Has your mind seemed as cloudy as those winter skies lately? Comes with the territory. Learn how to clear up brain fog and bring back some shiny thinking.

Mental fatigue, brain drain, fuzzy head, cloudy thinking. Sound familiar? You don’t have to live with brain fog. There are simple and effective ways to clear the mind. Let’s take a look at common causes of a muddy mind and what to do about them.

Causes of Brain Fog and How to Clear Up

1 Sleep and Stress // Let’s start with the most obvious. If you are short on sleep or overly stressed, brain fog is an almost guarantee. Sleep bolsters our resilience and sharpens the mind. But even if you are catching proper Zzzs, stress can drain its benefits. Try meditation, journaling, or sharing with someone you trust.

2 Hormones // Yes, we have to go there. Hormones keep our bodies balanced and running smoothly. When in balance we don’t even think about them. Once they go out of balance, we take notice. Pregnancy, PMS, and menopause can all wreak havoc with our bodies and minds. If you suspect hormones are the culprit of your brain fog, talk to your doctor about possible remedies and try our tips to regulating hormones naturally.

3 Diet and Exercise // One of the easiest ways to bring ourselves back into balance, and this includes the mind too, is with diet. Eating fresh, organic, minimally-processed foods keeps body and mind happy and healthy. Keep in mind that low blood sugar rebounds leave the body and mind sapped. Eating healthy protein throughout the day, plus laying off sugar and caffeine, will keep blood sugar levels in check. And you may not feel like working out when you feel sluggish, but it will boost energy and mood. Give yourself a personal pep rally and get moving.

4 Screen Time // If you have kids you’ve likely noticed what too much screen time does to their mood. Grumpiness and irritation are not exclusive to the younger age bracket here. Set specific times to check email and messages, and schedule a time to turn your phone off (or at least put it out of reach) each evening. Research shows that not only does screen usage at bedtime make it more difficult to fall asleep, but affects your energy and awareness the next day.

5 Allergies // Yes, you can experience allergies in the winter too. Mold and dust can cause similar symptoms to spring and fall allergies; headache, stuffiness, eye irritation, and fuzzy head. Try rinsing your nose with a neti bottle and using a humidifier in your home.

Ignite Your Brain Power with the 20 Smartest Foods on Earth

Teen Learns First Hand the Many Benefits of Meditation

20 Foods to Help You Sleep Better

Image of woman with brain fog via Shuttterstock

The post 5 Common Causes of Brain Fog and How to Clear It Up appeared first on EcoSalon.

Food allergies: a real thing, or just a way to be a picky eater?

On New Year’s Eve, this is what a Portland restaurant kitchen looked like. Nope, not full of pots and pans. Full of post-it notes specifying all of the various diners’ food allergies.

We’ve become used to living in a world with food restrictions, and maybe that’s no surprise: in a world of agro-business and industrial processed food, it shouldn’t really be a shock that many of us are opting to take ingredients out of our diet. Nowadays when you host a dinner party, you’re probably more likely to kick off the email invite with “what are your food restrictions” than “what night are you available?”

In fact, there are many people that live with sometimes debilitating food allergies. If they get even a trace of peanut on their plate, their throat will tighten and they’ll go into anaphylactic shock. But most of us don’t have those kinds of allergies. Most of us have either chosen to get rid of certain foods, either because of ethical or other health reasons that aren’t necessarily allergy related, and once in awhile, despite our best efforts, we’ll break down and eat them anyway. That’s not a food allergy, that’s a personal choice to not eat certain foods. The two are very different things.

It is estimated that up to 15 million Americans have a food allergy. That’s a lot of people, but it comes out to only around 0.04 percent of the total population. That being said, a food allergy reaction sends someone to the emergency room every three minutes, which means that there is a percentage of the population that when they eat out and say “I have a food allergy” when they order, they really mean it. Their life depends on specification.

But most of us are in the other category, and when we say “I have an allergy to [insert food],” we don’t really mean that we’re completely allergic, we mean that we’d really rather avoid said food. Choking, breaking out in hives and falling off of our chair probably isn’t going to be the outcome if we do ingest some of that food. So why do we claim to have an allergy? Maybe it’s that ultimately, we don’t have the willpower to be challenged on our personal choices.

Saying that we have an allergy to dairy is a lot easier than explaining that for the last three months we’ve cut out dairy because we’re on an elimination diet, and we happened to bring a bag of raw nuts with us because we have to eat those every two hours as part of our new regime. “I have a food allergy” says “I will have a severe health reaction if I eat said food” while “no [insert food] please” says “I have personally chosen to not eat [insert food] and there’s a chance that you’re going to roll your eyes at me because of it.”

There’s no denying that a rise in food restrictions has made for some annoyance in the industry. Some chefs just want to make what they make, not inhibited by the specific needs of their customers, and whereas before only people with severe food allergies would specify what they could and couldn’t eat, now it seems like everyone does. When only a handful of customers have specific requests because they have severe allergies is one thing. When every other customer is asking for a dish without this and that, it’s quite another. While we all have a right to choose what we eat, is it possible that our personal food demands end up having a negative effect on those people that really do have severe food allergies?

Specifying what you can and can’t eat is good in the sense that it allows you to have a conversation about food, and in turn, move the food system forward. Since we have to vote with our forks, then we certainly need to indicate what we want on those forks. That being said, eating is as much a social as a personal process and it’s important to understand how our personal choices and how we talk about them affects not only ourselves, but others.

How do you treat your food restrictions or allergies when you eat out?

Related on EcoSalon

Elimination Diets: Good Marketing or a Real Phenomenon

10 Everyday Things You Might Be Allergic To

Why You Should Not Diet in 2014

Image: juicyrai

The post Do You Say You Have Food Allergies Even When You Don’t? appeared first on EcoSalon.

Ketchup can get healthier, and under 5 minutes!

Ketchup is the mother of all condiments. It’s sweet and salty and pairs with just about anything,  even when the combo seems intuitively odd. I, for instance, have long praised the healing powers of ketchup and white rice, and a friend of mine can’t bear to eat scrambled eggs without it. Ketchup has carved an indelible spot in our food psyches – it’s a classic that some estimates claim can be found in 97% of U.S. households.

Tracing its origins to China, Ketchup was first introduced in the U.S. in 1837. By 1900, ketchup was sold by more than 100 manufacturers. In 1872, HJ Heinz introduced his version of the condiment at the Philadelphia Fair, and to this day, the recipe has remained unchanged. Over the years, first for sanitary reasons and later for marketing’s sake, the FDA has developed strict guidelines concerning the consistency of ketchup and ingredients in it.

Behind the classic lies not so uplifting stats. Ingredients in Heinz Ketchup include tomato concentrate, distilled vinegar, high-fructose corn syrup, corn syrup, salt, spice, onion powder, and natural flavoring. While the list is relatively simple, high-fructose corn syrup is a known culprit, so much to the point that many are beginning to backfire, claiming it is “unfairly maligned.” Truth is, it deserves the flack!

In a 2010 Princeton University study, researchers found that high-fructose corn syrup leads to considerable weight gain, at a rate higher than other sweeteners. According to the study, which was administered on rats, those fed high-fructose corn syrup gained much more weight than those fed table sugar, even with the same caloric intake. The lab animals on a long-term high-fructose corn syrup diet experience abnormal increases in body fat, especially in the belly. Researchers noted that even rats on a high-fat diet don’t gain weight to that extent.

In 1 tablespoon of Heinz Ketchup, there are 20 calories, 160 milligrams of sodium, 6 grams carbohydrates, and 4 grams of sugar. The benefits deriving from the plum tomatoes are outweighed by the compounding calorie, sodium, and sugar dosages. Whoever just stops at 1 tablespoon? A few tablespoons in, and you’ve got yourself a condiment that threatens meal-status.

A condiment should never derail a diet, but many of us don’t know when to stop dipping, because serving sizes are never that clean cut. That’s why I’ve put together this simple homemade ketchup that you can whip up without laboring over the stove, risking your fries going frigid.

Using the same elements – tomatoes, sweetener, and vinegar – I’ve upped the ante on their health benefits. Maple syrup is one of the healthiest sweeteners on the market, with a lower glycemic index than other mainstream sugars. Apple cider vinegar, especially one that is indicated as “raw,” is full of vitamins, minerals, pectin, and beta-carotene. It also boasts many benefits – treats sunburn, helps weight loss, removes teeth stains, cures severe acne, treats digestive ailments, fights allergies, and reduces cholesterol.

Enjoy!

2-minute Homemade Ketchup

Makes just over 1 cup

Ingredients:

• 1 cup tomato paste
• 1 tbsp maple syrup (or agave)
• 1/4 tsp mustard
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 cup water

Directions:

Combine all ingredients and mix until smooth. No cooking required!

Add lukewarm water by the teaspoon to reach the consistency you crave.

Serve aside sweet potato French fries or lather on top of a vegan chickpea burger!

Bon Appetit!

Aylin Erman currently resides in Istanbul and is creator of plant-based recipe website GlowKitchen.

Images: Overthinking Me, Aylin Erman

The post Nutritional Breakdown: Revamping America’s Favorite Condiment: Ketchup [Recipe] appeared first on EcoSalon.

Indigestion and Heartburn

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It almost goes without saying – but consider why you’re getting heartburn in the first place. Did you overeat? Too much grease or spicy food? Eating late at night? Scout out the cause and try to stop this before it happens. Then, put down the antacids. The belching, bloat and heartburn caused by indigestion come about because you don’t have enough stomach acid to do the job right. A spoonful or two of apple cider vinegar will help break down the excess food that is causing you trouble and bring your stomach back to balance.

Sore Throat

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Sore, scratchy throats are usually a sign of a cold or flu coming on, so you don’t want to ignore this symptom, but you can relieve the pain by gargling with warm salt water a few times a day and then drinking a soothing honey-lemon tea.

Sore Muscles and Bruises

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After a hard afternoon of rowing with a friend, I resigned myself to a few days of burning muscles and soreness. But my friend saved the day with a tube of arnica cream. He rubbed it on my shoulders and voila, instant relief and absolutely no aches the next day. The humble arnica flower makes an incredible cream that no medicine cabinet should be without. Use it immediately to speed up the healing of bruises, sprains, sore muscles and other general aches.

Stop Bleeding

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You’d think it would burn, but a sprinkle of cayenne pepper on a cut will quickly stop the bleeding and actually relieve the pain.

Ear Infections

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Ear infections can become quite serious and cause permanent damage, so please see a doctor if your ear ache has become severe. But if you feel like your infection is mild and at the beginning stages, put a few drops of garlic oil or white vinegar into your ear canal and lay down on the opposite side to let those drops do their work. Garlic and vinegar create an environment that won’t support the bacteria causing the infection. Repeat a few times a day until the symptoms disappear. (If your symptoms last longer than a few days, you should definitely see a doctor!)

Burns

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So you bumped up against the stove again? Ouch. Rinse first with cold water, but then immediately apply aloe vera gel to the burn. For those of us who don’t have aloe in the house, slice a potato and rub its cool, soothing juices all over the burn. And honey, with its antibacterial properties, is also good topical ointment. If you can catch the burn immediately, mustard is also reportedly a great salve.

Athlete’s Foot

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It’s a foot fungus, and it stinks. Air those piggies, then soak them in salty water, wash them with garlic juice, or soak them with diluted white or apple cider vinegar. All of these things will help kill the fungus. But you have to be persistent, consistent and diligent: no matter what treatment you use, do it a few times a day and stick with it until at least a week after you think the symptoms are gone! Fungus excels at hiding out and coming back when you least expect it.

Rashes and Allergies

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Prescription and OTC antihistamines can cause some serious side effects. Before you head for the strong stuff, try green tea, which contains compounds with antihistamine properties. You’ll need to drink 2-3 cups a day to get the full effect.

Acne and Sensitive Skin

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First you really have to look at your lifestyle, because imbalances in your health can show up in your skin. But in the meantime, wash your face with oatmeal. It’s a gentle exfoliant and draws out oil and impurities.

Flatulence

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Some foods, like beans and raw veggies, are more likely to cause gas, but if you find flatulence to be too common of an occurrence, try taking a digestive enzyme with your meals. You can find these at any health food store. In the meantime, make use of digestive spices such as ginger, anise, peppermint, coriander and dill. You can make tea with these ingredients or incorporate them into your food.

Headache and Migraine

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Try rubbing peppermint or lavender oil on your temples and the base of your neck; sniffing these oils may also help. Rub a fresh cut lemon or lime on your forehead. Feverfew is a good herbal remedy for headaches. Have a little caffeine by way of green tea, and don’t forget to use an ice pack for 20 minutes to dull the throbbing.

Dandruff

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Have you looked at the ingredients in dandruff shampoo? It seems like they contain almost everything in the Toxic Ingredients You Must Avoid list. Better to try something natural first before resorting to chemicals. Many people swear by rubbing aloe vera gel onto the scalp (leave it on for 20 minutes than rinse it out). This will certainly help with dry, itchy scalp. Another remedy is a rinse with apple cider vinegar. Try these remedies a few times before deciding if they work for you. Even dandruff shampoo requires regular use to see results, so give the natural stuff a chance!

Nausea

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The classic cure for nausea or carsickness is ginger tea or candied ginger. You can chew on the stuff raw, if you like, but it’s so spicy and strong it might just make you feel worse. Sniffing real peppermint or lavender oil can also help.

Constipation.

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First (and we’ll spare you a picture), drink more water and eat more fruit and salads. You’re backed up for a reason and taking lots of laxatives is not the answer. Meanwhile, drinking a few teaspoons of olive oil mixed with a bit of orange or (diluted) lemon juice can help things get moving. Another surefire remedy is 1/4 teaspoon of epsom salts drunk in 1/2 a glass of water. Sometimes calorie restriction or avoidance of healthy fats (such as the good fats found in fish, nuts and avocados) can worsen constipation. And though it’s counterintuitive, some people relieve their constipation by actually cutting back on grain consumption! True, grains contain fiber, but some people don’t digest grains very well. Other causes of constipation include stress, depression, inactivity and nutritional deficiencies. If your constipation is chronic, it may be a sign of a more serious problem, so please seek medical advice and adjust your lifestyle.

Toothache.

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There’s nothing so bad as the shooting pain of a toothache. You don’t want to ignore a tooth problem, because an infection that close to your brain can be extremely dangerous if it spreads. But in order to reduce swelling and pain while you wait for your dentist appointment, try putting a few drops of clove oil on your tooth and gums, and bite down on a smashed piece of garlic (which has excellent antibacterial properties). This has always worked for me.

Give some of these remedies a try – and share your own tried-and-true treatments, too.

Each week here at EcoSalon, the editors choose a post from the archives that we think you’ll love. The original post can be found here.

Images: FXR, Muhammad Adnan Asin, Mr Wabu, Goldring, Unhindered by Talent, Fotoos Van Robin, titanium22, aussiegall, craig Cloutier, Muffet, tillwe, Stuart Pilbrow, Creative Tools, sh0dan, Fotoos Van Robin, Stephen Brace

The post Best Natural Remedies for the 15 Most Common Aches, Pains and Health Complaints appeared first on EcoSalon.

Is the economy beating you up? It’s time to get creative. Next time you have an ache or pain, forget about a costly trip to the drugstore and test drive some of your grandmother’s remedies instead. It’ll save money and be gentler on your body and the environment. Recessionistas (and Gents), welcome to the DIY medicine cabinet.

Indigestion and Heartburn

It almost goes without saying – but consider why you’re getting heartburn in the first place. Did you overeat? Too much grease or spicy food? Eating late at night? Scout out the cause and try to stop this before it happens. Then, put down the antacids. The belching, bloat and heartburn caused by indigestion come about because you don’t have enough stomach acid to do the job right. A spoonful or two of apple cider vinegar will help break down the excess food that is causing you trouble and bring your stomach back to balance.

Sore Throat

Sore, scratchy throats are usually a sign of a cold or flu coming on, so you don’t want to ignore this symptom, but you can relieve the pain by gargling with warm salt water a few times a day and then drinking a soothing honey-lemon tea.

Sore Muscles and Bruises

After a hard afternoon of rowing with a friend, I resigned myself to a few days of burning muscles and soreness. But my friend saved the day with a tube of arnica cream. He rubbed it on my shoulders and voila, instant relief and absolutely no aches the next day. The humble arnica flower makes an incredible cream that no medicine cabinet should be without. Use it immediately to speed up the healing of bruises, sprains, sore muscles and other general aches.

Stop Bleeding

You’d think it would burn, but a sprinkle of cayenne pepper on a cut will quickly stop the bleeding and actually relieve the pain.

Ear Infections

Ear infections can become quite serious and cause permanent damage, so please see a doctor if your ear ache has become severe. But if you feel like your infection is mild and at the beginning stages, put a few drops of garlic oil or white vinegar into your ear canal and lay down on the opposite side to let those drops do their work. Garlic and vinegar create an environment that won’t support the bacteria causing the infection. Repeat a few times a day until the symptoms disappear. (If your symptoms last longer than a few days, you should definitely see a doctor!)

Burns

So you bumped up against the stove again? Ouch. Rinse first with cold water, but then immediately apply aloe vera gel to the burn. For those of us who don’t have aloe in the house, slice a potato and rub its cool, soothing juices all over the burn. And honey, with its antibacterial properties, is also good topical ointment. If you can catch the burn immediately, mustard is also reportedly a great salve.

Athlete’s Foot

It’s a foot fungus, and it stinks. Air those piggies, then soak them in salty water, wash them with garlic juice, or soak them with diluted white or apple cider vinegar. All of these things will help kill the fungus. But you have to be persistent, consistent and diligent: no matter what treatment you use, do it a few times a day and stick with it until at least a week after you think the symptoms are gone! Fungus excels at hiding out and coming back when you least expect it.

Rashes and Allergies

Prescription and OTC antihistamines can cause some serious side effects. Before you head for the strong stuff, try green tea, which contains compounds with antihistamine properties. You’ll need to drink 2-3 cups a day to get the full effect.

Acne and Sensitive Skin

First you really have to look at your lifestyle, because imbalances in your health can show up in your skin. But in the meantime, wash your face with oatmeal. It’s a gentle exfoliant and draws out oil and impurities.

Flatulence

Some foods, like beans and raw veggies, are more likely to cause gas, but if you find flatulence to be too common of an occurrence, try taking a digestive enzyme with your meals. You can find these at any health food store. In the meantime, make use of digestive spices such as ginger, anise, peppermint, coriander and dill. You can make tea with these ingredients or incorporate them into your food.

Headache and Migraine

Try rubbing peppermint or lavender oil on your temples and the base of your neck; sniffing these oils may also help. Rub a fresh cut lemon or lime on your forehead. Feverfew is a good herbal remedy for headaches. Have a little caffeine by way of green tea, and don’t forget to use an ice pack for 20 minutes to dull the throbbing.

Dandruff

Have you looked at the ingredients in dandruff shampoo? It seems like they contain almost everything in the Toxic Ingredients You Must Avoid list. Better to try something natural first before resorting to chemicals. Many people swear by rubbing aloe vera gel onto the scalp (leave it on for 20 minutes than rinse it out). This will certainly help with dry, itchy scalp. Another remedy is a rinse with apple cider vinegar. Try these remedies a few times before deciding if they work for you. Even dandruff shampoo requires regular use to see results, so give the natural stuff a chance!

Nausea

The classic cure for nausea or carsickness is ginger tea or candied ginger. You can chew on the stuff raw, if you like, but it’s so spicy and strong it might just make you feel worse. Sniffing real peppermint or lavender oil can also help.

Constipation. First (and we’ll spare you a picture), drink more water and eat more fruit and salads. You’re backed up for a reason and taking lots of laxatives is not the answer. Meanwhile, drinking a few teaspoons of olive oil mixed with a bit of orange or (diluted) lemon juice can help things get moving. Another surefire remedy is 1/4 teaspoon of epsom salts drunk in 1/2 a glass of water. Sometimes calorie restriction or avoidance of healthy fats (such as the good fats found in fish, nuts and avocados) can worsen constipation. And though it’s counterintuitive, some people relieve their constipation by actually cutting back on grain consumption! True, grains contain fiber, but some people don’t digest grains very well. Other causes of constipation include stress, depression, inactivity and nutritional deficiencies. If your constipation is chronic, it may be a sign of a more serious problem, so please seek medical advice and adjust your lifestyle.

Toothache. There’s nothing so bad as the shooting pain of a toothache. You don’t want to ignore a tooth problem, because an infection that close to your brain can be extremely dangerous if it spreads. But in order to reduce swelling and pain while you wait for your dentist appointment, try putting a few drops of clove oil on your tooth and gums, and bite down on a smashed piece of garlic (which has excellent antibacterial properties). This has always worked for me.

Give some of these remedies a try – and share your own tried-and-true treatments, too.

Each week here at EcoSalon, the editors choose a post from the archives that we think you’ll love. The original post can be found here.

Images: FXR, Muhammad Adnan Asin, Mr Wabu, Goldring, Unhindered by Talent, Fotoos Van Robin, titanium22, aussiegall, craig Cloutier, Muffet, tillwe, Stuart Pilbrow, sh0dan, Fotoos Van Robin, Stephen Brace

The post Best Natural Remedies for the 15 Most Common Aches, Pains and Health Complaints appeared first on EcoSalon.

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Cell Phones
We’ve all heard the rumblings about the dangers of cell phone radiation. But it turns out, your actual cell phone might make you sick. As the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology reports via Newsweek, the nickel in cell phones can lead to red, itchy skin.

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Water
Yes, some people are allergic to the wet stuff. Aquagenic urticaria is a disorder that gives people hives, rashes and even blisters when they come in contact with water. It is an extremely rare, temporary condition.

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Sex
Experiencing a burning, itching, or swelling in the genitals? You might be allergic to sex. Some women have an allergy to their significant other’s semen.

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Exercise
This might just seem like a good excuse to skip the gym for most. For an unlucky (or lucky) few, it is because they suffer from exercise-induced anaphylaxis. Nausea and vomiting are just some of the symptoms associated with this disorder.

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Soy
Soy is actually one of the most common food allergies in children, though some adults suffer from it. Symptoms include hives, swelling, wheezing, dizziness, and tingling in the mouth.

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Condoms
Latex allergies come from the proteins found in natural rubber, from which latex is derived. And since some condoms are made with latex, this can lead to a (pause) sticky situation for some. Symptoms include redness and itching, but trouble breathing is also possible.

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Sun
There are actually several different kinds of sun allergies. As The Mayo Clinic reports, these are “polymorphic light eruption (PMLE), actinic prurigo, chronic actinic dermatitis (CAD) and solar urticaria.” Symptoms include hives, blisters, and painful rashes.

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Chocolate
Yes, an unlucky few are actually allergic to chocolate. This is common in people who are already allergic to other food items such as milk, nuts and eggs.

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iPod
Remember how cell phones can cause allergies? So can your iPod. It turns out that the nickel found in iPods can be just as irritating as some of your annoying neighbor’s musical choices.

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Alcohol
Yes, that glass of wine might be giving you more than just a hangover. However, it is not the alcohol itself which causes the reactions, but often the sugar and fermentation process used in creating it. So next time you break out in hives, you might want to put the glass of wine down.

Images: mcfarlandmo, compujeramey , darkpatator, wtlphotos, mikebaird, fotoosvanrobin, rorrororro, tambako, feastguru_kirti, nez
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The post 10 Everyday Things You Might Be Allergic To appeared first on EcoSalon.

When you have bad allergies, it can seem like you are allergic to everything. Turns out, you might be! Or you might just be super paranoid. We don’t judge. But what we can do is offer a list of everyday objects or activities that could have you swelling up like ice in the Arctic. Check out some common things that might get you sniffling and sneezing.

Cell Phones
We’ve all heard the rumblings about the dangers of cell phone radiation. But it turns out, your actual cell phone might make you sick. As the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology reports via Newsweek, the nickel in cell phones can lead to red, itchy skin.

Water
Yes, some people are allergic to the wet stuff. Aquagenic urticaria is a disorder that gives people hives, rashes and even blisters when they come in contact with water. It is an extremely rare, temporary condition.

Sex
Experiencing a burning, itching, or swelling in the genitals? You might be allergic to sex. Some women have an allergy to their significant other’s semen.

Exercise
This might just seem like a good excuse to skip the gym for most. For an unlucky (or lucky) few, it is because they suffer from exercise-induced anaphylaxis. Nausea and vomiting are just some of the symptoms associated with this disorder.

Soy
Soy is actually one of the most common food allergies in children, though some adults suffer from it. Symptoms include hives, swelling, wheezing, dizziness, and tingling in the mouth.

Condoms
Latex allergies come from the proteins found in natural rubber, from which latex is derived. And since some condoms are made with latex, this can lead to a (pause) sticky situation for some. Symptoms include redness and itching, but trouble breathing is also possible.

Sun
There are actually several different kinds of sun allergies. As The Mayo Clinic reports, these are “polymorphic light eruption (PMLE), actinic prurigo, chronic actinic dermatitis (CAD) and solar urticaria.” Symptoms include hives, blisters, and painful rashes.

Chocolate
Yes, an unlucky few are actually allergic to chocolate. This is common in people who are already allergic to other food items such as milk, nuts and eggs.

iPod
Remember how cell phones can cause allergies? So can your iPod. It turns out that the nickel found in iPods can be just as irritating as some of your annoying neighbor’s musical choices.

Alcohol
Yes, that glass of wine might be giving you more than just a hangover. However, it is not the alcohol itself which causes the reactions, but often the sugar and fermentation process used in creating it. So next time you break out in hives, you might want to put the glass of wine down.

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If you have sensitive skin – in other words, you turn pink or red after using anything stronger than water – hypoallergenic products seem to have been sent from the Heavens to tame our angry outer layers. Right? Turns out, not so much. The beauty term has been taken to task for false labeling by health officials, consumer advocates, and environmentalists alike. And that’s just the tip of the hypoallergenic iceberg.

What exactly does it mean to be hypoallergenic? It is supposed to infer that a product is less likely to cause an allergic reaction and that it is gentler on skin. In reality, it means virtually nothing. The decision to call a product hypoallergenic lies solely with its manufacturer. What’s more, the producer is not required to prove any evidence that product causes fewer allergic reactions.

Consumer Reports gets right to the point. There are no standards for a product to be labeled hypoallergenic. According to the consumer advocates, the label has no meaning. It is not verified or even labeled consistently throughout the industry. In fact, medical officials assert that it is nearly impossible to guarantee any beauty product won’t cause an adverse reaction. Hypoallergenic is merely a marketing tool, and the only way to really police your product is to read ingredient labels. Fortunately, the FDA does require ingredient labeling of the beauty industry.

So hypoallergenic apparently means nothing for consumers. However, cruelty-free does. This means that a company does not directly use animal testing in the making of their products. Opinions on animal testing run deep and varied – some would argue that any animal testing is completely unacceptable, while others allow that some testing is necessary to protect human interests.

PETA demands the immediate halt to all animal testing, as well as the consumption of animals. You can read more about their reforms here. The organization also maintains a strict list of products and companies that oppose animal testing. Click here for that specific resource.

Other groups maintain a different approach to ending animal testing. The Environmental Working Group (EWG) has proposed minimizing animal testing and cruelty with reforms that, while not entirely eliminating the practice, prevent an abuse of the system. According to EWG, “the real problem is the chemical industry, which conducts repeated animal studies that sacrifice hundreds of thousands of animals as a part of a deliberate strategy to delay government action against specific chemicals.” Further, animals are bred, sold and tested each year with the same chemicals – even though we know what the reactions are. Human safety is not guaranteed by veritable animal-testing mills.

Among other reforms, the EWG proposes making public all the chemical toxicity data generated by the beauty industry. Further, they propose that the industry use animal-based tests judiciously and substitute non-animal tests whenever possible.

Ultimately, while the EWG supports the end to animal testing, it maintains “it is a long way off and we need health and welfare protections for people and animals right now.” You can read more about the EWG’s reforms here.

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Do you sprint through department stores? I do, and it’s always through the makeup section. I have bad allergies and walking through rows and rows of fragrances is akin to demons waving perfumed-drenched pitchforks at me. Fragrance means an instant headache, sniffling nose, and a possible asthma attack. To me, perfume is utterly toxic. To everyone else? Yeah, actually it looks like it is toxic as well.

At the start of the movement for safe cosmetics, way back in 2002 when dinosaurs roamed the Earth, a report called “Not Too Pretty” discussed the dangers of perfume. A full page ad ran in the New York Times with the release of this report, featuring a pregnant woman sniffing what looked like the perfume brand, Poison. The ad ran, “For baby, it could really be poison.” The report found that 72% of tested beauty products contained phthalates, a chemical linked to birth defects and hormone disruption. And Poison contained the highest levels of the chemical.

This report launched the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, which is responsible for much of the safer products on the market today. But a recent analysis by the Campaign shows that top-selling fragrances still contain at least 12 ingredients not listed on labels. What’s more, these “chemicals that can trigger allergic reactions or disrupt hormones. Hormone-disrupting chemicals are linked to a range of health effects including sperm damage, thyroid disruption and cancer.” Fragrance receives one of the highest hazard ratings from the Skin Deep database.

Second-hand fragrance is also a concern. Anne Steinemann is a professor of civil and environmental engineering and professor of public affairs at the University of Washington. According to Dr. Steinemann, “One person using a fragranced product can cause health problems for many others.” Some of the health hazards associated with second-hand fragrance are asthma, headaches, and even contact dermatitis.

So do we protest by throwing our perfumes into the sea like some kind of Boston Tea Party? (Heck no, because it is way too toxic for the fish!) We found at least one healthier option on the scented market. A Perfume Organic offers up fragrances with more certifications than a Star Trek neurosurgeon (aka TONS).  This brand is certified USDA Organic, Oregon Tilth, cruelty-free and vegan – it even gets Greenpeace’s approval.

The line was founded by Amanda Walker, a vegan, organic, local, and raw food advocate. After a career in the perfume industry, she decided to create a healthier option for those seeking scent. Her perfumes contain certified organic botanicals and are hand-poured locally in Manhattan in small batches to maintain purity.

A Perfume Organic offers four scents, each for $65: Green, Urban Organic, Perfumed Wine-Rose and White Magik. Green is rose with hint of chamomile; Urban Organic is lemon with ginger and grapefruit; White Magik has white flowers with spearmint; and Perfumed Wine-Rose is berry, crisp apple and peppers. I have to be honest – with my history of fragrance headaches, I approached these perfumes as one might approach a root canal. You know you gotta do it, but you just want it to be over with. Commence crushing headache, right?

Cue the ringing of church bells and throwing of confetti! Nary a headache did I have with these scents. They smelled fresh and botanical. If you want to smell like fruit, you smell like fruit. If you want a hint of floral, it’s there. My favorite was White Magik for its sage and spearmint “aftersmell.”

And just what are they made of? Amanda supplied me with a detailed list of what goes into her perfumes. Her scents contain pure ingredients like lavender, bitter organic, spearmint, white pepper, lemon, and more. As she told me, “I never use any solvent extracted ingredients. This is very important as solvent extraction use petrochemicals and phthalates (such as absolutes and concretes). Also, I’m very careful to never use any endangered ingredients – my sandalwood is from Australia.”

Best of all? You can actually wear her scents without smelling like a broken perfume factory just rampaged by 1000 cats. You can find them at Futurenatural.

FTC Compliance

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Allergy sufferers often wish they could live in a bubble because watery, itchy eyes and a red nose aren’t the best look for most of us. A hermetically-sealed life would be rather complicated, however, so we just have to do the best we can. Vacuum cleaners are often our first line of defense against sneeze-inducing pet hair and other buggers, so it’s important to choose one that will get the job done.

The first thing you want to look for is a vacuum with a HEPA filter system that traps mites, dust, spores, and other ickies in between layers of microfiber. Buyer beware, not all HEPA systems are created equal. Some low-end vacuums slap a single HEPA filter near the vacuum bag and call it good enough. You want a full-blown HEPA system that seals to the vacuum cleaner with rubber gaskets at every point where dust and can escape and redistribute itself back into the air. You don’t need to spend megabucks to get a good vacuum, just look for one that’s solid and well-constructed, with a nod to keeping allergens in the vacuum and out of your lungs.

Next up, you want a vacuum that can handle bare floors. Sure, you could just sweep tile or wood flooring with a broom, but that will kick up loads of pet dander, hair, and dust in the process. In a pinch, you can use a damp mop to corral the mess, but the key to staying sneeze-free is sucking all the nastiness into a vacuum for permanent disposal. Not all vacuum cleaners are created equal, so don’t just assume you can use yours on a bare floor. Unless it has settings to accommodate flooring, you could end up breaking the carpet-beater roller or scratching the bare surface.

Some allergy experts recommend checking the air flow rating of a vacuum cleaner before you buy to make sure it will effectively suck up all those tiny particulates you want to avoid. The higher the air flow rating, the more efficiently the unit will move dirt and dust into the disposable vacuum bag or removable dust bin.

Speaking of bags versus bins, a vacuum with sealable HEPA filter bags may have a slight edge over bagless varieties since emptying a dusty vacuum bin into a trash can is likely to release allergens into the air. By contrast, a vacuum cleaner bag can be removed and disposed of with a lesser chance of re-contaminating the air around you. Of course, those bags ultimately end up in landfills so you’ll need to weigh your health needs against your environmental concerns and do what works best for you.

Vacuum cleaner shopping isn’t glamorous or exciting, but if you’re an allergy sufferer, it’s one of the most important household appliance purchases you can make. We’d love to hear from readers about what vacuum features and techniques help keep your sneezes and watery eyes in check. Let us know in the comments.

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