Allergy to Dragon’s Blood from Nurture Soap

[grettastith]

I’m guessing that I have an allergy to Dragons Blood from Nurture Soap—is this possible? Does anyone else have this?
All I have to do is smell this FO in the bottle and my lips start going numb—I wasn’t sure which FO was causing this til I used it to make soap a few days ago…it got bad—I started getting light headed…I was able to wash it off with soap and water and it got better…
Does this sound like an allergy?
I know people love this FO but I’m afraid I am going to have to exclude it from my products…unless there is a “work around”. (Yeah, it’s most likely a goner!!)

I’m not allergic to anything -not even poison ivy, poison oak…so this is really strange and new to me…

Do you know what is causing this reaction—the chemical in the FO so that I can watch for it in other FO’s???
I hate paying this much money for something that I will literally have to throw in the garbage!

 

[dibbles]

I don't know about your reaction and what could be causing it, but I am sorry. You should see if you can sell or trade your FO instead of throwing it out though.

 

[Zany_in_CO]

All I have to do is smell this FO in the bottle and my lips start going numb—I wasn’t sure which FO was causing this til I used it to make soap a few days ago…it got bad—I started getting light headed…I was able to wash it off with soap and water and it got better…

Oh my! That's really bad!

https://nurturesoap.com/products/dragons-blood-fragrance-oil
4.9 out of 5 Stars.
With so many positive reviews and so few negative reviews and none mentioning an "allergic" reaction I suspect you either used too much or there is something wrong with it. Your best bet is to have a talk with Nurture Soap to figure out what the problem is. If it were me, I would want to know.

 

[Carly B]

I agree with Zany. Carrie at Nurture is very approachable and always willing to help. If nothing else, you should let her know in case she changed suppliers or in case anyone else comes to her with the same problem.

 

[cmzaha]

I love and have used DB, my own blend that was made, but I cannot use it in leave-on products for myself. Sometimes my soaps made with DB will bother me. I do not know which constituent it is made with that bothers me but I will still soap with it even if the day comes that I have to use a mask. I know nothing about Nurture's formula I just know mine is very strong.

 

[earlene]

I suggest you research the components within that particular formula for Dragon's Blood (they are not all the same from every vendor) and then look up each component for warnings about it/them in the IFRA database.

It seems probably that a component in that particular formula is going to be on the IFRA list as a sensitizer and you do really need to know if it's going to be in any other FOs you buy in the future.

To start your search, take a look on these documents:

https://nurturesoap.com/pages/fragrance-documentation
https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1290/7115/files/dragon_blood_sds_revised.pdf?v=1658835493
https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1290/7115/files/dragon_blood_allergen_revised.pdf?v=1658835493
That will really only be a start for finding what is the causal ingredient. You really should probably make an appointment with a physician to pin-point this issue even more effectively. Having your lips go numb when all you have done is sniff the fragrance, prior to even working with it, seems rather and intense reaction and an MD should really be consulted. KEEP the bottle to take to the Doctor with you as they will want/need access to it for follow-up, etc.

I would also recommend that as a courtesy, you let Carrie at Nurture know about this because it is really important.

Edited to add: When you say all you have to do is smell the FO in the bottle, was there actual contact with your lips and the bottle or the FO, or was it merely air-borne? It makes a difference, of course, and I do doubt you would purposely touch an FO to your lips, but I am sure a doctor would ask the same question.

Also you said that after you made the soap you were able to wash it off with soap and water and that your symptoms lessened. What did you wash off? Did any of the FO get on your skin? Or was it just washing off the utensils that came in contact with the FO that you were washing off?

 

[TheGecko]

I’m guessing that I have an allergy to Dragons Blood from Nurture Soap—is this possible? Does anyone else have this?
All I have to do is smell this FO in the bottle and my lips start going numb—I wasn’t sure which FO was causing this til I used it to make soap a few days ago…it got bad—I started getting light headed…I was able to wash it off with soap and water and it got better…
Does this sound like an allergy?
I know people love this FO but I’m afraid I am going to have to exclude it from my products…unless there is a “work around”. (Yeah, it’s most likely a goner!!)

I’m not allergic to anything -not even poison ivy, poison oak…so this is really strange and new to me…

Do you know what is causing this reaction—the chemical in the FO so that I can watch for it in other FO’s???
I hate paying this much money for something that I will literally have to throw in the garbage!

I don't know of any two vendors who have the exact same FO regardless of name. I learned this from my search for a DB that was like Wellington's. I bought from BrambleBerry, Nurture Soap, Rustic Escentuals, Elements Bath & Body and BeScented, and it was a no-go with all of them. Then @cmzaha was destashing a private label and sent me a soap sample and I ended up buying I think four pounds altogether and I'm not selling the soap...it's MINE, ALL MINE!!! So you might be able to try someone's DB with no problem and if that is so, I would do as @earlene suggested and start breaking down the components to what you are allergic to.

I know that I am allergic to Lavender. Discovered this during VBS when my table was next to crapload of fresh Lavender. Because I know that Lavender is a popular scent, I knew I would need to carry it and so started buying small bottles, EO and FO from different vendor. EOs are a total no-go...I tried three different types and ended up a debilitating headache each time, and as for touching the soap...hives every time. The third bottle of Lavender FO I tried was from BrambleBerry and only had a slight headache and no skin reaction...winner-winner chicken-dinner. Then I went to make a soap and realized I only had a half an ounce left and decided to try the Lavender from Nurture, only it was Lavender-Sage. Not only was it a lovely scent, but no headache at all! YEAH!!!!!

 

[Cindy D.]

I’m guessing that I have an allergy to Dragons Blood from Nurture Soap—is this possible? Does anyone else have this?
All I have to do is smell this FO in the bottle and my lips start going numb—I wasn’t sure which FO was causing this til I used it to make soap a few days ago…it got bad—I started getting light headed…I was able to wash it off with soap and water and it got better…
Does this sound like an allergy?
I know people love this FO but I’m afraid I am going to have to exclude it from my products…unless there is a “work around”. (Yeah, it’s most likely a goner!!)

I’m not allergic to anything -not even poison ivy, poison oak…so this is really strange and new to me…

Do you know what is causing this reaction—the chemical in the FO so that I can watch for it in other FO’s???
I hate paying this much money for something that I will literally have to throw in the garbage!

Your tingling and light headedness can be signs of anaphylaxis and if it is, it can get worse fast. If you test to find out what is causing the reaction, be sure someone else is with you for safely.

 

[BWt]

Your tingling and light headedness can be signs of anaphylaxis and if it is, it can get worse fast. If you test to find out what is causing the reaction, be sure someone else is with you for safely.

Agree with your very wise assessment of allergy anaphylaxis. Absolutely should be considered based on the swiftness of @grettastith reaction to the DB. The first few allergic reactions may be mild but can escalate to complete closure of airways. Have had personal experience with allergens. @grettastith please take care.