Why is liquid paraffin bad for the skin?

Justie

the first thing to do holistically speaking is to try and work out why your son gets the rashes and itchy skin - if you can then eliminate that then it will be the best outcome all round. In the meantime there are things like shea butter although you may find it's too thick to apply to large areas there are other plant based lotions available - various natural skincare companies do ranges of childrens salves and bath products etc that don't contain lanolin (a common irritant) and mineral oils or any other nasties. How old is your son? If he's very young then I wouldn't put anything in his bath but there are ranges like halos and horns http://www.halogb.co.uk/1.About%20us/index.html which are good. There's a whole load of products out there and whilst some are expensive there are plenty of cheaper ones too.

harryharp

Thanks Justie. I wish I knew what causes his rashes (he's 11 by the way). He's had them for as long as I remember and neither we nor the doctor can work out what triggers them off. Sometimes it's a kind of pimply rash and sometimes the whole area of skin goes red. I thought it might be washing powder, so I switched to one for sensitive skin, but he still gets rashes. I'll have a look on some natural skincare websites, and if anyone can recommend any particular products they have successfully used I'd be grateful to know. I've just ordered some shea butter as it was recommended in another post for hard skin on the feet. But you're right, it is quite solid in consistency and might be difficult to apply to large areas.

Justie

Has he never had patch tests? If not I would badger the GP to refer you to an allergy specialist.

It may be that the rashes are a result of something he's eaten rather than what comes into contact with the skin but the only way to know is to have a full battery of tests to isolate the trigger(s). I assume he has other allergies (hay fever, asthma etc) as it's unusual to just have recurring skin allergies and not any others. If this is the case it may be that his system is just overloaded and the skin is the next place for it to show - if you live somewhere urban with lots of airborne pollutants then the whole body is under stress most of the time so it can be a small trigger to then set off the next allergy... The problem with much of western medicine is that it's compartmentalised rather than holistic - if you present with a rash then that's what's treated not the cause nor the underlying reason it's there...

For your son I would say use as few products as possible - does he really need bath products? I would only use a shea butter or olive oil soap and then a lotion on his skin and nothing else. I would also look at using something like soapnuts (http://www.inasoapnutshell.com/index.html can be bought various places online or your local healthfood shop) rather than washing powder as even sensitive products often don't rinse out fully. I would also make sure his bed has an antidustmite type protector on it and try to reduce all those airborne allergens. But most of all I'd go back to your GP and get a referral, if it's been going on for a long time you deserve some answers.

harryharp

You're very helpful, many thanks. Strangely enough he doesn't have any other allergies- he did have asthma as a baby, but grew out of it by the time he was about 2.

Funnily enough I came across the soap nuts website after I read your last post, and have ordered a sample and give it a go!

I will definitely do as you suggest and go back to the gp though.

Thanks again.

buddingdentist

Have you tried Aveeno cream? It contains colloidal oatmeal as its moisturiser. Ask for it from behind the counter in any Boots or other pharmacy (no prescription needed).

keelykat

Hi, i had a patch test done and one of my allergies is lanolin-which is found in e45. but apart from that i do find that paraffin doesnt help my skin either, even though i was prescribed a moisturiser with it in from my dermatologist!

i have eczema, dry skin and several allergies and have been through four different steroid creams, moisturisers etc and none the doctors gave me worked....well if they did it wasnt for long. ive since looked into more natural creams, as this is a long term problem which i cant keep getting rid with nasty steroids etc. ive now found a really great cream from holland and barrett, a friend recomended it as it worked wonders for her.

kat.

harryharp

Many thanks Keelycat. What's the cream from Holland and Barrett called?

keelykat

harryharp wrote: »

Many thanks Keelycat. What's the cream from Holland and Barrett called?

It's called 'Allergenics'...not exactly cheap, but i got 3 for 2 again over the weekend, which made it a bit cheaper and as it works i dont mind (and prescription charges aren't exactly cheap if you compare).

http://www.optimah.com/shop/proddetail.asp?prod=20050623103158 -take a look here for details, they do washes/shampoos etc too.

keely.

harryharp

buddingdentist wrote: »

Have you tried Aveeno cream? It contains colloidal oatmeal as its moisturiser. Ask for it from behind the counter in any Boots or other pharmacy (no prescription needed).

Many thanks! I'm in the process of trying to get the free sample of this as mentioned in this week's newsletter, but keep getting an error sending the email.

I'm just wondering- I had a look on their website and found this:

'Oat proteins leave a protective barrier on the skin, which prevents water loss to help maintain moisture.'

Does this mean that (although it's a natural ingredient), it in fact works in the same way as liquid paraffin, ie. just acting as a block to prevent moisture loss, rather than nourishing and helping the skin repair itself (as explained by Justie above)?

harryharp

keelykat wrote: »

It's called 'Allergenics'...not exactly cheap, but i got 3 for 2 again over the weekend, which made it a bit cheaper and as it works i dont mind (and prescription charges aren't exactly cheap if you compare).

http://www.optimah.com/shop/proddetail.asp?prod=20050623103158 -take a look here for details, they do washes/shampoos etc too.

keely.

Yes, that does look good. Pity about the palm oil in it though- watched orangutan diaries recently and was quite sad when they showed the rainforests being destroyed for the production of palm oil, and all the baby orangutans losing their homes- it was quite upsetting to watch!