Allergy Questions, Allergies and other reactions to oils

[inglorian]

I'm not allergic to any sort of perfume, but I know many are, so a lot of workplaces require that you either don't wear any, or that it be very light. I don't have this problem, luckily, as I don't work just yet (16 y/o) but I was wondering if being allergic to perfume means you're allergic to BPAL?

[Nachtwulf]

Commercial perfumes are alcohol based, whcih means they rely on the evaporation of alcohol to carry the scent. Many of the perfumes are thus somewhat 'biting' in quality, thanks to the alcohol in them, and people with sensitive noses (like me) can't handle it.

 

BPAL are oilbased, though some people are indeed allergic to some of the components. I've heard of people getting skinrashes from cinnamon or mint, although -my- skin is very sensitive and I don't react. I -do- get allergic sneezing fits from some of the BPAL oils, but I haven't yet figured out what it is that makes me sneeze.

 

I still wear BPAL at work (I have a box of imps on my desk, actually...) but all I can recommend is to a) avoid really pungent notes like vetiver, patchouli, or strong florals, and don't slather. Keep those in mind, and I doubt anyone will complain.

[sarada]

I'm allergic to many commercial perfumes, but not to BPAL.

 

Even if my workplace banned perfume (which it won't, because I'm in charge anyway!) I would still wear BPAL unless my immediate officemate had a major allergy to everything. If anyone asked me if I was wearing perfume I'd say no, it must just be my shampoo/deodorant/laundry detergent/tea.

 

I'm just thinking in terms of the kind of officeplace that institutes arbitrary rules to prevent personal expression though. In a food service industry or in close proximity to people with allergies I would of course comply. But I have an almost private office so I tend to be selfish!

[klavierbarrette]

allergic to anything in a spray bottle, usually.

 

only thing i've had a problem with when using bpal is sometimes my skin breaks out or if its a REALLY heady scent, i get instant headaches. and i dunno what was in snow moon that gave me a headache.

[spaceprostitute]

I'm going to say "It depends".

 

Up until getting a new coworker that claims she's allergic to my BPAL when I wear it (and honestly, she's come up to me on some days when I wasn't wearing it at all so I'm thinking that it may be one of the women near me who wears commercial perfumes and she's mixing up what scent goes where), I would have said no. I have a former coworker who was allergic to most commercial perfumes and had absolutely no problems with my BPAL when I was wearing it and even started buying it for herself and had no problems. But really, it depends.

 

(Sarada, I'm with you. I need to start wearing my BPAL more because I miss it so much. I laid off of it because of this coworker when we were in training, but now we're not in quite as tight quarters as we were and screw that I'm wearing it. I also use the "It's my shampoo" thing though. And sometimes it is thank you very much Body Perfumery for Ambra del Nepal scented shampoo!)

Edited December 1, 2006 by spaceprostitute

[fiddledragon]

It doesn't necessarily correlate. Some people are allergic to various fixatives and non-perfume components in commercial perfumes, and thus have no problems with BPAL. Others are allergic to specific components, usually florals, or some people, especially with asthma, can be triggered just by strong scents in general. I'd say just wear small amounts of it and stop if you have a particularly allergy-prone coworker who's being made uncomfortable by it. And seriously, if you're triggering someone's allergies, it's not a happy thing. I've had entirely too many episodes of people smoking in front of buildings and claiming that their right to smoke supercedes my right to breathe.

 

A good friend of mine who's allergic to practically any kind of environmental trigger starts sneezing if he sniffs most imps with any florals, but isn't bothered if I wear very small quanitites of them, even when I hug him. And purely resinous or most evergreen scents don't trigger him at all.

[kakiphony]

All commercial perfumes make me sneeze. It doesn't matter if they're florals, musks, vanilla-spicy things or berry: I sneeze and the snot cometh. It's that pesky alcohol thing I think. I can wear many bpals without sneezing. I do best with resins, spices, honey, amber, vanilla, tobacco, etc. However, floral, ozone and marine bpals give me the same reaction that commercial perfumes do: the whole snot and sneeze thing. It's trial and error. The oil base of bpal is godsend for those of us with allergies, but you might still find some smells that trigger reaction. The only way to find out is to try!

[juniperus]

All commercial perfumes make me sneeze. It doesn't matter if they're florals, musks, vanilla-spicy things or berry: I sneeze and the snot cometh. It's that pesky alcohol thing I think. I can wear many bpals without sneezing. I do best with resins, spices, honey, amber, vanilla, tobacco, etc. However, floral, ozone and marine bpals give me the same reaction that commercial perfumes do: the whole snot and sneeze thing. It's trial and error. The oil base of bpal is godsend for those of us with allergies, but you might still find some smells that trigger reaction. The only way to find out is to try!

Same here.

 

I can't even get near a commercial perfume counter without getting a headache. I recall vividly as a child trying to hold my breath as we walked through that section of the store. I've only run into one death-BPAL (and I don't know the notes, erg) that actually aggravated my asthma - otherwise I get sinus reactions, like Kaki, from certain classes of notes. But even when something doesn't work on me (vetiver!) it doesn't make me sick, just smells like crappola.

 

I can wear scent now, and I very, very rarely would even attempt before.. I feel fortunate to have discovered BPAL, honestly..

[Dinerdulcinea]

I was wondering if being allergic to perfume means you're allergic to BPAL?

 

 

In short...it ain't necessarily so.

 

It depends on the allergy and what it is that the person is sensitive to and how severe the allergy is. If you don't think safety would be compromised by trying something (meaning they don't typically have allergic reactions so severe that they can't breathe or something and might die), you'll never know until you try.

 

Good luck!

 

 

Edited cuz I don't always pay attention.

Edited December 1, 2006 by Dinerdulcinea

[Torrilin]

Different POV here. If you've got an actual allergy (ie, you'll go into anaphylactic shock when exposed), it doesn't matter where the exposure comes from. You will react, and it will not be pretty. The mild version is you get itch and maybe get hives. If it's enough exposure, your throat will swell up and left untreated, you'll *die*. Do not mess around with anaphylactic shock, please. If you're dealing with someone who has a genuine allergy, take it seriously. With some allergies, a few molecules of the allergen is enough to kill the person.

 

Most of what people call allergies are not technically allergies. There are a lot of perfume components that can trigger migranes or regular headaches in people. Another large chunk can trigger asthma. There are others that will give people contact dermatitis. And of course, the ever popular sneezing and snot fountain reaction. All of these are very unfun if you experience them. It's not very kind to give someone these sorts of reactions, so if you're aware of the problem, be gentle.

 

You will also run into the occasional drama queen who claims to be allergic to get attention. The favorite claim is headaches, tho sometimes a drama queen will claim asthma. I have no advice on how to tell a drama queen from someone with a real problem. If someone comes to you and *politely* brings up that your perfume is making them sneeze, feel itchy and break out in hives etc, take it seriously. It's polite and it's kinder. If someone makes a big fuss and is not polite to you, continue being polite, but don't go out of your way to be more than polite.

[Malista]

Mainstream commercial perfumes are almost all made entirely of synthetic scenting agents these days. I am very sensitive to a lot of synthetic scenting agents. I get burning eyes and sinuses, scratchy throat and laryngitis, sneezing and congestion, etc. Many synthetics will also trigger my asthma. It doesn’t matter whether they are in alcohol or not. Scented candles, perfume oils made with synthetics, air fresheners, wax tarts, incense, soap, shampoo – it really doesn’t matter what the delivery system is; they often make me sick to one degree or another, and it doesn’t matter whether I can smell them or not. If it’s a trigger, it’s a trigger, and I don’t think it’s the scent; that’s more like an early warning system. I think it’s the chemical composition of whatever the triggering substance is.

 

Many fewer natural scenting agents will cause sensitive reactions in me. Some still do (I have a problem with some of Beth’s aquatics, and something in Absinthe brings on full-blown asthma), but in general I’m much better with natural perfumes (not just BPAL), whether they have alcohol in them or not, so my conclusion is that it’s the scented stuff itself that is the problem, not the alcohol.

[Electra]

Different POV here. If you've got an actual allergy (ie, you'll go into anaphylactic shock when exposed), it doesn't matter where the exposure comes from. You will react, and it will not be pretty. The mild version is you get itch and maybe get hives. If it's enough exposure, your throat will swell up and left untreated, you'll *die*. Do not mess around with anaphylactic shock, please. If you're dealing with someone who has a genuine allergy, take it seriously. With some allergies, a few molecules of the allergen is enough to kill the person.

 

Most of what people call allergies are not technically allergies. There are a lot of perfume components that can trigger migranes or regular headaches in people. Another large chunk can trigger asthma. There are others that will give people contact dermatitis. And of course, the ever popular sneezing and snot fountain reaction. All of these are very unfun if you experience them. It's not very kind to give someone these sorts of reactions, so if you're aware of the problem, be gentle.

 

You will also run into the occasional drama queen who claims to be allergic to get attention. The favorite claim is headaches, tho sometimes a drama queen will claim asthma. I have no advice on how to tell a drama queen from someone with a real problem. If someone comes to you and *politely* brings up that your perfume is making them sneeze, feel itchy and break out in hives etc, take it seriously. It's polite and it's kinder. If someone makes a big fuss and is not polite to you, continue being polite, but don't go out of your way to be more than polite.

 

 

That was an excellent posting. I don't have any perfume allergies or quasi-allergic reactions myself, but it bugs me so much when people get huffy when someone asks them to wear less (or a different, or even no) perfume because it triggers their allergies, and the perfumed person goes "Pfft, whatever, I'll wear it anyway." I don't know that I've ever seen that here, but I've definitely seen it both on other boards and IRL. It's so inconsiderate and unkind. I would think that most people, minus the drama queen category, wouldn't say something unless the perfume was *really* bothering them.

 

And to put in my $0.02 - I've only had a "this scent actually makes me feel nauseated and physically ill, I must wash it off IMMEDIATELY" reaction (as opposed to "I just don't like it") to one scent of the hundreds upon hundreds that I've tried in my life. It was a BPAL scent - Ice Queen. So it obviously wasn't alcohol that was the problem - it was some component or combination of components in the scent itself. I don't know if I would have the same reaction to the scent if I were sitting next to someone slathered in it vs. having it on my own skin, but it's interesting to think about.

 

Oh, on second thought - I also did really poorly with Midnight. I believe the phrase in my review was "it made me feel like I'd been Maced." It was awful. Again, I don't know if I'd have the same reaction if I were sitting next to someone who was slathered in it as opposed to wearing it myself, but if I did, day after day, I might have to say something. And I of all people don't want to take someone's smellies away from them!

 

But I guess the point of this long rambling was - I've never had a bad reaction to a commercial scent, and have reacted badly to two (but only two) BPALs. So I'm not sure there's necessarily a correlation (i.e. allergic to commercial perfume = allergic to BPAL), but I don't think that *all* BPAL would necessarily be safe either.

 

:ramble mode off:

[Concupiscentia]

I tend to have problems with commercial perfumes, and hardly any with Bpal. Some of the jasmines do give me headaches, so I avoid those.

[talula_fairie]

Ok, I have the world's most sensitive skin. It's really rediculous.

 

Anyhow, pretty much ALL perfumes make my skin break out in little bumps (bpal being no exception), usually only on my chest/neck (where my skin is most sensitive). Thankfully I can still wear it other places, but the bumps are odd.

 

Does anyone else get little bumps from perfume?

 

It seems to be only really an issue for me with chronic use. The bumps don't hurt, or itch, and are not really that visible unless you're looking very closely. They look maybe like goosebumps, or even smaller. Maybe clogged pores? And the skin feels a bit sensitive there too. I've had this issue all my life and just learned not to spray perfume on my chest. I thought bpal would be different without all the scary chemicals that go into most perfumes, but alas, nay. It's not a big deal and I can still wear bpal (just not on my neck!).

 

Thoughts?

[dronzeka]

Despite being allergic to just about everything that grows outside and all animals (including cockroaches!), so far I haven't had any problems with BPAL. (That's not saying much, I haven't been using this stuff very long.) Then again, I didn't usually have any reactions to commercial (i.e. with alcohol) perfumes either - the only thing I've had skin reactions to is lotion of various kinds, and I've pretty much figured out/decided that it's lanolin, so that's easy enough to avoid.

 

But the sad news is that last night I was trying out some new scents and my husband ended up developing a KILLER, nasty headache. As in, he had to go lie down and try to go to sleep so as not to throw up, headache. (At the time he was like, "You have to put ALL THOSE THINGS [my imps] away and never take them out around me!!" but this morning he rescinded such drastic measures!)

 

The scent I made him try (that is, stuck my wrist under his nose) was Black Rose, and I'm bummed, because it was GORGEOUS and I loved it. (That deep BPAL rose! amber! what's not to like?) But I'm really hoping it was that one because although I will sob to have to put away my BPAL roses, there are other things I like better and I want to be able to wear them still!

 

(I guess here's the one upside to a long-distance relationship - b/c the husband is about to start a job many miles away: when he's gone I can wear whatever I like! )

[Heartovmidnight]

A friend of mine is just getting started with the oils, but she's very very allergic to cinnamon - obviously she wants to avoid these scents like the plague.

 

Other than the ones that come up under a search for cinnamon on the website, which other oils do you know/suspect to have cinnamon as an ingredient? Any LEs would be helpful, as well.

 

Thanks in advance!!

[ajcj213499]

I'd contact the lab and ask...

 

Personally, I think that cinnamon would be listed as an ingredient in any blend (or at least more recent blends) that it was in (since it's a known allergen). This round of Chaos Theory was specifically stated to have no cinnamon (or cassia) in any of the blends because of many people's reactions to it...

 

I'd contact customer service though...

 

 

 

 

edited for typos

Edited January 6, 2007 by Arylkin

[Babylon]

Blood Moon is the first and worst I can think of! It gave me pretty, but painful, red welts.

[ajcj213499]

Here's a thread you might want to check out:

 

http://www.bpal.org/index.php?showtopic=1531

 

about blends with cinnamon.

[teadragon]

Here's a general thread about allergies and BPAL, including advice on how to get information.

 

http://www.bpal.org/index.php?showtopic=5002

[SeaLady]

Has anyone had a little reaction to civet? My boy just told me his skin turns red when he puts on Satyr. He says it doesn't itch or anything, and goes away after a little bit, so it's probably fine to use, I just am curious about which note it is, and to make sure that's ok ^^

[gwynhwyfar]

I tend to have problems with commercial perfumes, and hardly any with Bpal. Some of the jasmines do give me headaches, so I avoid those.

 

I have that with commercial perfumes, as well. I worked out that I'm allergic to the perfumer's alcohol (mostly by virtue of trying to use it with oils about 8 years ago). So now ... I just avoid the commercial perfumes, except when something tempts me enough that I'm willing to cope with consequences. (Hypnotic Poison being the only commercial perfume to tempt me that much in ages and I found an oil dupe of it so ... happiness!)

 

Sometimes I have it with oils, because there are some notes that I'm allergic to but I just avoid them. Or try to! I have had a few unhappy surprises in blended oils, which is why I don't do the Chaos Theory things with BPAL. I fear the potential of a surprise that leads to not being able to breathe. *grins*

[marietta]

Here's my pickle --

 

I'm not allergic to anything but cats, and have never had any difficulty with commercial fragrances or BPAL until today, when I tested Haunted for the first time.

 

Within a minute of application, my voice started to roughen and deepen, and continued to do so until it sounded like I had a bad case of bronchitis. In addition, my throat got itchy and I started coughing. It got a little better, so I went outside to go for a walk, but was so short of breath I had to come back home after about three blocks. Even now, after washing Haunted off three times, I get sneezy and my throat and voice get worse if I sniff my wrists.

 

I'm obviously going to avoid Haunted from now on, but would like help identifying the note that caused me problems, so I can stay away from it both in BPAL and in general. I don't think it could be the amber, 'cause I wear so many amber fragrances of all shapes, sizes and derivations. So that leaves the black musk accord. Any ideas what's in that sucker? All I could smell was amber, citrus and something piney.

 

Thank ye kindly!

 

p.s. I just remembered one thing that has caused a similar reaction in the past -- Simple Green. It's a natural cleaning product.

[quikslvr]

Do you have asthma? 'Cause that's exactly what that sounds like to me. And asthma attacks can be triggered by allergies.

[marietta]

Nope, no asthma. I was even tested when I had pneumonia a few years ago.