Why is liquid paraffin bad for the skin?

Celation

Thanks for all of this information. It's invaluable.

I've been recently suffering from extremely irritating eczema. Only last night, I realised that all my eczema lies below the water mark when I am lying in the bath. I've been using Oilatum (paraffin-based) emollient to counteract the eczema, and I now realise it's been inflaming it. When I get out of the bath, I'm rubbing on paraffin-based cream to seal in the moisture!

It's absolutely unbelievable that the health service continues to push this stuff when so many people react like this to it.

Being so aware of allergens recently, I have also noticed that what I eat makes a massive difference to the itchiness of my eczema. Some of my worst itching occurred when my young son was flinging around his pasta meal containing tomatoes, and I must have got some of it on my skin by accident. I didn't realise until I connected it with my diet, and saw that another bout of extreme itching occurred shortly after eating a chilli containing tomatoes, peppers, aubergine and chilli - all members of the nightshade family.

I've now cut out all nightshades from my diet, and have noticed a huge difference in the amount of irritation to my skin. Hopefully with the lack of paraffin too, I will finally see some improvement.

harryharp, you may wish to consider the dietary factor in your son's eczema. Apparently dairy foods can often be the trigger for children.

PS_Bangor

Just a couple more good creams to try - Barefoot Botanicals SOS range is good, and so is Purepotions Skin Salvation. Neither contains any liquid paraffin - also no paraben preservatives, DEA, TEA, synthetic fragrances, &no propylene glycol - as these ingredients can cause irritation for some people too. For babies these are fine too but there's also a German range called Logona - their baby range is very good.
(Also ref lanolin - not all lanolin is the same - if it is in an organic product it is less likely to irritate - as it comes from sheep who haven't been dosed in lots of nasty stuff!)
Hope this helps

keelykat

PS_Bangor wrote: »

Just a couple more good creams to try - Barefoot Botanicals SOS range is good, and so is Purepotions Skin Salvation. Neither contains any liquid paraffin - also no paraben preservatives, DEA, TEA, synthetic fragrances, &no propylene glycol - as these ingredients can cause irritation for some people too. For babies these are fine too but there's also a German range called Logona - their baby range is very good.
(Also ref lanolin - not all lanolin is the same - if it is in an organic product it is less likely to irritate - as it comes from sheep who haven't been dosed in lots of nasty stuff!)
Hope this helps

Hello, regarding lanolin-i went for a patch test and lanolin was one of three things im allergic to. so i have to avoid it completely!

keely.

christymm

Hello,I am also very itchy and ny dermatolagist pescribed aveeno with made me worse,so I am now useing allergenics witch you can get on perscription and it semms to be good,not sure if you can get the shower wash on script.

kitekat

I typed toxic toiletries into my search engine and it came up with loads of info on the names of toxic additives in skin and body care products and also the effect these toxins have on health,check it out its really interesting.

Swindon_Baggie

Hi

I use E45 loads, hate having dry hands after washing up, shower, washing hands, being in rain, etc! (Dry as in a micro fibre clothe will stick to them) but after reading this info I am not sure I want to use it anymore.

Any ideas on other good products to help?

Also if we are going to reduce our oil dependance, shouldn't we be avioding E45 and Baby oil, etc, like the plague if they contain Liqud Parafin

debtdestroyer_2

ive had ecx' for as long as i can remember and find creams such as e45 do dry out my skin. i have found a white soft paraffin ointment called bells emolient 50 which is chea and works wonders. stop me from itching and my exc' spreading.

floyd

I have had eczema and contact dermatitis for a long time. Been seeing an allergy specialist recently and I took along the stuff I have been using, she scanned through it and said "Yep thats great, no lanolin, mineral oil, preservatives, alcohol or parabens, keep using it"
I have mentioned it before but for those who might not have seen its called Salcura, the intensive spray is great for getting rid of the burning itchiness that makes you scratch more and the zeoderm is a great general moisturizer that stops the breakouts ever starting

RoseFairy

Celation wrote: »

Thanks for all of this information. It's invaluable.

I've been recently suffering from extremely irritating eczema. Only last night, I realised that all my eczema lies below the water mark when I am lying in the bath. I've been using Oilatum (paraffin-based) emollient to counteract the eczema, and I now realise it's been inflaming it. When I get out of the bath, I'm rubbing on paraffin-based cream to seal in the moisture!

It's absolutely unbelievable that the health service continues to push this stuff when so many people react like this to it.

Being so aware of allergens recently, I have also noticed that what I eat makes a massive difference to the itchiness of my eczema. Some of my worst itching occurred when my young son was flinging around his pasta meal containing tomatoes, and I must have got some of it on my skin by accident. I didn't realise until I connected it with my diet, and saw that another bout of extreme itching occurred shortly after eating a chilli containing tomatoes, peppers, aubergine and chilli - all members of the nightshade family.

I've now cut out all nightshades from my diet, and have noticed a huge difference in the amount of irritation to my skin. Hopefully with the lack of paraffin too, I will finally see some improvement.

harryharp, you may wish to consider the dietary factor in your son's eczema. Apparently dairy foods can often be the trigger for children.

sorry to be naive, but what are 'nightshade' family of foods/stuff/whatever?

cheering_bell

I had eczema as a child and unfortunately it's returned, leaving my hands and inner elbows in a red itchy scaly mess. So far I've tried, vaseline, doublebase gel, epaderm, bio oil, Morrisons cheapy hand and body moisteriser and apple cider vinegar. They all initially improve the skin for 3 to 7 days, then they seem to irritate it, making the itching worse. Does anyone have this trouble? Finding their miracle cure turning into an allergen after a few days?