was an "allowed" use of their e-mail!

 

Thanks!

[ivyandpeony]

I'm happy to have found this thread. I have no known allergies, just sensitive skin and sometimes I break out in mysterious hives (was a huge problem when I was younger) and stress does me in as well. So far I've sampled over 70 BPAL oils and had no reaction. This morning I put on a blend of Dixie Love Perfume and Dragon's Milk, got in the car to go out and was horrified when I looked in the mirror and saw what looked like strangulation marks on my neck. Big bright red welts. So yeah, I'm *hoping* it wasn't the dragon's milk because I love that fragrance. I have a feeling it was the tal. Now I know not to put that one on my neck I'm really curious to know which ingredient it was that actually did me in...

 

Just a heads up to those with sensitive skin/prone to hive...

 

I have the same allergic history you do, Maddi - no known skin allergies and a few episodes of mysetry hives (although I am allergic to penicillin). I haven't broken out from Dixie Love Perfume, although I do think it may have a bit of cinnamon in it. If you have tried Love Me from the Voodoo oils, DLP smells a bit similar to me - and I think there's a bit of cinnamon in Love Me.

 

The skin on my neck is definitely the most sensitive I have - so I will use caution in applying DLP there! I usually apply BPAL on elbows, wrists, cleavage and then a bit on my scalp at the back of my neck.

[Honor]

AWESOME! I didn't know that was an "allowed" use of their e-mail!

 

Thanks!

 

No Problem. I think alot of people don't know about that, which is why I mentioned it. Hopefully everything will turn out well.

[Dinerdulcinea]

I had my first allergic reaction today.

 

Queen of Sheba gave me a huge, red, itchy welt. I washed it off right away though and it is back to normal now.

 

I contacted the lab to find out if cinnamon is an ingredient in the "spices." If not, there is something else that bothers me. I'll have to figure out what.

[sookster]

while i loved jailbait i had to send her off to a new home as anywhere i applied

it turned into a bright, red, screaming welt...i have no clue what i could have been allergic to in that though...cuz it is all sweet and sugary and oh so yummy...of course now that i have a scent locket that would be a non-issue

[harmonyfb]

I've tested things on skin, and Silk Road is a powdery white floral that is *very* headachy. It smells nothing like the usual review descriptions. No spice, no tea, no eastern bazaar. Honestly, it reminds me of White Linen or some other deathly white floral. It's not the right season, but it strongly reminds me of iris blossom and narcissus. Can't check very well tho since they're not blooming. There's also a green tone to the base, but I can't pin down what note is causing that.

 

You know...you may have gotten a mislabeled imp. It happens sometimes. 'Silk Road' should smell spicy, very similar to Snake Oil (without the vanilla note). If it doesn't seem to have any of the same notes, you might want to email the lab about it. Sometimes label mix-ups happen.

[jenleigh]

Yeeps! I'm lightly panicking, can someone please advise?

 

Was clove excluded from CTIII or not? I know that cinnamon, pennyroyal, and cassia were, but I don't know about the cloves.

 

I'm allergic to clove oil (Lush's Skinny Dip shower gel broke me out all over, which is how I discovered it), and while I know there is a disclaimer about the allergies, I'm wondering about emailing with a "uhh, I'm an idiot and ordered a CTIII knowing full well I'm allergic to cloves"?

 

I know I can swap it if it doesn't turn out to be for me, but I'm still in "omg omg panic!!" mode. Thanks in advance...

[darklorelei]

How allergic are you? Will you get sick just from sniffing it? In my experience, clove is a bold note.

 

From a sheer odds perspective I'd say you'd probably be ok. But that goes back to the severity of your allergies.

[cowgirl]

I don't know if someone has posted this before(haven't had time to read all the pages of this thread ) but the reaction(in your skin) of oils that have cinnamon is a normal one. Cinnamon(like ginger and clove) increases the blood circulation and make blood vessels dilate, that's why the skin turns red. The more your skin is sensitive, the more irritation it'll get. (that's how lip plumpers work too). It's not an allergy, it's more like a normal skin reaction toward a spicy ingredient in the oil. I hope this clarified some of your doubts

[quikslvr]

Not to continue the hijack, but: my SO's allergic to most scents, including BPAL.

[jewelbug]

Not to continue the hijack, but: my SO's allergic to most scents, including BPAL.

Awww...poor SO! Wait?! Does that affect YOUR bpal wearing? *gasps in horror*

[quikslvr]

Not to continue the hijack, but: my SO's allergic to most scents, including BPAL.

Awww...poor SO! Wait?! Does that affect YOUR bpal wearing? *gasps in horror*

Sure does. None on at home if I'm hanging around him, none if we go out together, and if I go out without him, I can't come home with it still strong on me. Luckily, when I go out, it's usually for hours and hours at a time.

 

I'm not even going to talk about the reactions I get when I'm wrapping for swaps, or reorganizing my boxes, or decanting. Also luckily, we're both pretty independent, so he doesn't mind my BPAL-time without him. (which is definitely a good thing, because if I had to choose between the two, I'm not sure what I'd do.)

Edited August 31, 2006 by quikslvr

[tartsquid]

This is weird - Spooky is giving me a cinnamon-like tingling in the crooks of my elbows. I wonder if that's something mint does sometimes. It's not red or anything but the tingling feels hot and similar to what I get with cinnamon oils.

[Kittyflop]

but the reaction(in your skin) of oils that have cinnamon is a normal one. Cinnamon(like ginger and clove) increases the blood circulation and make blood vessels dilate, that's why the skin turns red. The more your skin is sensitive, the more irritation it'll get. (that's how lip plumpers work too). It's not an allergy, it's more like a normal skin reaction toward a spicy ingredient in the oil.

 

That's a great point, thanks for pointing that out. It explains why my test of Phantom Calliope was just fine (back of wrists) but my full-on application, including inner elbows, burned like the devil. It's all in where I put it.

 

I love spicy smells though. I have a special corner of my bpal box for the hot ones - my 'scent locket' collection!

 

tartsquid... I think mint might have similar properties. I think it can be somewhat astringent in concentrated doses, but others might know better?

[marlatiara]

Last night I put a bit of Pumpkin Patch #1 on my inner arm. No problem, smelled delicious.

 

This morning I put on my arms, neck, and cleavage. About 5 minutes later, every spot where the wand had touched was bright red. It didn't really itch or hurt, it just looked awful. I washed and used hydrocortisone cream and within about 45 minutes, it all faded. Kabuki did the same thing to me - a friend suggested that it is the anise. Thoughts? I love PP1 and plan on getting a scent locket or buring it in my oil burner...and even trying a bit of it again on my skin in a few days...

[sophie-au]

Last night I put a bit of Pumpkin Patch #1 on my inner arm. No problem, smelled delicious.

 

This morning I put on my arms, neck, and cleavage. About 5 minutes later, every spot where the wand had touched was bright red.

 

A similar thing happened to me once with a body cream that had cinnamon in it. Initial test went fine, just like with you. In my case, I had a shower, then slathered on the cream on my arms => bright red patches.

 

So I think showering and bathing may have the effect of amplifying an oil's vasodilation properties.

 

Does that make sense?