Laundry detergent allergy

Allergic diseases have become a real disaster for the inhabitants of the planet, it seems that there is no corner of the earth where there is no person at least predisposed to allergies. Anything can provoke an allergic reaction - food, sun, dust, water, cold, smell, synthetic detergents. The beginning of the 21st century was marked not only by new scientific and technological achievements, but also by the emergence and development of previously unknown diseases, including an allergy to washing powder.

It is obvious that the desire to speed up and facilitate many processes, including household and home work, has crossed reasonable boundaries and led to the emergence of chronic diseases of unclear etiology, to the total allergization of the population, to the pollution of the environment, especially water. Almost all developed civilized countries have already switched to the use of environmentally safe, phosphate-free household chemicals more than 15 years ago.

The legislation of Hong Kong, Korea, South Africa, Thailand prohibits the import, production and sale of synthetic detergents containing phosphates, and Japan banned such products back in 1986. However, almost the entire population of the former CIS countries still thoughtlessly uses household chemicals that poison the health of adults and children. According to statistics, Russians alone consume more than 1,000,000 tons of phosphate household products annually, about 90% of all detergents sold on the shelves of Ukrainian stores contain various types of surfactants (surface-active substances), chlorine. Unfortunately, today this problem is not widely covered in the media, and scientific research on phosphates is not carried out regularly, perhaps that is why allergies to washing powder continue to affect an increasing number of people.

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Causes of Allergy to Washing Powder

The main factor that causes an allergic reaction is various compounds of phosphorus substances. Phosphates provoke acid-base imbalance, change the functions of metabolism in dermal cells, which results in allergic dermatitis. In order to understand what causes an allergy to washing powder, you should find out what phosphates are.

Phosphate compounds are something that modern people come into contact with every day, since phosphoric acids are included in medicines, synthetic detergents, mineral fertilizers, and many flavoring food additives with the designation "E". In turn, phosphates include phosphoric acid and harmful substances - metal salts, the norm of which exists, but is unlikely to be strictly controlled. The permissible limits of arsenic per kilogram of a phosphate-containing product are 3 milligrams, the amount of lead should not exceed 10 milligrams, but it is impossible to find a washing powder on sale, on the packaging of which these parameters would be indicated.

The causes of allergies to washing powder are the ways in which hazardous substances enter the human body, among which the most common are the following:

• The skin, which is the largest organ capable of absorbing everything it comes into contact with. Allergy to washing powder is provoked by the factor of hand washing with a synthetic product without special gloves.
• The factor that provokes allergies is residual microparticles of phosphates on washed clothes, which also penetrate the body through the skin. Biologists and allergists have experimentally established that in order to remove all, even the smallest particles of phosphate powder, it is necessary to rinse the laundry at least 8 times. It is doubtful that every housewife rinses things for an hour each time.
• Allergies are also caused by surfactants – anionic surface-active substances. These are the most aggressive components of washing powders, which are transported into the body through the skin with the help of phosphates. It is surfactants that can accumulate in the fibers of natural fabrics (bed linen) and remain there for more than three days. Even rinsing ten times cannot remove them completely.
• The causes of allergies to washing powder include the respiratory tract, when a person is forced to inhale microscopic volatile compounds released during hand washing.
• Phosphate compounds enter the body through water, which each of us drinks every day one way or another. Not even the most powerful filter is capable of 100% cleaning the water environment contaminated with wastewater containing chemical compounds.

In addition to the fact that phosphate compounds and surfactants have an external effect on the skin, they also affect the entire body, as they are able to be quickly absorbed by the skin and penetrate the bloodstream into the internal organs and systems.

Ecological communities conducted blood tests on more than 150 housewives who used a regular standard powder. The analysis showed significant changes in the percentage of hemoglobin, changes in the parameters of the density of the blood serum, and protein levels. Accordingly, from year to year, pathological disorders of the functions of internal organs occur in the human body, metabolism is disrupted, the activity of the immune system decreases, and all the conditions for the development of allergies are created.

Symptoms of laundry detergent allergy

Most often, the symptoms of an allergy to washing powder manifest themselves in the form of skin rashes, dermatitis on the hands. In fact, the signs of the body's "rejection" of phosphate compounds are contact allergic dermatitis. There is no reliable, confirmed information that laundry detergents can cause hyperactivity, memory and concentration impairment, aggressiveness, as some sources indicate. Most likely, such signs indicate another disease. Today, the main symptom of an allergic reaction to phosphates and surfactants is allergic dermatitis. Its peculiarity is that the exclusion of synthetic products - from powder to shampoos and mouthwashes, as a rule, leads to complete cleansing of the skin. Very rarely, an allergic reaction is complicated and manifests itself in the form of eczema or bronchospasm.

Symptoms of an allergy to washing powder may include:

1. A small rash similar to urticaria, with no clear localization, located all over the body.
2. Severe itching all over the body.
3. In children, symptoms of an allergy to washing powder most often appear on the face and chest in the form of reddened, itchy skin.
4. Peeling of the skin, less often swelling.
5. Dry skin, redness (most often the skin of the hands is damaged).
6. Weeping, blistering lesions (vesicles) that may burst and cause intense itching.
7. Extremely rare rhinitis, dry cough, up to an asthma attack are possible. Most likely, this is a consequence of a general allergic predisposition and previous cases of allergic reaction.

How is an allergy to washing powder recognized?

Diagnosis of allergy to washing powder is usually not difficult, since the symptoms of dermatitis appear literally in a few hours and are clearly associated with the provoking factor. However, vesicular rashes can mislead the sick person, who sometimes resorts to self-treatment, assuming that he has eczema.

How to differentiate the symptoms of allergy, contact dermatitis caused by washing powder, from true eczema?

Indeed, the signs of an allergic reaction to detergents (synthetic detergents) and the manifestations of eczema can be similar. However, allergic contact dermatitis is characterized by mild symptoms, in addition, vesicles and erythema (reddening of the skin) are localized only in places of contact with the allergen. Most often, the reaction is visible on the back of the hands, forearms. Of course, if the use of harmful detergents does not stop, the disease can develop to manifestations of eczema, since repeated contacts with the allergen activate the allergic reaction. The most correct thing that a person can do if he notices symptoms of contact dermatitis is to consult a doctor. Diagnosis of an allergy to washing powder consists of two main actions of an allergist:

• Elimination, removal of the provoking factor.
• Confirmation of allergy to synthetic detergents by skin tests using drop or compress methods.

In diagnostics, important clinical signs are the localization zones of the lesion, as well as typical manifestations of contact dermatitis. The choice of diagnostic methods depends on the person's health, the degree of skin damage and the intensity of the allergic reaction.

Treatment of allergy to washing powder

Therapeutic actions for diagnosed contact dermatitis are standard. Treatment of allergy to washing powder consists of the following:

1. Avoiding contact with any synthetic substance, from washing powder to shampoo or mouthwash. A mandatory measure is to eliminate the possible risk of pathological interaction of phosphate surfactants with the skin. In addition, it is recommended to at least temporarily give up jewelry, bijouterie and cosmetics of unnatural origin.
2. In case of a clearly expressed clinical picture, the use of antihistamines is indicated, both in tablet form (per os), and external ointments, gels, solutions. Such drugs as Claritin, Telfast, Zestra, Cetrin, Loratadine, Fenistil gel are effective.
3. For cracks in dry skin, wound surfaces after burst vesicles, external antiseptic and wound-healing drugs are prescribed - Panthenol, Curiosin, Bepanten, less often - Radevit or Videstem (with tocopherol - vitamin A).
4. For weeping rashes similar to eczema, combined external agents containing antiseptics and glucocorticosteroids are indicated - Belosalik, Dermozolone, Diprogent, Elokom, Sinaflan.
5. Prescribing sedatives such as Glycesed, Corvaltab, Persen, Trivalumen will be effective.

Also, treatment of allergy to washing powder involves a short period of adherence to a hypoallergenic diet to improve the general condition and reduce the risk of cross-allergic reaction. Allergy to SMS, as a rule, ends with a favorable outcome and is treated quite quickly.

Prevention of allergies to washing powder

How to prevent the harmful effects of phosphates and surfactants, is prevention of allergies to washing powder effective if literally everything around is full of synthetic substances - from food to clothing?

Of course, it is impossible to completely isolate yourself from the outside world and its realities, whatever they may be. However, preventing allergies to washing powder is not only possible, but also necessary, as these fairly simple steps will help prevent allergies and improve your overall health:

• If possible, it is necessary to purchase only hypoallergenic phosphate-free powders; the maximum permissible concentration of surfactants and phosphates in them is no more than 5%.
• It is necessary to accustom yourself to the smell of cleanliness, that is, a neutral aroma, and to refuse to use detergents with fragrances and flavors.
• When using powder, even hypoallergenic, you should not exceed the recommended dose.
• When washing by hand, it is mandatory to use special protective gloves.
• Even if you use phosphate-free powder, you need to rinse the laundry thoroughly. Washing with powders containing phosphates, chlorine and surfactants requires multiple rinsing - at least 7-8 times.
• Any packaging with powder should be hermetically sealed, even after a single use. In addition, washing powder has no place in the kitchen near food, dishes or in a room with children's toys.
• It is best to wash newborn babies' clothes with hypoallergenic baby soap or a special powder intended for these purposes.

Following these simple recommendations is the best prevention of allergies to washing powder. If symptoms of contact dermatitis still appear, you should consult an allergist and find out the true etiological cause of the allergic reaction.

Non-allergenic washing powder

How to choose a non-allergenic washing powder?

First of all, when buying, you should not be guided by the influence of ubiquitous advertising, attractive prices or the “charm” of economical packaging, but by common sense and an assessment of the following parameters:

• The packaging must contain full information about the composition of the powder, and not printed in microscopic letters that are impossible to read. In addition, the text must be in several languages, including the language of the country where you live.
• The packaging must indicate the manufacturer's contact details (address, telephone numbers, faxes, website), and the expiration date and supplier's contact details must also be clearly stated if the powder is imported.
• The powder structure should be crumbly, without lumps. This indicates its quality and the minimum percentage of surfactants and phosphates.
• Even if the packaging indicates a small percentage of phosphate substances and surfactants, and the powder foams heavily, this means that the manufacturer is being disingenuous at the very least, and the percentage of harmful substances is actually high.
• It is advisable to choose a washing powder without a strong smell or fragrances, which can either provoke an allergy or worsen its symptoms.
• Good quality washing powders that do not cause allergies are best bought in specialized stores or ordered from organic product distributors. You will not be able to return the powder bought at the market or make any claims about its quality.

A non-allergenic washing powder must meet the following parameters:

1. The powder should not contain anionic surfactants or phosphates. Even a small amount of them – 5-10% – can cause an allergic reaction.
2. Washing powder should not only be safe for human health, but also not pose a threat to the environment. Just one gram of sodium phosphate in waste water can activate the growth of ten kilograms of cyanobacteria in water (blue-green algae). Considering that a standard pack of powder contains about 60 grams of phosphate substances, one can imagine the concentration of toxins released into water by 600 kilograms of cyanogens.
3. A powder labeled as hypoallergenic must have a corresponding certificate and a sanitary and epidemiological conclusion.

A safe, non-allergenic washing powder may seem more expensive than a regular one at first glance, but it is several times more economical due to the smaller dose used, which is why the following phosphate-free washing powders are very popular today:

• Washing powder Frosch (Germany).
• Concentrated laundry detergent Baby Bon Automat (Czech Republic).
• Amway concentrated phosphate-free powder.
• Powders from the German company Burnus – Burti, Burti Baby.
• Phosphate-free powder "GREEN&CLEAN", manufacturer – Poland.
• Airy powder with granulated safe bleach Wells Natural OXI POWER (Poland).
• Universal washing powder Milis (Czech Republic).
• Domestic safe products: DAKOS nanopowder, Ladushki baby powder, Nash and Oreol (Simferopol) washing products.
• One of the first phosphate-free brands in the world, the German powder Sonett.