Talking Allergies

With my daughter's food allergies, I play it very safe, and when I'm home all day, cooking 3 meals, I can wash my hands with soap at least 30 times in a day to make sure they're clean, especially when we have her allergens on the menu. I don't really have a choice, but it's doing a number on my hands, especially with the cold and dry winter. I have red and chapped hands, and I've tried tons of creams to no avail... I did the Vaseline Intensive Care, Ives Rocher, and even more expensive stuff like Vichy, but it soothes for about an hour and then the itchiness and redness come back.

Anyone found a solution to this?

Thanks,

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Me - Kim - No allergies
DH Ben - 31 - Allergic to nuts and peanuts, lots of environmental allergies.
DD Anne - 4 - Asthma. Allergic to dairy, eggs, mustard, kiwi, peanuts, wheat and barley... for now...
DS Francois - 1 - No allergies so far...

I put vaseline (like the real, greasy stuff) on my hands before bed. It seems to work quite well at turning a dry, chapped hand into healthy looking skin by morning.

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DD age 9 1/2 -peanuts, nuts,
DD age 7 1/2 - milk, eggs, chicken, peanuts, treenuts, cats, dogs,
DS age 2 1/2
Husband- asthma, eggs, treenuts, fish, shellfish environmental
Self - penicillan, eurithromiacin, mild laytex allergy.

I too like Vaseline. Have you tried a glycerin based product? Sometimes--and it is a little goopy--I use pure glycerin and hide my hands in socks.

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Zorianna.
Eczema and sensitive to gluten

You can buy "Creamy Vaseline" which I found works well. I also find the Dove handwash less drying. Lately I have been trying to use paraben - free products and I like the handsoap and lotion by Avalon.

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daughter: 6 years tree nuts, peanuts

One thing to watch out for, if you're allergic to nuts - lots of the richer creams use almond oil, I've found. Like the Aveeno creamy body wash, etc. I do use the normal Aveeno, though, and I find washing with Aloe Vera Softsoap at home helps to cut down on the dryness.

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ana to peanuts, nuts, eggs, shellfish, bananas
mild asthma and eczema, seasonal allergies

Hi, The best thing I know for chapping is Lansinoh - the lanolin cream for breast feeding. It is safe to ingest, helps with healing and a little goes a long way.

My DH and I have the same problem. I use Glysomed (unscented).

http://www.glysomed.com/products/

I don't put it on every every time I wash my hands, but pretty often. I have a tube in the car, by the sink, at work, at my home office desk and by the bedside... So you see, I use it a lot! I put a nice thick layer on before going to bed in particular.

I have been tempted to get one of those paraffin wax home spas. Maybe one day.

K.

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Karen, proud Mom of
- DS1 (12 yrs): allergic to cashews, pistachios, Brazil nuts, potatoes, some legumes, some fish, pumpkin seeds; OAS
- DS2 (1o yrs): ana. to dairy, eggs, peanuts; asthma

I usually use Moisturel lotion. I have a couple of heavy duty creams that are typically for wound care and unfortunately, are not commercially available (they can be purchased directly from the manufacturer in Waterford Ontario (not very convenient!). If my skin is so chapped that it begins to crack, at night I will I use Nexcare (liquid bandaid) over the crack, then Moisturel. By morning, usually the crack has healed.

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14 yr old daughter: no health issues
11 yr old son: allergic to peanuts, tree nuts, eggs, fish, sesame, sunflower, mustard, poppy seeds, green peas, some fruits, instructed to avoid all other legumes (except soy & green beans), pollen, cats, horses

I use Glaxal Base moisturiser. It is think but non-greasy and fast absorbing.
I agree that it is a problem especially at this time of year.

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Moderator
Daughter: asthma, allergies to egg, milk, peanuts, tree nuts, most legumes (not soy) & penicillin. Developing hayfever type allergies.
Husband: no allergies
Me: allergies to some tree that flowers in May
Cat: allergic to beef, pork and lamb

I wash my hands all the time as well. I use either Aquatain (unscented) hand cream or a moisturizing cream by Quorum Allergy.

Quorum Allergy:

http://www.quorumallergy.com/

not an environmentally friendly suggestion---but if your hands can't take the constant washing, you could consider using disposal gloves sometimes for food preparation.

also, when my hands get bad, I find it helps them heal if I bring bar soap with me most places (I find the soaps in public washrooms to be hard on my skin in the winter.)

I definitely try to use rubber gloves when washing the dishes, although sometimes I have to force myself to put them on because I am always putting my hands in water, so it seems like I am putting them on and taking them off all the time. But I do notice a big difference in my hands if I don't use rubber gloves.

That's the best time to put on lotion or cream - right after you dry your hands. It seals in the moisture - at least until the next time you wash your hands - which is usually about 5 minutes later for me. LOL.

K.

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Karen, proud Mom of
- DS1 (12 yrs): allergic to cashews, pistachios, Brazil nuts, potatoes, some legumes, some fish, pumpkin seeds; OAS
- DS2 (1o yrs): ana. to dairy, eggs, peanuts; asthma

As my daughter has a reaction to water. I use a product by EGO called SILIC 15 a protective barrier treatment.It protects the skin from irritation and prevents dryness of the skin but it doesnt stop an itchiness that may occur.

Renew lotion by Melaleuca has tea tree oil in it - very healing - not greasy and soaks deep down into skin . My hands used to always be chapped, cracked and bleeding....never have been in the past few years that I've used this product. Not available in stores but easy to get...... pm me and I'll tell you how

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4 out of 6 of us nut allergic (mom & 3 kids) - hey, who needs 'em! we're nutty enough!

If you're going to wear ruber gloves to wash dishes, lather up with your favourite moisturizer first and get an intensive moisturizer therapy while you wash the dishes!

The heat helps the moisturizer penetrate the skin.

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Moderator
Daughter: asthma, allergies to egg, milk, peanuts, tree nuts, most legumes (not soy) & penicillin. Developing hayfever type allergies.
Husband: no allergies
Me: allergies to some tree that flowers in May
Cat: allergic to beef, pork and lamb