Spontaneous Allergic Reaction?

**AJS** · 06-20-2006, 05:12 AM

Despite my new found zeal for anything Nancy Boy, I still have a special fondness for my DR Harris Almond Shave Cream. Realising that I hadn't used it in over a week, I decided to use it this morning. I washed my face with Nancy Boy Facial Cleanser and set about lathering with my Harris cream. After I had lathered my face I noticed a mild burning sensation, I put this down to the fact that I had exfoliated the night before and set about shaving. After I had completed my first pass, and rinsed my face I noticed that I had turned a very unattractive beetroot colour. Mildly concerned but not wanting to abort midshave, I relathered. The burning was there again, not unbearable but certainly uncomfortable. Doggedly refusing to give up I lathered a third time and when I had finished the shave I stood staring in the mirror, bemused at the sight of the man who was the colour of a well cooked lobster looking back at me.
To me there a rethree potential explanations:
1: The Slant Bar/ Feather combo. Seeing as this setup hardly makes an impact on my bristles I doubt it is damaging the skin.
2: A sudden allergic reaction to the Harris cream. Possible. I have suffered from spontaneous allergic reactions before. But the Almond cream is formulated with the more sensitive skin in mind, so again unlikely.
3: The Nancy Boy Facial Cleanser acted as a catalyst and caused the reaction with the cream. This is the most likely solution. Despite claims to the contrary, I found this cleanser to be quite harsh. Whilst it has cleared my skin up considerably and evened out my complexion, I find that it leaves my face feeling somewhat tight after I have used it.
Out of the three options I have a prime suspect, but I would appreciate any input. For me the main concern is the potential ramifications of this reaction. When I have had them in the past they have remained constant; and whilst I wouldn't be heartbroken at having to give up the NB Facewash (eventhough it is quite good) I would be heartbroken to have to give up my Harris Almond cream.
Any ideas or suggestions will be most appreciated.
Warm regards,
Alex

**Sue** · 06-20-2006, 05:47 AM

Alex,

I know of two instances of irritation with my SCS soap. BOTH were with Almond. (One gentleman put it aside for some time and tried it again later and did not have irritation.) The other had no irritation with another of my soaps, in a different fragrance.

I don't know this for certain, of course, but I think Almond is the culprit in the case of my soaps. All things being equal, the fragrance is the only differing factor.

Having read many of the threads here and on SMF, it seems the fragrance of Almond is mentioned more frequently, as an irritant, than any other fragrance, irregardless of brand, cost, etc.

You may want to do a patch test with any Almond prior to trying it again. Mix up a very small amount of lather and apply a tad to the inside of your elbow. Leave it dry and remain there for 8-12 hours then look for redness or irritation.

Do you have any type of reaction to eating almonds or peanuts such as nasal congestion or itchy throat, etc.?

Sue

**AJS** · 06-20-2006, 06:50 AM

Thankyou for the response Sue. I don't have any food allergies (none that I am aware of anyway) I know for certain that I don't have any nut allergies, but it is worrying when you highlight just how problematic the almond scent can be as a source of irritation. Like I posted earlier I really like this cream and would be most reluctant to give it up, but given the instances of irritation that you mention I may not have a choice. I always understood that the high protein levels in nuts were the major causative agent for nut allergies, so I wonder howcome the allergic reaction is so prevalent in almond scented shave creams? Anyway, I shall do a skin patch test tonight and see what happens.
Warm regards,
Alex

**Sue** · 06-20-2006, 07:01 AM

Hi Alex,
Please post your results from the skin test. That will be very interesting.

If you do a search of 'Irritation', I think you will find Alnond stands tall among the top fragrance to irritate.

Almond is one of my favorite soaps to make and also very popular amongst my customers. You are not alone in your enjoyment of the fragrance.
Best, Sue

**Scotto** · 06-20-2006, 11:36 AM

Your best bet is to try and isolate the sources. Use one item without the others and rotate through until you find the culprit. Good luck.

**Phog Allen** · 06-20-2006, 05:45 PM

I'm sorry to hijack your thread Alex but this does pertain to your query about the almond scents. You see, an almond scented shave lather is one of the few products that I have not tried. When I got into this upscale shaving(or should we call it what it is? Proper shaving.)the one thing I did not have an interest in was almond scented lathers. EVERYBODY who makes this stuff has one and they are all different from what I gather. Now that I've a few years of this under my belt, I'd like to try a GENUINE almond scented lather. Yet I'm reluctant because now that Sue has mentioned it, I do see a lot of guys either asking or complaining about almond scents. I don't want to run into something like you did with the Harris though as you've have rightly menitoned, the face wash could have easily played a role. So....

Here's som questions for Sue. When you speak of almond fragrance complaints, are you alluding to synthetic fragrance oils or essential oils? I ask for two reasons. First, quite frequently I see gents posting about an almond scent and reporting that it has a sweet/cherry note to it. I ASSume that this would be a fragrance oil scented product? Two. Having made that assumption, is a genuine almond essential oil or absolute available? If so, is it just too expensive, a la rose absolute, for practical application in toiletries? I like almonds. That is, fresh roasted almonds. Quite the gastronomical delight. They smell heavenly as well. I would really like to try a good hard soap or cream with scented with real almond EO or extract of some sort. Now don't get me wrong, a lot of people get hung up about FO vs. EO. I've found that most times I prefer an EO scented product but I learned long ago that natural does not always equal better. I know these are extreme examples but take poison ivy and rattlesnake venom. Both are all natural and available in great abundance where I live. However, I can assure you that I want neither on my skin or in my bloodstream! The same goes for any of the spice oils. Clove, cinnamon, nutmeg, mace. Forget it. Burn city. So while I have a rudimentary understanding of EO vs. FO, I still come back to the almond question. I just never see the distinction made in almond products as to whether they are FO or EO scented products. Sorry for the long string of questions but I just need some information from someone who knows this sort of product. Thanks

Regards, Todd

**Dinder1** · 06-20-2006, 06:15 PM

I had to return my C&E almond cream, it burned my face for a good ten hours straight, I had to wash my face as soon as I got home from work. DJ.

**Sue** · 06-20-2006, 09:49 PM

Todd,
First I would like to say I am NOT any expert on EO applications in any way nor in the context of an herbalist.... i.e., if you use Lavendar it will calm you and help you sleep better, XX will wake you up or this EO will cure your itchy skin.

I mainly use F/O's as opposed to E/O's. The primary reason is cost. I honestly don't think the quality of a shave with my soap will be improved with an EO; at the price increase I would have to pass on to use EO. I don't think shaving with an 'energizing' EO will make you feel as awake as say a coffee or diet coke or better yet, get more sleep. I just find it difficult to justify the price I would have on my products if I used all EO. A current eBay auction for 10 ml of Almond Essential Oil is 10.99 + 5 shipping or $16 bux for .338 ounce. Premium grade Almond FO is approximately $2.00 per ounce or a bit less.

An EO is just as possible to cause irritation as an FO. If you are sensitive to any product, I think it is good sense to use a 'Patch Test".

I know there are those who prefer EO's and generally will have to pay more for the product.

I love the analogy you used of Rattlesnakes and Poison Ivy !!

Sue

**AJS** · 06-21-2006, 03:22 AM

I did the skin patch test and there was no reaction

However, just because it doesn't irritate the skin on my arm doesn't mean that it won't burn my face again, unfortunately. So I have decided to discontinue the Nancy Boy Facial Cleanser. This is in no way a criticism of this product, the results were very good all round, it's just not suitable for me. As for the almond I'll have to lay off for a while

but I hope the Nancy Boy was the root cause.
Thanks for the advice,
Warm regards,
Alex

**PottyDoctor** · 06-21-2006, 03:52 AM

Alex,

I have made several posts about my sensitivity to several lather products. My most recent sensitivity was to C&E Almond! Both the cream and the soap. I was thoroughly disappointed, especially after reading many rave reviews about the efficiency of the C&E Almond. I thought maybe it was just a reaction to the C&E, so I bought a tub of D.R. Harris Almond [love D.R. Lavender]. The burn is still there with the D.R. Harris Almond, but not nearly as bad as the C&E. I have had three shaves with it and although it is not unbearable, it is uncomfortable and I notice the burn/irritation continues for several hours.

I too am a Nancy Boy Shave Cream fan! But I still like a little variety. However, of the "variety" I have used, the list of irritating creams and soaps is much longer than the list of non-irritating creams and soaps. It is really a trial and error process and I don't have to tell you it is an expensive one.

As for the NB Facial Cleanser, I do use it, but not on a regular basis. Only when I come home from work and wash my face have I sometimes used the NB. I do feel it can be slightly harsh on sensitive skin and that is why I use only a very, very small amount; just a few drops. I really like its thin consistency and it is a great product but I will probably not reorder it.

**AJS** · 06-21-2006, 03:59 AM

Hi Ron,
Like you I find the list of products that irritates my skin is much longer than the list of those that don't. So far the Harris Almond has caused the worse reaction in terms of skin discolouration, but eshave white tea burns like battery acid (although I still like the scent) and more recently Taylor Avocado and Rose seem to be causing some problems. If you don't mind me asking have you tried Castle Forbes Lavender, GFT Coconut or Taylor Lemon and Lime? I have these on order and would be interested to know if anyone has had any real problems with these scents.
It's a shame the C&E Sweet Almond Oil keeps coming up as a source of irritation, I was looking forward to trying it

Warm regards,
Alex

**PottyDoctor** · 06-21-2006, 05:13 AM

Originally Posted by AJS

Hi Ron,
Like you I find the list of products that irritates my skin is much longer than the list of those that don't. So far the Harris Almond has caused the worse reaction in terms of skin discolouration, but eshave white tea burns like battery acid (although I still like the scent) and more recently Taylor Avocado and Rose seem to be causing some problems. If you don't mind me asking have you tried Castle Forbes Lavender, GFT Coconut or Taylor Lemon and Lime? I have these on order and would be interested to know if anyone has had any real problems with these scents.
It's a shame the C&E Sweet Almond Oil keeps coming up as a source of irritation, I was looking forward to trying it

Warm regards,
Alex

Alex,

I currently have CF Lavender on order from QED and should be here today or tomorrow I think. GFT Coconut I have tried for one shave and could not get past the scent. Have not tried Taylor Lemon Lime; however the Avocado did cause problems for me. As far as Taylor Rose, I can ONLY use the old formulation; the new formulation [identified by a sticker on the lid instead of printed directly on the lid] is like painting my face with kerosene! I wrote them an email and they said they have never heard of any reaction...hardly believable. There is a long post here concerning the whole reformulation thing.

I am still testing other creams as I can justify buying them, so maybe we can keep other posted on successes and failures. I also have some Tabac soap coming in this QED order; I will update after I try it.

**AJS** · 06-21-2006, 05:57 AM

Ron,
I have some Tabac shaving soap on order from Shavemac. The one thing that you see written about it most often, is that despite its impressively strong scent it doesn't seem to cause any irritation for those with sensitive skin, so fingers crossed for that one.
Warm regards,
Alex

**Phog Allen** · 06-21-2006, 02:28 PM

Thank you Sue. I suspected the costs were prohibitive. Simply because I have yet to see a product exclaim that it's scented with almond EO. Indeed, next to rose absolute, with almond EO you'd have one of the most expensive shave soaps around! It is truly amazing to me that certain EO's are so expensive compared to the supply quantity of raw product available. The rose absolute is a prime example. I doubt there is a more cultivated flower on the face of the planet than roses. Every colour, size, and strength of scent is out there. Yet, the absolute is one of the most expensive products you can buy. Higher per oz. I think than genuine Mysore sandalwood oil which is not even grown in the U.S. At least I don't think it is. Just strange. Bloody almonds. MILLIONS of tons of the danged things are grown each year. There has to be a huge supply of almond trees available to get the EO from. Yet here it is at anywhere from $30-50 per ounce depending on what vendor you get it from. I looked at a few places online. Yeesh. Thanks for the help. BTW, in my infinite senility I failed to remember that I'd picked up a bowl of the C&E almond oil shave cream a few weeks ago. Very nice smelling stuff and it works great. It still doesn't smell like roasted almonds though!

Regards, Todd