Sorbitol allergy

[FrayGrants]

So I made a batch of of CP soap the other day and decided to use sorbitol for the first time. Unfortunately I seem to be allergic, as it seems to be causing irritation to my skin. I did also use mango butter at 5%, which is also a first for me. I have a hard time believing it is the mango butter at such a low usage rate. Is a sorbitol allergy common?

My thinking is to make a small ZNSC test batch with sorbitol and if that bothers my skin then I have found the culprit, because ZNSC doesn't bother my skin. If it doesn't irritate my skin then it is more than likely the mango butter. Any thoughts on this as a whole or on my process of elimination?

When I first started making soap I thought I was doing the whole thing wrong because every soap I made was irritating to my skin. Through a lot of testing and a long process of elimination I discovered that I am allergic to certain oils, especially when used at high percentages. I also don't wish to give soap to people that could cause potential irritation. I guess I am a great candidate for testing for people with sensitive skin.

 

[AliOop]

Mango is definitely the more likely culprit. If you happen to be allergic to latex, you can have cross-allergies to mango, avocado and a few other things that I'm not remembering at the moment.

 

[Kari Howie]

Yep. I agree with Ali.

 

[KiwiMoose]

Yep - third

 

[FrayGrants]

Well now I know why all my first attempts at soap making irritated my skin. My first batches were made with a premade mix that contained mango butter. Now I create all my own recipes and I haven't tried using mango butter up until now, about a year later.

You all have no clue how much this information means to me, thank you all so so much! I guess the next thing to do is find out what to do with 2lbs of the stuff. Thanks again!!!

 

[KiwiMoose]

Lotion bars! (don't use them yourself though)

 

[Becky1024]

Mango is the definitely the more likely culprit. If you happen to be allergic to latex, you can have cross-allergies to mango, avocado and a few other things that I'm not remembering at the moment.

Shea is another one that is a cross allergy with latex.

 

[Blufuz]

I am by no means and expert, but maybe do a “patch test” if you’re worried about being allergic to a specific ingredient? There should be more detailed advice online, but it comes down to applying a little bit onto your skin, usually inner forearm, and waiting to see if you develop irritation there. You can basically try all the ingredients you use for a given soap recipe, just be sure to draw circles around each patch to tell them apart.

 

[DeeAnna]

I second the patch test idea -- that's the only way to definitively find the culprit. I mean this kind of irritation could come from a lot of things up to and including the soap being lye heavy. At this point, you know it's the soap, but you don't really know anything more than that.

 

[FrayGrants]

I am by no means and expert, but maybe do a “patch test” if you’re worried about being allergic to a specific ingredient? There should be more detailed advice online, but it comes down to applying a little bit onto your skin, usually inner forearm, and waiting to see if you develop irritation there. You can basically try all the ingredients you use for a given soap recipe, just be sure to draw circles around each patch to tell them apart.

I never thought about trying this because I was under the impression that the chemical composition changed during saponification. I will give this a try.

 

[Mobjack Bay]

Mango is definitely the more likely culprit. If you happen to be allergic to latex, you can have cross-allergies to mango, avocado and a few other things that I'm not remembering at the moment.

I'm glad that I stumbled across this thread because this was all news to me. Is aloe also on the list for those with latex allergies?

 

[Kari Howie]

https://allergyasthmanetwork.org/allergies/latex-allergy/latex-allergy-foods/

 

[Mobjack Bay]

I don't see aloe on the linked list, but, the list of potentially moderately cross-reactive fruits is surprising. Based on a quick web search it looks like the skin and outer rind of aloe leaves contain latex, but there's none(?) in the pulp, which is what the juice is made from.

 

[AliOop]

I don't see aloe on the linked list, but, the list of potentially moderately cross-reactive fruits is surprising. Based on a quick web search it looks like the skin and outer rind of aloe leaves contain latex, but there's none(?) in the pulp, which is what the juice is made from.

I was also surprised to see mango listed in the "low" category. I am personally acquainted with two people who are allergic to mangoes. Each was told by her respective allergist that this was a cross-reaction due to her latex allergy.

 

[BWt]

latex contains 15 known allergenic proteins. If you have Latex sensitivity or allergies your body may react to any protein that it considers a likely latex similar allergen. I have latex allergies and if a latex allergen enters your mouth, eyes, or nose it is possible that your throat can close completely. Please be careful. Wear disposable gloves if you decide to test the mango butter on your skin. Don’t want to inadvertently get any near your face.
It is also very probable that the mango butter was processed in a facility that handles other allergens and could have been cross contaminated. If you experience any shortness of breath or your throat feels weird do not hesitate to go to an emergency Dr. Allergic reactions can disappear and then rebound hours later. I don’t mean to frighten anyone but latex allergies can be very dangerous. Consider an appointment with an allergist.
By the way I am ok with mango butter. But that doesn’t mean everyone else is. Hope this is helpful.

 

[Christa10]

Thank you for this. It explains a lady who applied my body butter and had a reaction, which I saw with my own eyes and couldn't understand because there were no parabens or any other preservatives that would have caused such a reaction, but there is mango butter in it, as well as in the lotion bar that she tried. She mentioned that she was allergic to so many things but now at least I have something I can say. Latex and mango. Who knew??

 

[cmzaha]

Keep in mind we can form allergies to Anything. Even some of my soaps bother me which I attribute to some fragrances since most of my recipes use the same blend of oils.
ETA: in the past when I was selling I had a customer allergic to all lye soap, one allergic to aloe in soap, others to CO. I stay away from shea in my lotions and balms since it bothers me by causing swelling but I can use high shea soap. I have to be careful due to high latex allergies so I also shy away from mango in lotions, butters, and scrubs. Along with flax.

 

[Iluminameluna]

Wow. This is SO eye opening.
I have had latex, pineapple, and kiwi allergies for over 15 yrs, but it never occurred to me to ask about cross-linked allergies based on them. Also a LOOOONG list of antibiotics allergies as well.
A friend, who studied microbiology in her day, also commented I might be sensitive to papayas (her sister was serving it for breakfast). I was shocked because, again, no one had ever taken my allergies seriously, so I'd never thought to ask about cross-linked allergies.
She was right, btw. I tried a piece of very ripe papaya (they have the least amt of latex I was told) and my tongue and cheeks were irritated with a rash and sores for days after.
I've not been referred to an allergist except once. And it was weird. I was told not to take my allergy meds and other stuff, but it was somehow glossed over that I was not to take my steroids. Woopsie. And the day I was to be told my results, he seemed to have a migraine, holding his forehead and really squinting at the page (which I wasn't given), and he said I didn't have ANY allergies.
Weird because I KNOW for an undisputed fact that I'm deathly allergic to Amoxicillin. I was hospitalized for a week due to Anaphylaxis from one 500mg tablet. And during a bout of pneumonia, one IV dose of Erythromycin had me vomiting, nauseated, and with stomach cramps for over 2 hrs, until a head nurse decided to end my misery, and had a Dr sign orders for an antihistamine. And the latex-based tape they had used to hold the IV line came off with a layer of skin. I asked if that qualified as a latex allergy. The nurse said nothing, just put a red flag on my chart, and a red band on my wrist with the word "LATEX" on it.
Guess what I'm saying is that those of you reading this post, not everyone will speak up about their allergies or sensitivities,; and some might, MIGHT, be doing it to get attention. It's not our job as skin product makers to sort that out, just take them at their word if they say something.
Educate yourselves as much as you can, so that if they don't, you'll be able to help them out. I'm glad I'm curious about things, and I have the resources to get the info I need. Not everyone is so fortunate.

 

[Misschief]

Wow. This is SO eye opening.
I have had latex, pineapple, and kiwi allergies for over 15 yrs, but it never occurred to me to ask about cross-linked allergies based on them. Also a LOOOONG list of antibiotics allergies as well.
A friend, who studied microbiology in her day, also commented I might be sensitive to papayas (her sister was serving it for breakfast). I was shocked because, again, no one had ever taken my allergies seriously, so I'd never thought to ask about cross-linked allergies.
She was right, btw. I tried a piece of very ripe papaya (they have the least amt of latex I was told) and my tongue and cheeks were irritated with a rash and sores for days after.
I've not been referred to an allergist except once. And it was weird. I was told not to take my allergy meds and other stuff, but it was somehow glossed over that I was not to take my steroids. Woopsie. And the day I was to be told my results, he seemed to have a migraine, holding his forehead and really squinting at the page (which I wasn't given), and he said I didn't have ANY allergies.
Weird because I KNOW for an undisputed fact that I'm deathly allergic to Amoxicillin. I was hospitalized for a week due to Anaphylaxis from one 500mg tablet. And during a bout of pneumonia, one IV dose of Erythromycin had me vomiting, nauseated, and with stomach cramps for over 2 hrs, until a head nurse decided to end my misery, and had a Dr sign orders for an antihistamine. And the latex-based tape they had used to hold the IV line came off with a layer of skin. I asked if that qualified as a latex allergy. The nurse said nothing, just put a red flag on my chart, and a red band on my wrist with the word "LATEX" on it.
Guess what I'm saying is that those of you reading this post, not everyone will speak up about their allergies or sensitivities,; and some might, MIGHT, be doing it to get attention. It's not our job as skin product makers to sort that out, just take them at their word if they say something.
Educate yourselves as much as you can, so that if they don't, you'll be able to help them out. I'm glad I'm curious about things, and I have the resources to get the info I need. Not everyone is so fortunate.

This is very interesting. I never thought I had any allergies; my mother was allergic to sulfa drugs but I'd never really experienced any reactions to anything until my doctor recommended Ferrous Sulfate while I was pregnant. I ended up on the floor, writhing in agony. Obviously, I stopped taking it and let him know. He told me that if I was ever asked about allergies to let them know that I'm allergic to sulfa drugs.

 

[Iluminameluna]

This is very interesting. I never thought I had any allergies; my mother was allergic to sulfa drugs but I'd never really experienced any reactions to anything until my doctor recommended Ferrous Sulfate while I was pregnant. I ended up on the floor, writhing in agony. Obviously, I stopped taking it and let him know. He told me that if I was ever asked about allergies to let them know that I'm allergic to sulfa drugs.

Allergies are quite the rabbits out of a hat for some ppl. If no one in your family understands how they work, they're not even aware that there's allergies in the family history.
An example: I complained about pineapple, fresh, canned, or even in recipes with a bit of it, making my tongue and lips itch. My grandma and her sisters, well educated otherwise, would tell me it was because I'd probably eaten the core of it, or the prickly part of the peel. They didn't have the understanding, MANY ppl, or even Dr's at that time (the mid-60s, early 70s) that those were the early signs of my allergy to pineapple. Of course, with repeated exposures, whether or not I was aware there was pineapple in what I was eating, my allergy to it got worse. Until my allergy to both Amoxicillin AND pineapple joined together one day, and I had a Anaphylactic reaction to beat the band. With almost a doz Benadryl 25mg pills in me, I got taken to the ER barely breathing.
Essentially, you can't take even slight signs of an irritation to a substance as "nothing to bother about". One of my grands had a severe allergic reaction to Amoxicillin at 8 mos old. Luckily in the clinic, only because my son told the Dr that his mom was allergic to almost ALL the penicillin derivatives. So they gave his daughter the antibiotic, and waited. Within 10 mins (it was oral suspension) she was covered in huge hives. It runs mostly on the female side of my father's family. Go figure.
Never underestimate the power of an overactive immune system.
Healthy soaping!