Hi, My 13 year old is wanting to dabble with makeup and has a tree nut allergy. I’ve read that people can react to makeup. Do you have any insight on this?
Hey there,
Indeed I do have insight on this topic. It’s not uncommon for people with food allergies to react to health, bath, and beauty products that are put on their skin.
The skin is the largest organ (people often forget that) and when we put a large amount of allergens on the skin, it gets absorbed into the skin.
You might know someone allergic to wheat who can handle a slice of bread, wash their hands, and be fine. However, they’re not able to use shampoo that contains wheat.
When we’re putting the allergens on our skin, and allowing it to stay there, it can absolutely cause a reaction.
This article on the hidden sources of tree nuts is a must read, as it talks about beauty products as well. And a heads up: shea butter is tree nut derived. I know, the name is SO unassuming.
One brand that you should look into: Bellaphoria. They’re an organic company, and incredibly allergy friendly. They’re even truly corn free for folks like me who would like to have makeup options.
One critical note: bath and beauty products are not currently subjected to the same labeling laws as food. This is why you’ll need to contact each potential brand and ask a series of questions to ensure none of their ingredients are tree nut derived. Most likely, they’ll have you talk to someone in their quality assurance department.
Before setting your daughter loose, make sure you talk about the pitfalls of makeup with her. Make sure she really understands that she can’t purchase any old product from any old place, no matter how popular it may be. She needs to accept that just like food, she’ll have to be vigilant with what she puts on her skin.
On the flip side though, once she has a few safe brands to choose from, I hope you’re able to let her go wild and have so much fun with it. Being able to take part in something most people take for granted will mean a lot to her.
As a parent, keep an eye on products she likes, as they can be great gifts for her in the future.
Wishing you all the best,
~The Allergy Chef
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