All Natural Does Not Necessarily Mean Non-Allergenic

My youngest son has always been one of those kids with super sensitive skin. Born a redhead like his mother, he only has to hear the word "sun" and he becomes lobster red. In the same vein his skin has always been sensitive to the point of having to be careful which lotions we used on his chapped cheeks in the wintertime or suffer the consequences. One time in particular I remember was when he was about 18 months old. All of a sudden one day his face broke out in a reddish rash with raised hives. It was a frightening experience for me and an uncomfortable one for him as well.

Naturally I rushed him to the doctor who did a complete check of his body. Strangely enough the rash was only on his cheeks and not his arms, legs or torso. The doctor was naturally concerned the rash might be a precursor to strep throat and even did a culture on the poor guy for strep. After the test came back negative, we began to look at allergies. We eliminated new foods, drinks or even clothing and I assured her that the soap I was using on him in his bath was the same as always.

Then she asked ME a strange question. Had I begun using a different soap, perfume or lotion? I realized that I had done exactly that. I have very dry skin in the winter as well and had just changed to a new face moisturizer. I recalled that I had wiped my hands on his chapped cheeks the day before when I was using the moisturizer myself, to help his dry skin as well. That was it! He was allergic to my skin cream. Leaving with instructions to administer benedryl in a very small doses and orders not to apply any lotion other than baby lotion to my son's sensitive skin, we went home much relieved. In a day or so, his baby soft skin was again back to normal and I was breathing easier.

Since that point, I have always been very careful about my son using anything but the mere basics on his skin, hoping he would in time, grow out of his skin sensitivity. Fast forward to age 9 and what I thought was a typical day in 4th grade.

Last Thursday morning, I received a phone call from the school nurse informing me my son had a strange rash and hives on his back, torso, arms and legs and that the hives seemed to be hot. As my son was obviously uncomfortable, she suggested I come to take him home. When Boo got home I was shocked by the look of his skin! Not only was it red and angry looking, but he had hives the size of a man's fingernail in several places.

Immediately I went over the basics of what my son had been exposed to in the past day or so. No new food or clothing, but after much thought it occurred to me that he had used a new shower gel toted as being "all natural" the night before. After sending him to take another shower with IVORY soap, I looked closer at the label on the shower gel. What I found there was definitely eye opening, at least for this mom. I found not just aloe, olive oil and glycerin but I also found Camellia leaf extract, and lemon grass extract.

After doing some checking with a physician and online, I discovered that one or both of these two extracts could very well be the problem for my son. Although Camellia leaf extract is not usually an allergic substance except in extreme instances, lemon grass extract has been known to show allergic signs in individuals with sensitive skin like my son. As I read further I discovered that many ingredients used in "all natural" items actually had been the cause of skin irritations such as rashes, hives and much worse. His was a case of allergic dermatitis and though concerning, was quickly diagnosed and treatment began before the rash was unbearable.

Long story short, my son's skin is now backing to normal thanks to judicious applications of benedryl and hydrocortisone cream. Lesson well learned from this incident, for his mom at least, is not to assume that advertiser's claims of "all natural" ingredients also mean "non-allergenic" as well. My advice for all parents and caregivers would be to check labels closely if you are purchasing items for individuals with sensitive skin and keep a journal of those items that you know cause irritations.

There are many products on the market that are toted as "all natural" and while most are safe to use, you may find one that causes symptoms that are less than desirable. So, if you happen upon an unexplained rash, look for new products you might have used and if at all possible take the container to the doctor's office with you. That ingredient list may well be the information you need to soothe not only troubled skin but a troubled mind as well.

Thanks for reading and keep checking those labels on products folks. It's becoming more and more important as the days go on to be well informed as to what we put on our skin, as I found out the hard way.