Allergic contact dermatitis

[auburn1]

After 18 months of chronic itching & rash all over my body (especially hands and scalp) and rubbing on all sorts of steroid creams and emolients prescribed by my GP, I have been totally cured. Yes, seems like a miracle I know...my hands were dry, cracking and full of tiny blisters and I was constantly told by doctors it was 'Pompholyx Eczema'. I finally managed to get myself referred to a dermatologist and get a patch test done. 82 different chemicals stuck on my back while I went about my work and rest for 48 hours but boy was it worth it!! Only one patch, a mixture of two preservatives, methylchloroisothiazolinone/methylisothiazolinone caused an angry reaction, all the rest...fine. I went home armed with an A4 sheet explaining all about the allergen which is used in many cleansing products in order to kill bacteria & fungi (basically, to improve shelf life!!) The dermatologist said to check shampoos, washing up liquids, dishwasher products,etc I was using as this chemical would have to be clearly written on the list of ingredients by law, because it is a known allergen. Well, to my astonishment, I found that it was indeed clearly marked on the list of ingredients of both of my regular shampoos (Tresemme & Head & Shoulders), Fairy washing-up liquid, Comfort water softener, anti frizz hair serum & dishwasher rinse aid I'd been using. You can easily get other products without this preservative if you're prepared to scrutinize ingredients (I now carry a magnifying glass when shopping) Would you believe, this quite toxic chemical is also in baby wipes and bubble baths. It is banned in Canada & restricted in Japan (lower concentrations) Hope this helps some of you....I was at my wits end so feel it's my duty to spread the word