When I used cleaning products with almond oil in them, our allergist assured me the oils were so highly refined that they wouldn't cause reactions for my nut-allergic son. And she was right—in our case, we never had an issue at all. That said, I know many others who've had mysterious reactions and can't seem to pinpoint the causes, so this latest buzz in the allergy community is interesting. And alarming. And disappointing.
Scratch or Sniff is a site that offers information about allergies, asthma, and eczema, owned by Roo Ciambriello, an allergy parent herself. Earlier this week, an article posted on Scratch or Sniff called out some major household cleaning products for containing peanut, almond, and sesame oils. Undeclared oils, at that. Masked as “fragrance.”
Well, crap. I was hoping it was just another alarmist piece, but even after digging into it a bit more, it seems that this is a legit thing about which we need to be aware, even though the actual threat is still pretty vague.
As noted in the piece:
"...P&G has not been forthcoming on its stance (that peanuts are diluted, but check with your allergist) since then. Could, however, using these products be harmful to the health of a food-allergic child? If a family uses Febreze on furniture, Swiffer wet wipes on floors, Dawn on dishes, Tide on clothing, and Pampers and Ivory on skin, could the aggregate amount contribute the overall decline of the health of a child?"
I encourage you to read the article to get the full picture of which products are affected, and what the specific ingredients are. If you are one of those who've had these mysterious reactions, perhaps these cleaning products are to blame? You never know. There's always a chance the oils are too highly refined to cause a problem, but it's always good to be aware, right?
As always, consult your allergist, and go with your gut.
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Being "Scentsitive" Is No Joke.
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