When you hear “organic” what do you think? Chemical-free and preservative-free might be 2 things that come to mind. What certainly does not come to mind is “allergy”.
However, “allergic” is what I now think after a recent bad experience.
I don’t have sensitive skin – at least I did not think so. I don’t break out all that easily but I’ve discovered that the skin on my hands might actually be more sensitive than the skin on my face.
I had a bad reaction on my hands which got worse over the Chinese New Year break. The skin on my hands and palms had some water bubbles under the skin and my skin was peeling in parts. I looked as I decribed it, like a burn victim with blisters on my hands. However, there was no itch. I googled up some information and found it was similar to pompholyx or water blisters (link). However, there was no itch – it just looked and felt awful.
I sometimes get a mild form of this reaction with long exposure to paper – an occupational hazard but there you go! I attribute it to the chemicals used in making and treating paper. I am also allergic to certain detergents in the same way and I’ve learnt to stay clear of them. Once I stop any contact with these irritants, my hands heal quickly.
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