eczema is a typical sign of a gluten intolerance and when you become 100% gluten free it will go away.

I get all over itching when I eat foods I shouldn't. Unfortunately my personal list is pretty long. If I stay clear of them I'm good. A good elimination diet for a couple of days would help you out to see if it is anything in you diet. It's pretty strict but so useful and the stricter the better. For the longest time my dermatologist told me is was due to my psoriasis, lotions, detergents, clothing, etc. My elimination diet proved otherwise. Too bad it took me 30 years to try it out.

Since it is winter are you wearing wool or acrylic,(I've become allergic to both) also some cotton sweaters they are adding ramie(it is very itchy)to them. Tide gives my family a terrific rash. If you are overheating your body the sweat can start up the eczema, GD has to be very careful not to get too warm so she wears layers that she can quickly remove if she gets in place that is too warm. Lot of products have changed ingredients so I now have to see if it's different than last time I bought it.

Agree with sunnyca_gw. I once had a black sweater that made me itch. When I washed it, the whole sink was pitch-black ... the dye was what caused irritations. From that time, I buy white or lighter clothes. My sister swore that Tide gave her rash also. We use Purex (hypoallergenic), and have zero problems. Zest soap cause me rash, but I have zero problems with Dial or Irish Spring. I don't use anti-bacterial soap whatsoever, since Triclosan has bad effects.

Some of the Chinese-made gloves, both latex and nitrile, as well as wool & acrylic are heavy on the chemicals ... also cause rash.

I kept having rash across my right hand, that's where it's in contact with those Chinese-made hair-band (rough acrylic). So I cut my hair short, no need to tie my hair up, and no more rash.

Son called me in middle of night. Had taken a shower before bed & was covered with rash. I said did you change soap in bathroom, no, what about tide, you are allergic to it. yes, it was on sale! Solution take 2nd shower & dry off with undershirts you didn't take to Laundromat & rewash everything you washed yesterday ! They use Purex clothes soap too just like I do. I'm allergic to Ivory, Dove, witch hazel & cheap lipstick peels right off in about 10 min. & takes my top layer of lips with it. Sometimes I'm allergic to mascara on just my right eye! Allergies are weird. Good luck!

Thank you, sunnyca, for the info, much appreciated. I don't like Ivory, since the smell is offensive. My lips are constantly dry with Chapstick, so I switched to Neutrogena Natural lip-balm ($3) and it was amazing, it's made out of natural oils like sesame oil, shea butter, olive oil, etc... It's worth paying $2 for something that I use everyday ... less need to apply, since it's more effective.

My local store has tons of Gold Bond Lotion for Diabetes & Dry skin. I don't have diabetes but bought it just because it's on sale. THE WORST RASH ON MY HAND. Upon reading its LONG LIST of 2 dozen chemicals, with many alcohols, I found that it has chamomile ... I'm allergic to chamomile since it's in the ragweed family. So I bought Argan oil Pure Argan oil on Amazon ... that's when it was on sale for $15. It worked great, better than olive oil, almond oil, avocado oil, and Aveeno .. it doesn't grease up my keyboard and mouse, plus doesn't reek of perfume. Argan oil is a natural oil from a fruit eaten in Morocco.

My major is computer science, minor in chemistry .. I finally solved my past years of intense-right-hand-itch, resulting in bleeding cracks in the skin. It's only the right hand ... which is frequently in contact in soap, detergent. Both latex and latex-free (nitrile) gloves didn't help, only made it worse. My kid had the WORST eczema when she was a baby, she scratched until she bled .. it stopped when she took shower, rather than bath .. now we use White rain-body-wash (blue mist), and it rinsed off quickly. Johnson baby shampoo was DRYING and hard to rinse off ... she suffered for years as a baby.

I checked all forums on eczema, many people report breaking out in rash from using Tide and Gain, but NO problems with Purex ... I have been using Purex Free & Clear for over a decade, zero problems. I used the wrong laundry detergent 20 years ago . major rash and had to rewash my clothes.

In solving my eczema-right-hand's intense itch & bleeding cracks, I read a article written by an M.D. on what cause diaper rash. He stated when the skin becomes irritated by the high pH of soap or lotion, then rash occurs. My current hard-well water is very alkaline, at pH past 8.5. In another city (more neutral water) I used Zest bar soap and had entire-body rash. I checked the ingredients for Zest and found this statement on their website: "Zest Bar Soap has 9x more Glycerin than the leading anti-bacterial bar soap." I checked the pH of Glycerin, it's between 8 to 11, very alkaline.

Gold Bond lotion intensifies my right-hand itch, resulting in many bandages. I checked the ingredients "Water, Glycerin, Hydroxyethyl Urea, Dimethicone, Jojoba Esters, Petrolatum, Cetyl Alcohol, Distearyldimonium Chloride, Stearyl Alcohol, Cyclopentasiloxane, Cetearyl Alcohol, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Glyceryl Stearate, Methyl Gluceth 20, Oat), Chamomilla .." Glycerin is very alkaline, plus many drying alcohols, plus chamomile (in the ragweed family). Curel lotion tortured my hand with itch, with ingredients: "Water, glycerin, petrolatum, eucalyptus leaf, orange peel oil ... more alcohols."

Aquaphor, great for dry skin, but doesn't help to lessen the itch. Ingredients according to eHow are: "Glycerin and bisabolol are two plant-based ingredients found in Aquaphor. Glycerin, is a moisturizer derived from the fatty oils of the coconut. Bisabolol, an anti-inflammatory agent, comes from the chamomile plant." I'm allergic to chamomile (related to ragweed), plus I already tried coconut oil ... pores clogged, worst itch ever."

Eucerin has many formulas, some work, some don't. The one that didn't work for eczema contains "Water, Glycerin, Cetyl Palmitate, Mineral Oil, Caprylic/Capric, Triglyceride, Octyldodecanol, Cetyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Colloidal Oatmeal, Dimethicone, PEG-40 Sterate,Carbomer, Sodium Hydrixide, Phenoxyethanol, Benzyl, Alcohol, DMDM Hydantoin, Methylparaben, Ethylparaben." I already tried mineral oil, super-greasy, plus itch more.

The lotion that works for me now has mostly aloe vera gel, borage oil & jojoba oil. The aloe vera gel is very soothing to rash and bleeding skin-cracks. Lots of Amazon customers testified that it works for eczema. Price $11 for a big bottle, the clerk at the health-store recommended that to me:

http://www.amazon.com/ShiKai-Lotion-Therapy-Borage-8-Ounces/dp/B0012QYX18/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1425915465&sr=8-2&keywords=Borage+Oil+lotion

If your tap water is alkaline like mine, avoid lotions & soap with glycerin as the leading ingredient, which only raise the pH further and irritate the skin. My soap-bar holder broke, so I have to use body-wash, rather than bar-soap ... much less itch !! Compare the ingredients in Irish spring bar-soap, versus body-wash: Glycerin is the 3rd ingredient in bar-soap, versus being near the last ingredient (less) in body-wash:

Irish Spring Bar Soap Ingredients (Icy Blast) Soap (Sodium tallowate, sodium cocoate and/or sodium palm kernelate) water hydrogenated tallow acid, glycerin, coconut acid fragrance sodium chloride pentasodium penetrate pentaerythrityl tetra-di-t-butyl hydroxy-hydrocinnamate titanium dioxide ultramarines

Irish Spring Body Wash Ingredients This ingredient list is for the 8HR Scent System Hair & Body 15oz. Body Wash.

• water sodium laureth sulfate cocamidopropyl betaine decyl glucoside sodium chloride fragrance DMDM hydantoin glycol distearate polyquaternium-7 laureth-4 guar hydroxypropyltrimonium chloride citric acid glycerin

sunnyca is right about allergic reaction to Dove soap. I tried that for my kid when she had eczema as a baby and Dove didn't help !!! Here's a link to why Dove isn't good for the skin: Allergic to Dove soap ingredients?

An excerpt from that link: "So, we can see from this that from the whopping 17 ingredients in Dove’s sensitive skin soap:

• 11 ingredients may cause irritation or dry skin
• 5 are not known to irritate skin, but not really beneficial either
• A rather pathetic 2 ingredients are mild and gentle on your skin

Be aware also that some Dove skincare products contain almond oil."

Not all laundry detergents are the same. Let's look at the ingredients in Tide laundry detergent, with most complaints about rash. http://www.pgproductsafety.com/productsafety/ingredients/household_care/laundary_fabric_care/Tide/Tide_Liquid_Original.pdf

Technologywaterprocess aidalcoholethoxy sulfatesurfactantlinear alkylbenzene sulfonatesurfactantpropylene glycolprocess aidcitric acidcaptures soilsodium hydroxidepH neutralizerboraxcaptures soilethanolamineprocess aidethanolprocess aidalcohol sulfatesurfactantpolyethyleneimine ethoxylate polymersodium fatty acidssurfactantdiquaternium ethoxysulfatepolymerproteaseenzymediethylene glycolprocess aidlaureth-9surfactantalkyldimethylamine oxidesurfactantfragrancefragranceamylaseenzymedisodium diaminostilbene disulfonatebrightenerDTPAcaptures soilsodium formateprocess aidcalcium formateprocess aidpolyethylene glycol 4000process aidmannanaseenzymeLiquitint™ Bluecolorantdimethiconeprocess aid

Let's look at All Free & Clear detergent, which I used before for years with no problems. It's more expensive than Purex, but All Free & Clear is recommended bydermatologist. http://www.ehow.com/info_8209235_ingredients-clear.html

All has a much shorter list of ingredients than Tide detergent. See below:

2x Ultra Liquid (Regular)

• The ingredients in All Free & Clear 2x Ultra liquid are: water, sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate, ethoxylated lauryl alcohol, sodium silicate, sodium cocoate, sodium xylenesulfonate and stilbene disulfonic acid triazine derivative.Read more : http://www.ehow.com/info_8209235_ingredients-clear.html

GD just started a trial for eczema patients, daughter checked it out before she let her sign up. It works well with patients with related problems(psoriasis & asthma). They said you may have side effects for 4 days(headache, nausea etc) & then you are OK. Those that have been in the trials earlier or are still in them are thrilled with their progress. Something to do with receptors in the body. They are injections & they did have it in writing you could opt out any time. GD just had major outbreak on her face & really upset. I think she is starting it this week so will let you know. Some get the sterile water injection(saline I imagine) but if they do they can get the real treatment at end of trial at no cost for a certain amount of time. 1 person mentioned they had taken treatment for I think 18 mos & quit & was good for 6 mos & then had to start up again as it started coming back. They are hoping that if they are on it for longer they will no longer have eczema when they go off.

Hi sunnyca: Thank you for the info. and best wishes to your GD, please inform us of the result. There are many types of allergic reactions, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Type_II_hypersensitivity

Some allergic reaction happens at 1st exposure, such as peanuts or shellfish. Other allergic reaction, like hayfever (ragweed) or contact dermatitis takes REPEATED exposure to form. The Argan oil was great for my hand-eczema at 1st, then after few months of use, I break out in rash, and it made my hand bright red with rash. If you google Argan oil and rash, many people reported allergic reactions to that.

Dermatologist recommend Cetaphil, but different Cetaphils contain different nut products: almond oil, shea butter, and macadamia nut. See link below:

http://blog.onespotallergy.com/2011/04/cetaphil-products-tree-nut-allergy-warning/

I chose the Cetaphil which contain macadamia nut, and MY ECZEMA GOT WORSE, thanks to its alcohols & nut, despite 115 perfect 5-stars- rating on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Cetaphil-Moisturizing-Lotion-20-pack/dp/B0012ZTW2E Watching what I eat also help: I find that I'm allergic to pineapple, carrageenan & cottonseed oil. There's also a link between chewing gum and latex allergy.

Carrageenan is a red seaweed extract, added to many foods: soy milk, almond milk, coconut milk, ice cream, coffee creamer, cake-mix, cottage cheese. It's know to cause inflammation of the stomach, also eczema. Google "Carrageenan and inflammation" and you'll see.

Another food-additive is cottonseed oil. Cotton is a heavily sprayed crop. My kid breaks out in rash with Pepperidge farm cookies, has cottonseed oil. Betty Crocker brownie mix also has cottonseed oil, so does Ramen noodles and most cake-mixes. Google, "cottonseed oil" and you'll see that its protein structure is related to peanuts.

Hi Alanis: I checked out Papular Eczema. According to livestrong.com "Papular eczema is a form of atopic dermatitis, a chronic skin condition characterized by an itchy rash. One of several types of this widespread skin disorder, papular eczema strikes disproportionately among people of African and Asian descent and is far less common in Caucasians, according to DermatitisFacts.com." Sesame seed allergy is on the rise, http://www.theonlineallergist.com/article/sesame_allergy

Cross reaction between two-foods can make the symptoms more severe, see below link:

http://home.allergicchild.com/less-common-allergies-sesame/

"Cross-reactivity between allergens in sesame and allergens in other foods, including hazelnut, rye, kiwi, poppy seed, peanut, black walnut, cashew, macadamia, and pistachio, has been reported."

"Two seeds are in the Composite Family: Sesame and Sunflower. Poppy seed is in its own botanical group – the poppy family. Cottonseed is in the mallow family. Cottonseed oil is frequently used in manufactured products such as cookies or chips." Cotton is a heavily sprayed crop.

An excerpt from below link:

http://www.glutenfreeandmore.com/issues/4_8/sesame_seed_allergy-2025-1.html

"In just 50 years, sesame allergy has rocketed toward the top of the food allergy charts in developed countries. It’s No. 3 in Israel, where children are fed sesame products for protein and iron. In Australia, it’s No. 4. Canada and the European Commission now require sesame to be listed as a major allergen on food labels. "

I'm going to cut out my chewing gum habit. I chew Trident XtraCare, which was reported to cause rash by the below MedHelp forum: http://www.medhelp.org/posts/Childrens-Allergies/Allergic-To-Bubble-Gum/show/507537

Listed below are the allergens reported to be associated (clinically or immunochemically) with natural rubber latex. Degree of Association or Prevalence High (4) Banana, Avocado, Chestnut, Kiwi - See more at: http://latexallergyresources.org/cross-reactive-food#sthash.oSjTd6D9.dpuf

Pineapple and grapefruit also are known to cross-react with latex. I would eat grapefruit, then stick my hands in latex gloves, and it's a explosion of rash. Pineapple's enzyme is corrosive to the skin, that's why it's used as a meat-tenderizer. Gum used to be natural rubber, now it's synthetically made, some rubber with some plastic, see an excerpt from below link:

http://www.medhelp.org/posts/Allergy/Gum-allergy/show/776585

My kid told me she's allergic to banana since she was 4 years old. She kept telling me it gave her a tummy ache. I didn't believe her until I get the most awful rash when I resume banana. I put avocado oil to de-frizz my kid's hair .. then I get the worse rash when I chew gum at night or use latex gloves to wash dishes. Didn't know that avocado and banana cross-react with latex, until the latex-association put a warning, see below:

"Listed below are the allergens reported to be associated (clinically or immunochemically) with natural rubber latex. Degree of Association or Prevalence High (4) Banana, Avocado, Chestnut, Kiwi - See more at: http://latexallergyresources.org/cross-reactive-food#sthash.oSjTd6D9.dpuf

Pineapple and grapefruit also are known to cross-react with latex to a lesser degree. Gum used to be natural rubber, now it's synthetically made, from latex and plastic, lots of people report eczema with chewing gum:

http://www.medhelp.org/posts/Allergy/Gum-allergy/show/776585

From Asthma and Allergy Association:

http://www.aafa.org/display.cfm?id=9&sub=19&cont=267

"People with ragweed allergy may also get symptoms when they eat cantaloupe and banana. Chamomile tea, sunflower seeds and honey containing pollen from Compositae family members occasionally cause severe reactions, including shock."

From eHow: The banana allergy takes two forms. The first is an allergy to bananas caused by an allergic reaction to ragweed pollen. The second, and usually more severe reaction, develops because the allergens in bananas are similar to the allergens in latex. This is called the latex-fruit allergy, and people with it may also be allergic to avocado, kiwi and mango, among other fruits

Read more : http://www.ehow.com/facts_5009540_symptoms-bananas-allergy.html

Thanks to a Gardenweb poster who reported her allergy test result: sesame seeds and banana. I abstained from banana for 2 months .. my right hand was healing nicely. I came back to bananas the past 3 days: it's ungodly rash that spread to my left-hand, plus my neck.

My case is many-cross-reaction: ragweed plus latex in my gum-habit plus banana, pineapple juice. At first I thought it was sesame-seed, so I cut out that out, but my eczema didn't improve. Then I fed myself bananas on purpose, and my eczema is at its worst.

I'm going to cut out my chewing gum habit (4 sticks a day !!) I chew Trident XtraCare, which was reported to cause rash by the below MedHelp forum: http://www.medhelp.org/posts/Childrens-Allergies/Allergic-To-Bubble-Gum/show/507537

Rash usually come from a plant within a family .. if a person eats mango and cashew together (in the same family), the cross reaction makes the allergic reaction worse. Here's an excerpt from below link: "

oils in the RESINS of plants
such as poison ivy, mango, and cashew are ALLERGENIC. With cashews, heating them often neutralizes
the toxic oils from the shell. Sometimes the resin from the shell enters the
cashew and causes a reaction.

Remember, mangoes, cashews,
pistachios, ginko nuts, pink pepperconrs, poison oak, and poison ivy are all in the same family. If you’re
allergic to one, your most likely allergic to all."

" https://nutgourmet.wordpress.com/2012/01/21/beware-the-cashew-allergy-and-the-secret-mango-culprit/

Argan oil is from a tree nut, very similar to Pistachio. Lots of people report rash with Argan oil (used for hair & skin). In the past I got rash from eating cashew and pistachio. Then I was foolish to use Argan oil for the rash. And it got TWICE WORSE. If you google pictures of Pistachio versus Argan nuts … the clusters are similar. Recently I bought Cetaphil lotion (has Macadamia nut oil), and the rash got even worse !!! Macadamia tree is also a cluster-nut like Argan and pistachio.

I checked sesame seed allergy: beware of cross-reaction with foods in the same family, which makes the allergy worse. Below excerpt is from Wikipedia: " There appears to be cross-reactivity between sesame allergens and peanut, rye, kiwifruit, poppy seed, and various tree nuts (such as hazelnut, black walnut, cashew, macadamia and pistachio).[34][36]"

What I don't like about Cetaphil is some variety has macadamia nut, some has almond oil, some has shea butter. Plus Cetaphil forms a sticky coating on hands, feels VERY icky. Aveeno is much better, it's from oats. Aquaphor is another one I like for my rash, "Aquaphor, containing 41% petrolatum (active ingredient), temporarily protects minor cuts, scrapes, and burns;" Aquaphor aborbs better than Cetaphil thus less sticky residue. Aquaphor smells better too. Some Amazon folks complain about Cereva cream being too sticky and thick.

strawchicago, very interesting. I wrote down lot of what you said for my GD. She had 1st injection Monday & felt better tues. morning but could be just effect (I think it helps- like we often think when we try something new ) She is allergic to pinenuts which are often in a green sauce you dip Asian food in. That starts a different reaction-nonstop vomiting! They gave her pill under tongue at hospital (I still haven't found out what it is- but it does stop it quick) I hadn't thought about it but my daughter was allergic to eggs, orange juice (told to start giving these things to her at about 1 yr. & only did couple of days as she broke out for 1st time with eczema & chocolate (didn't eat any until 2-3 yrs)never had any after that for years, still can't have too much. Those allergies could start showing up in GD. Will let you know how the trial is working for GD.

GD update-so far so good. 1st week as was off steroids had some backlash(as always) but 2nd week improved & she is happy. Seems this allergy business is caused by a defective gene all of us sufferers have & dates back to plague. They think survivors had breakdown of gene & it is gradually getting worse with the generations. They think several diseases are tied together, allergic reactions, asthma, arthritis & even nasal problems of some kinds. Very interesting! Almost sounds like science fiction but makes more sense to me than anything I've heard before. So the shots would be a type of gene therapy I would think. DD said she is so sensitive to any kind of nuts that she has to quickly leave the room as she can feel reaction coming in her nose. I can tell if room air or outdoor air is to cool for me & if I will start getting a migraine. Took a long time for me to reach that point tho. GD uses only Aveeno or Aquaphor they work best on her rash.

Thank you, sunnyca_gw for the update. I find out that I'm allergic to the oil-wax used

to coat citrus fruits (esp. lemons). When I use ORGANIC lemons without

the oily wax, I have no problems. I find out that they also use cottonseed oil and

fungicides to wax lemons. I have a history of being allergic to preservatives such as

fungicides Sodium Benzoate and Potassium Sorbate in reduced sugar yogurt, yams,

and reduced fat salad dressings. To be safe, I no longer dunk lemons

into water like I used to. Here's an excerpt from below link: "

There are 21 fruits and vegetables that may be waxed: apples, avocados, bell peppers, cantaloupes, cucumbers, eggplants, grapefruits, lemons, limes, melons, oranges, parsnips, passion fruits, peaches, pineapples, pumpkins, rutabagas, squashes, sweet potatoes, tomatoes and turnips.

The waxes sometimes contain fungicides. Both the waxes and the fungicides are used to prevent spoilage, the former to retard moisture loss and prevent shriveling, the latter to prevent mold. Any fungicide allowed on the produce as it is grown may also be applied after harvesting, whether under the wax, in combination with it or alone.

Seven fungicides are approved for use on food crops after harvesting. Of those only one, benomyl, has undergone a complete review by the EPA. The agency says it has insufficent evidence of human risk in the others:

thiabendazole, ortho-phenylphenol, sodium ortho-phenyl phenate, imazalil, dicloran and sodium borate.

The EPA has classified benomyl a possible human carcinogen. In test animals, the chemical has caused birth defects, low sperm counts and mutations. Benomyl is registered for post-harvest use on apples, apricots, bananas, cherries, citrus fruits, mushrooms, nectarines, peaches, pears, pineapples and plums, either with wax or alone."

http://cooking.stackexchange.com/questions/32358/does-wax-on-citrus-fruit-make-the-zest-unsafe-to-eat-or-compromise-its-flavor

Another excerpt from above link to solve the problem with wax on citrus fruits,

which impart a bitter taste to the citrus zest. "

I've always just used warm (not hot) water, dish soap, and a soft brush to de-wax before zesting, and I've always been happy with the results. However, this question made me curious; in addition to beeswax, apparently carnauba (familiar from the carwash) and shellac are allowed - and warm water + dish soap would probably not adequately remove either of those."

I no longer trust orange juice, I would rather eat oranges (after peeling it). Here's Fox News on Jan. 2012: "Cola-Cola Co. said Wednesday it found an unapproved fungicide in orange juice made by Coke and its competitors, and alerted federal regulators that some Brazilian growers had sprayed trees with the substance.

The beverage giant, which makes Simply Orange and Minute Maid, would not say which brands had shown the fungicide. Both brands contain juice from Brazil." http://www.foxnews.com/health/2012/01/12/coke-says-it-found-fungicide-in-orange-juice/

Sesame-seed allergy has been on the rise. I was puzzled about it, since I consume lots of Bob's Mill ORGANIC sesame seeds (brown & tiny & round) with zero problems. But recently I bought the white Hulled sesame seeds (big, flat, white), and broke out with entire-body-rash. It has to do with the pesticides used on sesame seeds imported from India. Here's an excerpt from below link "N JUST two years, India's sesame seed exports have fallen dramatically -- by more than 75 per cent. While the government says this is due to higher prices in the domestic market, oilseed exporters contend it is because residues of banned pesticides have been detected in sesame seeds by importing countries, notably Japan and USA." http://www.downtoearth.org.in/node/30383

Sesame seeds from Australia are safe, but when the bag doesn't say what country it's from, most likely it's from India or China.

GD has problem part of time when she has pizza . DD thinks it has to be an herb as she eats spinach, mushrooms & cheese in other things & doesn't break out, what is in pizza sauce besides basil or oregano ? I have lemons, apples & oranges on trees & don't use pesticides ,but I do use dish soap & water & a nylon scrubbie to clean them off & other things like avocado, watermelon, cantaloupe, as people handle them at store or birds fly over or just dust & dirt in yard.

Hi Sunnyca_Gw: Agree with you on the pizza. Both my daughter and I break out in rash with commercial pizza. We either get Organic pizza, or make our own. When my kid was 4 years old, I read the ingredients on frozen pizza and found potassium sorbate (a fungicide) in the sauce, and bromate in the crust as dough-conditioner. There's a case study of the entire school broke out in rash, plus tummy ache, from an over-dose of bromate in the tortilla used in school's lunch. That's why we only eat Mexican foods made with corn, rather than wheat tortilla. The wheat tortilla has bromate, plus potassium sorbate or sodium benzoate as preservative. People think they are allergic to wheat, but they are actually allergic to the dough-conditioner (bromate), and preservatives (fungicides) in bread. There are people with gluten-sensitivity who make their own sourdough bread and have no problems whatsoever. Homemade bread has no preservative nor chemicals, plus being fermented like sourdough helps with the digestion of gluten.

Most countries banned potassium bromate, except for U.S.A. Here's an excerpt from link below: "Potassium bromate has been banned in European food products, as well as the United Kingdom, since 1990. Canada followed shortly thereafter in 1994. Sri Lanka in 2001, China in 2005, with Nigeria, Brazil, and Peru all banning this known carcinogen according to the latest report from Wikipedia." http://www.iodine-resource.com/potassium-bromate.html

Below link describes what's wrong with Pizza Hut, which lots of people reported breaking out in rash from: "Pizza Hut: There's modified food starch in the cheese, a foaming agent called dimethylpolysiloxane in the cheese breadsticks, potassium bromate in the garlic bread, eight dough conditioners in the pizza dough, potassium sorbate in some of the pizza sauce, and lots of artificial fillers in the meat toppings (textured soy protein concentrate, hydrolyzed soy, modified corn starch, etc.)". CBS news on Pizza Hut

eHow has an excellent article on The Harmful Effects of Food Preservatives. Here's an excerpt from eHow: "Common, harmful food preservatives include benzoates, bromates, butylated hydroxyanisole and butylated hydroxytoluene (BHA and BHT), sodium sulfites and sodium nitrate.

Sodium benzoate and potassium benzoate are preservatives found in pickles, flour, margarine, fruit juices, beer, salad dressing, soy sauces, toothpastes, mouthwashes and medicine. Benzoates are already linked to leukemia, cirrhosis of the liver and Parkinson's disease. Sodium benzoate also triggers allergies.

Potassium bromate appears in breads and rolls, acting to increase their volume. The Center for Science in the Public Interest notes that bromate itself can cause cancer in animals.

BHA and BHT are synthetic antioxidant preservatives used to keep fats and oils from becoming rancid. They commonly appear in cereals, chewing gum, vegetable oil, potato chips, snack foods and meats. The International Agency for Research on Cancer claims that BHA and BHT may carry carcinogenic properties

Sodium nitrate is used in curing meats such as ham, bacon, sausage and bologna. The Federal Drug Administration notes it can also worsen asthma and decrease lung function. Animal testing has shown that nitrous acid (the conversion of sodium nitrate when ingested), caused high rates of cancer. Germany and Norway have banned the food preservative.

Read more : http://www.ehow.com/list_7266239_harmful-effects-food-preservatives.html

*** Sodium sulfites is a well-known rash-trigger. Sulfites is high in red wine, if I have a small sip of red wine, that's enough to break out in rash. My sister, who also has hay fever (rag weed allergy) developed an allergic reaction to wine AFTER she retired. When she was young, she could drink wine with no problems. I think it has to do with the INCREASING use of pesticides in wine vineyard over the years.

For some, wheat-allergy is actually an allergic reaction to potassium bromate added to wheat products in this country: Another person reported on how she traveled to Hungary and feasted on bread with NO problems, despite her gluten-allergy in America. Others report how wheat crop in this country is doused in Glysophate (pesticide) versus other countries don't. Plus other countries don't BROMATE their flour nor bread like us Americans. It pays to buy ORGANIC, non-bromated flour like King Arthur. See below link: http://www.motherearthnews.com/real-food/gluten-intolerant-zm0z13aszmar.aspx

An noteworthy excerpt from above link: "I just read this article in the Aug/Sept issue and felt I had to comment immediately. I too have been having GI issues, over the past few years, after eating wheat-based foods. My 18 year old son has had ever more trouble. My family went to Italy in early June this year and spent 10 days eating bread, pasta and pizza every day, with NO GI ISSUES AT ALL. It was heavenly. I'd heard that GMOs were banned in most of Europe, and so I think our problem is with American wheat. Once we were back home I started buying organic flour and making breads, pasta and pizza and again, no GI issues. If I buy pasta in stores, I will only buy organic or pasta imported from Italy. I've talked about this whole thing with friends, and they've had similar experiences. So yes, I honestly feel that gluten is an American problem. And the ever-growing numbers of people over the last couple of decades reflects that. If you want to see a scary documentary about GMOs, see Genetic Roulette - The Gamble of Our Lives."

Thanks to the above post, I buy whole-wheat pasta imported from Italy .. and my family have no problems whatsoever. I pulled hundreds of dandelions & weeds this weekend, right hand broke out in rash. Apple cider worked initially at 1st, then the rash continued. I tried Milk of Magnesium. IT WORKED wonder in stopping the itch, better than Calamine lotion. The problem with calamine lotion is its high % of calcium hydroxide (calcium is a tensor & more irritating than magnesium). Milk of Magnesium is magnesium hydroxide and once magnesium is absorbed through the skin, it relaxes and smoothens skin-tissue, thus promote healing & stopping the itch. Here's an excerpt from below link:

http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2012/07/22/milk-of-magnesia-eases-heat-rash/

Others have found MoM useful on poison ivy, rosacea or eczema:

“Milk of Magnesia is FANTASTIC for rosacea, and it does a pretty good job on eczema. I use a cotton pad and dab it on affected areas morning and night. Let it dry, then apply whatever lotion or moisturizer you normally use. The moisturizer/lotion will make the white residue from the MoM disappear. Also, people with rosacea should not use foaming cleansers or toners with alcohol. They are too harsh chemically.

One reader told us:

“I am a man who has used MoM (milk of magnesia) to quickly and effectively treat both underarm rash and a rash in the genital area. The doctor recommended treating them with standard antifungal treatments, to no avail. I saw this and tried it and now swear by it. What a relief!”

Milk of magnesia (magnesium hydroxide) has drying properties when used on the skin. People report success using it for underarm odor,seborrheic dermatitis and acne.

Update on GD this is I think week 7 & she is doing great. They gave her 3 injection vials to do at home so she doesn't have to go to L.A. for 3 weeks. She is so happy(of course you always worry it will come back but this is longest time without antibiotics or steroid creams) she said the are working on getting the injections at place she will be at college so she can continue them. So success so far!

Hi Sunnyca_gw: I'm glad to hear that your GD is doing great with injection. I once spent over $1,000 on de-sensitization shots for my hay fever (ragweed allergy) and that didn't help. I went weekly for injections, but after spending that much money, the doc told me it didn't work. Yes, allergies run in the family, my kid had eczema since she was a baby & she's also allergic to peanuts.

I tested myself with RAW bananas for the 10th time !!! Can't help eating that stuff since it's so cheap & convenient. Break out in hand-rash again, and again from banana. Cooked banana doesn't bother me, since the allergenic protein is denatured. It's the RAW banana which is associated with latex allergy:

Listed below are the allergens reported to be associated (clinically or immunochemically) with natural rubber latex. Degree of Association or Prevalence High (4) Banana, Avocado, Chestnut, Kiwi - See more at: http://latexallergyresources.org/cross-reactive-food#sthash.oSjTd6D9.dpuf

Pineapple and grapefruit also are known to cross-react with latex/

Update on GD! She is doing great! Going to go to college on East Coast & they arranged for her to get the injections there. She is giving them to herself part of time so doesn't have the long drive. I got some wrist supports since I broke 1 wrist several yrs back & of course overdid with the other 1. So I reinforce them before I use hedge trimmers or other heavy yard work. Put on a wrist band, over a piece of cotton sock so band doesn't touch my sensitive skin & few minutes later skin was itching & red. So I used a different one. WalMart has 1 that has band around your wrist & goes over all your fingers. I didn't like it between all the fingers, bugged me so I just took scissors & cut that part away so fabric is straight across & just goes around the thumb. so much more comfy & easier if my hands get dirty as it isn't as likely to get wet ,washing them. WalMart has a new wrist support & I tried it on, wow, irritated my wrist & hand in seconds. Wonder how some of this stuff gets on the market. Maybe most people don't have sensitive skin after breaking a wrist but I have a friend that also is sensitive but probably not the inventor of that thing or they would have tried something else. I found a soft old flannel nightgown my neighbor had cut in strips works well on the sensitive skin. It never gets itchy or painful. Great & better than anything used in medicine. Just takes longer to get around each wrist smoothly before adding the supports. Sock tops are quicker! A band aid sometimes rips my skin off so might just be me. Even their tapes for sensitive skin itch, burn, turn me red or take my skin off. Guess that's a different post! Anyway good news so far on the GD & she is looking forward to great summer.

Hi sunnyca_gw: That's very valuable info. THANK YOU. I agree with what you wrote: " A band aid sometimes rips my skin off so might just be me. Even their tapes for sensitive skin itch, burn, turn me red or take my skin off. " Same here, I bought Band-Aid for sensitive skin, and it was HELL ... many times more itchy than regular fabric-bandage. Chemicals are NOT good for skin, even I can't find linen-sheets like the old days with breathable fabric for hot summer. The new bed sheets are made with "microfiber" and it's so stuffy, like sleeping with plastic !! I finally got the ORGANIC cotton sheets from Target, and that was so much softer & more breathable than the EGYPTIAN high-thread count cotton. We are made of ORGANIC stuff, and NOT with chemicals. So natural stuff is best for us.

Update on GD, survived the Grand Canyon trip quite well, a little itch a couple of times but didn't get worse overnight like it used to. She couldn't take the shots with her as they had to be kept at even temp. in fridge. Even without it was a great trip & couple of days was up to 115 but somewhat cooler on the river. Sweat usually starts things up so it didn't so she has 2 more injections & trial is over & don't know if she will be in another with same thing or not. She may go for 6 months to see if she needs them. Some went for 2 yrs before going back on for awhile. That is part they are working on to get them so they don't need the injections. They are working out amount you need so she will find out when she goes in if she got the good stuff every time or only part of the time(meaning you don't need so much) it is obvious that she got the good stuff at least part or most of the time, because she was miserable before the trial started & so so much better now.

Hi sunnyca_gw: I'm glad to hear that your GD is doing well. It's tremendous hope to those who suffer with itchy skin. I spent $1,000 on shots to de-sensitize my ragweed allergy, but after 1 year the doc. said my case could not be helped by shots. So I turned to alternative medicine: Brewer's Yeast works very well for my ragweed & pollen allergy. Recently I tried Kelp tablets for my eczema, that helped, but kelp upset my stomach, so I had to lower the Kelp dose. Folks report that when they swim in the ocean, their eczema went away ... the sea minerals do help. People also report kelp helps with heart burn and acidic stomach.

GD is still in trial with the stem cell like shots, She had finished the 1st trial & had to wait a month to start the 2nd 1 & has been doing well.

Thanks for update, please inform us how your granddaughter doing later. I bought CeraVe crème in jar, it's thick and soaked in well. Good for hands while doing the dishes. The natural pH of skin if acidic from 4 to 5. But our tap water is very alkaline, pH near 9, and this strips the skin of its natural oil. Folks in hard-well-water like mine are prone to eczema.

CeraVe lotion has acid to bring the skin-pH to its natural & healthy acidic range. At pH 4 no bacteria nor fungi can grow, thus less fungal and bacterial infection .. that's the logic for apple-cider-vinegar to treat eczema.

MSN news had a slide show this morning of what might trigger psoriasis: blood-pressure medications !! It's the binder/filler ingredients in pills, such as magnesium stearate which is the culprit.

With my 3-years hand rash I finally found the culprit besides my hard-well water: It's magnesium stearate coating on pills, also a component in Nature-Made magnesium pills, and a component in Nature-Made vitamin D tablets.

An amazon customer reported that magnesium stearate in Align probiotic pill caused bad rash, so I stopped my magnesium pills ... and no more rash !!

I'm taking magnesium oxide powder, which doesn't have the magnesium stearate coating .. so far zero problems, zero rash with magnesium oxide.

That's why a few Amazon customers complained about magnesium stearate as the coating/binder ingredient in pills. See excerpt from below link:

http://www.listmyfive.com/d1a158f6/The-Top-Five-Red-Flags-of-a-Magnesium-Stearate-Allergy

"Magnesium Stearate is a waxy filler made from animal fat or pesticide laden vegetable oils like cottonseed oil. Manufacturers use it in the making of the majority of medical pills, vitamins and supplements today.

Mild to severe cases of hives for short and long periods can be due to magnesium stearate. Unexplained itching with small red bumps to big red blotches have been reported from people who have allergic reactions to this unhealthy filler. This can go on for years until the culprit is discovered and eliminated from the diet.

Magnesium stearate kills cells when too much is in the body and it can dry out the skin and eyes. Workers that manufacture this useless stearate have to wear protective gear when handling it due to the toxicity of it to the skin."

http://www.listmyfive.com/d1a158f6/The-Top-Five-Red-Flags-of-a-Magnesium-Stearate-Allergy

Thanks for telling us. I'll have to have my daughter read this & see if GD takes any vitamins that could be causing her problems.

Update on GD, she's in 2nd year college & still in trial with injections for her eczema. Doing well but I don't think she ever clears completely. DD said without the injections she would not have been able to go to college as she itched so bad, had infections, hard time doing anything. She is so smart , writes music & sings & makes videos . Wants to be a scientist, it was her minor but think it holds her interest more than media studies. Only down side is during summer she has to fly back to get the injections twice as they have to be made up fresh & kept refrigerated(has fridge in dorm room too) but small price to pay for being able to continue schooling without all that itching & more scarring. Her brother seems to be outgrowing his eczema & doesn't have as much problem with nut allergies, people can eat a nutty candy bar a short distance away without him having a problem. Will ask her when she comes home for Christmas if she is ever clear of itching 100%

Forgot to mention there is a problem with GM's cereals like cinnamon toast crunch as the are putting cancer causing TSP -tri-sodium phosphate several other cereals have it also & it is not at bottom of list under salt it's way up closer to top of list. So check what you & your kids are eating! May be in other brands also so you have to start checking ingredients before you buy!

Thank you, sunnyca, for the info. about TSP in cereal. I buy Organic cereal with the least additives ... I always read my labels, the less chemicals, the better !!

I pray for your GD's health .. it's hard when she's in college and having to handle her injections. Good diet might help. I start drinking smoothies with RAW veggies and fruits (kale and cantaloupe is yummy) ... and my hand rash is one-tenth of previous years. I also UP my intake of orange-color food (high in vitamin A).

Also an imbalance of fatty-acids can cause eczema. When my child was an infant, I researched on the eczema forum and many Moms advised cold-pressed flax-oil. That did wonder for my child !! Later on I found that her taking a bath didn't rinse off the soap completely, that's one of the cause. Once she switched to showers, eczema was 90% gone.

Now she's a teenager, and Cetaphil face-wash soap did wonder for her skin !! But Neutrogena (with salicylic acid was too harsh).

For bath soap: Zest and Ivory ... I broke out in rash every time I use those. Now I use cheap White-rain liquid soap (with moisturizers) for showering, no problems since it rinses off quickly.

I'm allergic to Ivory soap too, can wash hands but not put it anyplace else. Dr. told me to use Dial when a teenager & still use it. Dove breaks me out yet GD uses it & works best for her. She hardly eats sweets & never stuff like chips & that bagged stuff. Mostly single stuff, carrots, broccoli ,not much for mixtures(too much chance of getting something added to it that will make her sick) I stick with oatmeal, 1 ingredient! I use White Rain hair spray & find it doesn't cause me any trouble, others break out my skin & head.