As if you needed yet another reason to disconnect, here it comes: technology is harming your skin. It turns out blue light, electromagnetic fields, and the simple posture and facial movements required during screen time does more than just expose you to radiation but actually starts to etch at your vibrant and beautiful complexion. Here are five ways tech is getting into and under your skin.

1. Tech Neck

Experts have been using the term “tech neck” to refer to the drooping jowls, sagging skin, wrinkles, and a crease above the clavicle bone that result from the act of constantly checking our phones. Every time you look down at your phone, you are essentially doubling down on the effects of gravity on your lower face, throat, and neck. The squinting doesn’t help either, as it can lead to crow’s feet. Dermatologists are witnessing the usually age-related symptoms of “tech neck” in people as young as 18 years old!

Try holding your devices at eye level to avoid tech neck. Meanwhile, enlarge the font on your phone so you don’t have to squint to read.

2. Blue Light

The blue light on your phone and computer can affect your ability to fall asleep, but it is actually doing more than just that! This high-energy visible (HEV) light penetrates your skin deeper than UV rays do and ultimately affects your DNA. This can lead to premature aging. To avoid this, search for a moisturizer that specifically protects against HEV light.

3. Electromagnetic Fields

Your tech devices also emit an electronic magnetic field (EMF) that damage skin cells. The skin absorbs these frequencies and is compromised because of it. The best way to offset this is to regularly detoxify your skin with at-home or spa facials that go deep, accessing the recesses of your skin’s layers that EMF (unfortunately) so effectively does.

4. Allergies

According to one study, nickel and chromium in cell phone casings can cause an allergic skin reaction for some people and some 10% of children. Be sure to purchase a protective plastic cover and use a headset or speakerphone when possible.

5. Acne

Your cell phone contains 10-times more bacteria than a toilet seat. Unfortunately, these bacteria can easily transfer to your face, either when you are holding your cell phone to your face, or from your fingers, which go from swiping and clicking the screen to touching and rubbing your face. To remedy this, disinfect your screen often!

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The post 5 Ways Technology is Harming Your Skin: Scroll, Swipe, and Type at Your Own Risk! appeared first on EcoSalon.

In all, 89 percent of Americans use cell phones and many use a cell phone case to protect their expensive devices from damage. But a new analysis from the Environmental Working Group found that your cell phone case may actually increase radiation on the head and body, while at the same time, weakening the phone’s signal. Phones are not tested for radiation limits with their cases.

The research, conducted by the Pong Research Corp. in Encinitas, Calif., found that many smartphone cases were so poorly engineered that they increased the radiation coming from smartphones because the smartphone antenna was partially blocked. The cases are often designed by a third party manufacturer and they are not regulated by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). It should be noted that Pong is also marketing a cell phone case that directs radiation away from your head.

According to EWG:

EWG is calling on the FCC to update its testing guidelines to take account of the widespread use of smartphone cases. Such action is critical because mounting scientific studies have raised serious questions about the safety of cell phone radiation exposure over the short and long term. In the absence of meaningful action by the Commission, EWG offers consumers tips on how to reduce their exposure to cell phone radiation.

Researchers looked at three varieties of cases: the thick, rugged Otterbox cases that create a large barrier, a thinner case (Casemate Barely There), which leaves the phone partially exposed, and an in-between case (the Speck Candy Shell case). The purpose was to use a range of cases to see variations. All three case styles increased radiation: the thickest case by 70 percent, the middle case by 50 percent, and the thinnest case by 20 percent.

According to EWG, smartphone cases can have a major impact on your phone capabilities. “It can materially affect signal quality, potentially leading to more dropped calls; increase radiation exposure, raising the risk of adverse health effects; and shorten battery life, forcing a cell phone user to charge the battery more frequently.”

EWG wants the FCC to require that all cell phone case manufacturers test their cases to ensure that they comply with federal standards, even if cell phone cases come from a third party manufacturer. FCC’s standards need to be updated because its 1996 cell phone standards don’t take into account the changing use of cell phones and the widespread use of cell phone cases.

You can protect yourself by getting a headset, keeping the cell phone away from your body and texting rather than talking. Don’t store your cell phone right next to your body when you’re not using it. We all love to accessorize with a super cute case, not to mention the need to protect ultra pricey smartphones from an accidental drop, but who knew that these cases, meant to cushion phones, may dramatically increase the radiation that these phones put off?

Related on EcoSalon

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Image of a woman looking at her smartphone from Shuttershock

The post Does Your Cell Phone Case Increase Your Radiation Exposure? appeared first on EcoSalon.

The famous London phone booth is a symbol of the city but, as is the case with most phone booths, its role is increasingly passé as cell phones become a global mainstay. But now the phone booths may serve a new purpose: charging your dead cell phone (or any mobile tech gadget for that matter).

A standard London phone booth has been repainted green and equipped with solar panels. The new kiosk has been stripped of its former hardware and replaced with charging stations for mobile devices. It’s one of five to be madeover.

According to MNN:

The preservation and reuse of the beloved yet antiquated phone boxes has become a sensitive point of contention for Londoners and those living in other British cities and overseas territories. No one, in London in particular, wants to see the crown-emblazoned payphone kiosks go away for good.

While the service is free, users are subjected to a stream of advertisements as they charge. The boxes are maintained daily and locked overnight, according to the BBC.

The project was started by two young London School of Economics entrepreneurs, Harold Craston and Kirsty Kenny.

“I lived next to a phone box in my second year at uni and walked past it every day. I thought, ‘There are 8,000 of these lying unused in London and we must be able to find a use for them,'” explained Mr Craston.

The solar box can charge up to 100 phones a day with a 20 percent battery boost in 10 minutes and since its launch, about six people per hour have used it. People seem to dig the new booth.

“On launch day, my phone ran out of battery and I genuinely had to use the box,” said Mr Craston.

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Image: MikeDixson

The post Famous London Phone Booths are Now Solar Cell Phone Charging Stations appeared first on EcoSalon.

Cell phones have been worrisome for quite some time now because of fears that they cause brain cancer. As a result, Berkeley is attempting to be the first city in the nation to require cell phone packaging carry a warning label. Are cell phones and cancer a real risk?

“Cell phones are a risk, and I believe the public has a right to information that’s credible, readable and understandable about the device they’re using,” said Berkeley City Councilman Max Anderson, who’s co-sponsoring the ordinance and has a background in public health. “I’m not intimidated by the cell phone industry. The legal department might be, but I’m not.”

San Francisco tried without success to pass a similar ordinance back in 2010 warning about the risks between cell phones and cancer. Wary of the failure, Berkeley hired a First Amendment specialty attorney to ensure that the stickers abide by the necessary guidelines. Even still, the telecommunication industry will most certainly be mounting an aggressive legal fight. The cell phone industry has already responded by sending a four page letter to city council outlining how the regulation violates federal regulations.

“Any attempt to place labels on cell phones or their packaging contradicts the clear message of federal regulatory agencies that have carefully considered this issue, which is that devices compliant with the federal standards are safe for consumer use,” wrote Gerald Keegan, senior director of legislative affairs for CTIA – The Wireless Association, an industry group, reported on SFGate.

The ordinance would require that cell phone manufacturers carry a label warning that cell phones emit cancer causing radiation.

Joel Moskowitz, head of UC Berkeley’s Center for Family and Community Health says that cell phones are an emerging public health threat and that the research is quite definitive. Cell phone radiation penetrates the skin and skull, damaging brain tissue. It also reduces sperm counts in men that carry them in their pockets. Though other experts contend that there’s uncertainty surrounding much of the research.

Related on EcoSalon

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Image: kevin ryder

The post Cell Phones and Cancer: Berkeley Wants Warning Labels appeared first on EcoSalon.

Greg Benson does what we’ve all wanted to–he crashes cell phone conversations in this hilarious video. His goal is to get people to stop having obnoxious conversations in public. Are you one of those people? What do you think? Will this work?

Keep in touch with Jill on Twitter @jillettinger

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The post How to Feel Stupid in Public: Cell Phone Crasher Reminds People They’re Talking Out Loud [Video] appeared first on EcoSalon.

Whether it’s a busy workday or an international adventure, one thing’s pretty much guaranteed: your phone will be dead or dying when you need it the most. Here are some easy ways to power up fast and preserve battery life.

We all know the feeling: you’re lost, or bored, or observing an adorable moment. You pull out your amazing smartphone to get directions, play a game, or snap a picture, and you hear the dreaded beep. A beep that tells you your battery is on its last bar. You need power, and now! What do you do?

Smartphones add features almost faster than the market can keep up, but the feature that hasn’t really improved that much is battery life. Depending on how many bells and whistles you have running at any given time, your smartphone is likely to become real dumb before the day is over.

Thankfully, there are some tricks to extending battery life, and charging quickly when your phone is needed immediately. Study them well and share liberally–you’ll be the hero of your airport gate crowd.

1. Switch to airplane mode when charging

Switching to airplane mode disables all of your phones transmitting functions–no internet, no apps. This means all available power heads directly to the battery. You won’t be able to get any calls or texts during this time, but you’ll get the biggest charge out of the few minutes you can stay connected to the outlet.

2. Turn off radios you aren’t using

If you can’t go completely incommunicado, just disable GPS, Wifi, and Bluetooth functions (most advanced smart phones make it easy to pick and choose). On the iPhone this is in the Settings menu under Location Services. Lots of apps are constantly using GPS to determine your location, even if you’re not actively using the app. Disabling these functions ensures you can still get a call or text, but you’ll preserve power and charge faster.

3. Dim your screen

Most new phones come with the screen brightness cranked up high because it makes images on the screen look amazing. Unfortunately, that much light takes a big bite out of your battery. Set your screen’s brightness at half-mast or below. You’ll still be able see calls and emails, and your battery will thank you.

4.  Limit notifications

Do you need to know every time someone likes a picture on Facebook or makes a move on Words with Friends? Limiting or disabling app notifications, especially those that update often like Twitter or email, can slow battery drain and reduce the amount of times a day you turn on the screen to find out which app is alerting you. Set them to only ping once (in the case of email or text) or not at all.

5. Pay for apps

That’s right. Research suggests that free, ad-supported apps drain battery life. In one case, 75 percent of an app’s energy consumption was used just to power the ads! That’s enough to turn anyone into an Angry Bird. If you know you’ll be using an app frequently, shell out the  buck or two for the add-free version. Your battery will thank you.

Image: ishane

The post Need a Quick Mobile Phone Charge? 5 Tricks You Never Knew appeared first on EcoSalon.

Cell phones are changing the world, in both good ways and bad.

Last week’s highly-anticipated release of the iPhone 5 signaled to the world that despite a global recession, the cell phone industry shows no signs of slowing down. It is estimated that 85 percent of the world’s population currently has access to a mobile phone, and a new report by Ericsson predicts that by 2017, that same percentage will have access to 3G mobile Internet.

This level of global connectivity and access to information is unprecedented in human history, and social entrepreneurs are quick to jump on mobile technology as a solution to problems like poverty, inequality, and disease. At the same time, the cell phone industry has come under fire for its use of potentially harmful materials, questionable labor practices, and manipulative marketing schemes that encourage disposability, planned obsolescence, and unnecessary consumption. This week’s Behind the Label weighs the benefits of mobile technology against the downsides of the cell phone industry.

In 1983, Motorola released the first mobile telephone, futuristically dubbed the DynaTAC 8000X. The $3995 phone was almost comical in its heft (2 pounds) and design (remember cordless phones?). However, the release of the phone forecasted a future in which people could be connected, even when they were on the go.

Through the 1990s and early 2000s, phones became smaller, slimmer, and more affordable. Companies like Nokia, Motorola, and Kyocera led the charge with models that blended form and function (who could forget Nokia’s funky removable faceplates?). At the same time, companies like Palm, Handspring, and Blackberry began developing mobile devices that doubled as personal digital assistants.

This evolution and proliferation of cell phones set the stage for Apple‘s release of the first-generation iPhone smartphone in early 2007. The phone’s sleekness, simplicity, and functionality made it an instant game-changer, one that continues to spark rumors and draw record sales with every new release.

The Good

The spread of mobile technology, particularly in the developing world, makes the cell phone a useful tool for tackling global issues. In a recent article, Mashable highlighted five ways that mobile is the future of sustainable development:

• Disease response, with the example of how using phones to report malaria outbreaks has cut response time from four weeks to three minutes in Africa.
• Education through gamification, with the example of how the new Half the Sky mobile games teach women valuable health and business skills.
• Monitoring government accountability, with the example of how SMS messages can be used to track government absenteeism and improve services in Karnataka, India.
• Preserving the rainforest, with the example of an Android app that is helping members of an Amazon jungle tribe measure their land’s carbon stock and sell carbon offsets.
• Disaster response, with the example of a Red Cross app that helps teach emergency preparedness.

These are just a few ways that mobile has had an impact in the developing world. But even in the developed world, cell phones have yielded benefits. Remember when you couldn’t call a friend to say you were running late, or look up that song lyric that was driving you crazy? Problem solved, thanks to smartphones.

Mobile apps assist millions of users with services like email, maps, and weather forecasts, and some have revolutionized entire industries. If you want to purchase music, you no longer need to buy a plastic-encased CD with a paper leaflet – you can download individual tracks, or better yet, stream them. Avid readers don’t need to contribute to deforestation by purchasing physical copies of books, newspapers, and magazines – they can access the information online through free or subscription-based services. Then, of course, there are the dozens of mobile apps we’ve highlighted here on EcoSalon, which can help you live a more conscious lifestyle by reducing your carbon footprint, getting in touch with nature, eating better, and becoming a more socially responsible shopper.

The Bad

In recent years, dozens of environmental and ethical issues related to cell phone production, marketing, use, and disposal have come to light.

It starts with the production of the phone. According to a UL White Paper on the Life Cycle of Materials in Mobile Phones, most cell phones consist of approximately 40% metal and 40% plastic, with the rest of the gadget comprising glass, ceramic, and miscellaneous material. A significant environmental consideration is the energy required to extract the metals used in cell phones, particularly copper, gold, silver, and palladium. In addition, materials like gold, tin, tantalum, and tungsten are often mined in conflict areas, earning them the title of “conflict minerals” by organizations like Raise Hope for Congo, which attempts to educate consumers about the relationship between consumer electronics and violence in Eastern Congo.

That’s not to mention the labor issues that were revealed in an episode of NPR’s “This American Life” earlier this year. The piece, which was excerpted from Mike Daisey’s one-man show, “The Agony and the Ecstasy of Steve Jobs,” sought to expose the unethical working conditions at Foxconn Technology, the massive Chinese manufacturer that supplies companies like Apple, Motorola, and Nokia. Though the piece was later retracted due to faulty evidence, Foxconn’s reputation was dealt a hefty blow, particularly after reports of mass suicides and worker riots, and the publication of an undercover expose from The Shanghai Evening Post on working conditions leading up to the iPhone 5 release.

Then, there are the ethical issues involved in using a cell phone. Most smartphones rely on accessing data stored in “the cloud,” a digital infrastructure that allows companies to deliver services over the Internet. Though the term sounds nebulous, this infrastructure, in reality, is powered by massive data centers that, “by design, consume vast amounts of energy in an incongruously wasteful manner,” according to a recent special investigation from The New York Times. The article went on to explain that these digital warehouses use about 30 billion watts of electricity, but only about 6 to 12 percent of that electricity is used for actual operations. According to the analysis, “the rest was essentially used to keep servers idling and ready in case of a surge in activity that could slow or crash their operations.”

And finally, there’s the disposal of your cell phone once it’s reached the end of its useful life. Cell phones are classified as a form of toxic waste, thanks to high levels of lead, copper, nickel, antimony, and zinc present in most phone bodies and batteries. Once these gadgets reach the landfill, they leach dangerous amounts of toxins, which then infiltrate the land and nearby water sources. Most of America’s toxic “e-waste” is exported, often to landfills near poor communities in the developing world. A recent CBS News 60 Minutes report tracked one carton of “e-waste” from Colorado to the western Chinese town of Guiyu, where reporters found unbreathable air, undrinkable water, and the highest levels of cancer-causing dioxins in the world.

Layered on top of these life-cycle concerns is the troubling issue of the mobile industry’s manic marketing machine, which often turns a new phone into an unfashionable or unusable relic in a matter of a few years. This business strategy even has a name: planned obsolescence. The New York Times’ David Pogue described it well:

The electronics industry itself is built upon frequent renewal. The iPhone, iPod or iPad you buy today will be obsolete within a year. Every pocket camera model on sale today will no longer be sold six months from now. And Android phones — forget it. They seem to come out every Friday afternoon.

But while we can certainly blame the cell phone industry for this phenomenon, we may be equally to blame, says Pogue.

Does technology really advance that quickly? Or is planned obsolescence at work? It doesn’t matter. In the end, we’re as much to blame as the electronics companies. The manufacturers are simply catering to some fundamental human drives. It’s style; it’s status; it’s the confidence of knowing that we’re not missing out on anything. Owning outdated technology makes us feel outdated ourselves.

So What Now?

Though mobile technology provides a definite benefit to the world, the industry is still plagued with environmental and ethical issues. There are, however, ways you can make your mobile habits more socially responsible. Here are a few.

Assess Your Needs

If you use your cell phone primarily to talk and text, a simple flip phone may be all you need to stay connected. But if your phone serves as your digital camera, your music player, your GPS device, your news reader, and your very best friend, you’re probably better served with a functionality-packed device like the iPhone, especially if owning that one device eliminates the need for all those others.

Consider a “Green” Phone

According to Juniper Research, sales of environmentally-friendly cell phones – defined as those that are free of hazardous chemicals and contain half or more recyclable materials – will reach 400 million by 2017. Treehugger recently published a round-up of the most eco-friendly cell phones on the market, which includes the Samsung Galaxy Exhilarate (AT&T) and the Samsung Replenish (Sprint). In addition, UL Environment recently created a sustainability standard for cell phones, which takes into account the phone’s materials, energy consumption, energy consumption control, available networks, packaging, and end of life options. Currently, 29 mobile phones are included in ULE’s Sustainable Product Database.

Compare Service Providers

EcoSalon recently compared the eco-credentials of AT&T and Verizon, with Verizon winning out for its environmental accomplishments, which include reducing carbon emissions by more than 793 million pounds in 2009, reducing energy consumption by 84 million kilowatt hours in 2009, and establishing the telecom industry’s first energy-efficient standards in 2008. But don’t just take it from us; before you sign a contract, research and inquire about your cell phone provider’s environmental commitment.

Dispose Responsibly

If you must get rid of your phone, make sure you do it responsibly. First, follow the proper recycling procedures: cancel your service contract, delete all personal information, and remove your SIM card, battery, and accessories. A number of retailers, like Apple and Best Buy offer buy-back and recycling programs, which tend to offer credits or discounts toward future phone purchases. You can also donate your phone to a non-profit like 911 Cell Phone Bank, which provides emergency phones to victim service organizations, or Cell Phones for Soldiers, which donates phones to military veterans.

SEE ALSO:

Behind the Diamond Engagement Ring Industry

Behind the Mother’s Day Flower Trade

Behind the Label: The Lululemon Manifesto

Check out all Behind the Label columns here.

Images: Peretz Partensky, Erik Hersman

The post Behind The Label: The Cell Phone Industry appeared first on EcoSalon.

The battle between telecoms Verizon Wireless and AT&T is more heated than ever, especially with the release of the new Verizon iPhone. Everybody is talking about which iPhone is better – and we already know who has wider coverage and more reliable service (Verizon, without question). But which company is delivering knockout punches in the sustainability department?

Here’s how each company stacks up, based on sustainability information found on their websites and in their most recent sustainability reports.

Verizon was the first telecom company to establish efficiency standards in 2008, and in early 2010, the company announced a comprehensive sustainability strategy that includes the addition of 1,600 alternative energy vehicles to its fleet, employee education programs and progress on smart grid deployment.

Eco-options:

• Refurbished phones available directly through the VerizonWireless.com website. Through its HopeLine program, Verizon collected over 1 million phones in 2009 and refurbished 927,000 of them, donating 23,000 to domestic violence organizations. Verizon has collected more than 8 million phones since the program began in 2001. Verizon offers postage-paid labels to easily recycle phones and accessories.
• Currently offering both the Samsung Intensity II and the Motorola Citrus, two phones with notable green features.

Sustainable operations:

• Reduced its overall carbon dioxide emissions by more than 793 million pounds and improved its rate of emissions per millions of dollars in revenue to 60.2 metric tons in 2009.
• Reduced energy consumption in its facilities by 84 million kilowatt hours in 2009 through temperature monitoring and energy-efficient lighting.
• Named to Newsweek’s Global Green 100 in 2010, ranking at number 45.
• Reached number 61 in last year’s Maplecroft Climate Innovation Index, which lists the 100 top performing companies in the U.S. for their climate-related innovation and carbon-management programs.
• Collected 500,000 PCs and other electronics for recycling or resale, and recycled 26 million pounds of material from cable removed from its network in 2009 alone.
• Donates money to the American Forests’ Global Re-Leaf Program each time a customer opts for paperless billing. The partnership resulted in over 70,000 newly planted trees in 2009.
• Forty-nine Verizon Wireless stores have been awarded the EPA’s Energy Star for energy efficiency and environmental protection.

Green research & development:

• Set the global telecom industry’s first energy-efficiency standards in 2008, pushing vendors of its networking equipment to reduce power consumption of these products by 20%.
• Launched a demonstration facility in Columbia, Maryland in 2009 where it showcases the green features of its passive optical network (PON) technology. This networking technology could support high bandwidth services like 3DTV among as many as 1,000 users per network using 75% less power and 80% less space than ethernet solutions.
• Received the Groundbreaker Award from the Clean Economy Network Education Fund in 2011 for developing broadband, wireless and global IP network technology that enables more sustainable business practices.
• Teaming up with Motorola for a trial of eco-friendly set-top boxes for FiOS TV customers, which will use less energy and come in 75% recycled packaging.

AT&T has many green initiatives in the works including big plans to spend $565 million on 15,000 alternative fuel vehicles through 2018, which is expected to cut the company’s greenhouse gas emissions dramatically. Most of these sustainability goals were announced in 2009, with progress updates expected in 2011.

Eco-options:

• Sells refurbished phones directly through the ATT.com website, and offers postage-paid labels to mail in old phones and accessories for recycling.
• ZERO Charger, an Energy Star USB wall charger that is compatible with many devices, makes it easy to slay ‘vampire’ energy consumption.
• Currently offering the Samsung Evergreen, a cell phone made from 70% post-consumer plastic with a box made from 80% recycled paper.

Sustainable operations:

• Reports a ‘slight decrease’ in 2009 carbon dioxide emissions over 2008 levels based on incomplete data. AT&T does not yet fully disclose its carbon performance figures.
• Named to Newsweek’s Global Green 100 in 2010, ranking at number 57.
• Reduced its energy intensity by 23.8 percent over 2008 levels, mostly by analyzing energy performance at its 500 largest energy-consuming facilities.
• Stepped up use of alternative energy, including the installation of two large-scale solar power plants, powering an Austin facility with 10% wind power and the addition of 3,700 solar panels to a facility in San Ramon, California.
• Kept 72.1 million pounds of network scrap material out of landfills through reuse, resale and recycling.
• Announced a new waste-reduction strategy that asks suppliers to provide slimmer packaging that uses fewer materials by the end of 2011

Green research & development:

• Formed the AT&T Business Sustainability Advisory Council to help businesses make smarter sustainability choices and investments.
• Established an initiative to analyze the energy consumption of software in its data centers, which may help IT leaders design greener data centers in the future.
• Developed the Global Media Environmental Module (GMEM), a design that compresses the footprint of Information and Communication Technology equipment, reducing required space by 40 percent and lowering cooling energy needs by 40 percent.
• Made “Machine Learning” software available at no charge to nonprofit and research organizations that aid in conservation efforts around the world.

VERDICT: VICTORY FOR VERIZON

This is a close race, with both companies in the midst of big changes that have not yet produced measurable results. But in terms of sustainability facts and figures, AT&T has a lot more “we will” and “we plan” in areas where Verizon can say “we accomplished” – for now.

Image: PopSciBlog

The post Verizon vs. AT&T: Who’s Greener (We Know Who Works Better) 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
hlkljgk

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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