Category: Beauty

Summer is that time of year when everyone in the northern states and countries breaks out the flip-flops and sandals after a long winter of boots and shoes and seeks out some fun new nail polish. But do you know what’s in nail polish? There’s a reason why the smell is so potent it can almost knock you out as you step into a salon. It is absolutely toxic and can totally set off symptoms in those with histamine intolerance and mast cell disorders. But — don’t worry; here are some less toxic options you can try, and one that’s totally non-toxic and histamine-friendly. 

WHAT’S WRONG WITH CONVENTIONAL NAIL POLISH?

Chemicals. So many chemicals. Some of the worst are called the “Big 3” or the “Toxic Trio” and include dibutyl phthalate (DBP), formaldehyde, and toluene. You’ll also see polishes noted as “Big 5 free” or “Big 6” or “7” or “8” — up to “10 free” as there are so many questionable ingredients in conventional nail polish. Here’s just an overview of the “Big 3.” You can look up the dangers of the others on the Environmental Working Group (EWG)’s Cosmetics Database.

DBP is a plasticizer, solvent, and fragrance ingredient that is extremely toxic and gets an EWG rating of 10 (out of 10). It’s banned in cosmetics and personal care products in the European Union. DBP is a known hormone disruptor and in animal studies has been shown to cause infertility and problems with sperm development. In humans, it has been associated with changes in the reproductive anatomy of baby boys. In men, it lowers sperm quality, causes negative hormone effects, and leads to infertility. And that’s just a start. This is bad stuff.

Formaldehyde is also used in nail polish as a hardener. Formaldehyde is a known carcinogen that is especially associated with leukemia. It’s also damaging to your respiratory system and can cause allergic dermatitis. It also gets an Environmental Working Group (EWG) rating of 10 for most toxic.

Toluene is a petrochemical solvent and paint thinner. Its vapors are highly toxic, with exposures during pregnancy being associated with birth defects, mental retardation, and even spontaneous abortion. This chemical is also toxic to the immune system and is potentially linked to blood cancers like malignant melanoma. It, too, gets an Environmental Working Group (EWG) rating of 10 for most toxic.

Other toxic chemicals included in nail products include camphor, TPHP, parabens, xylene, ethyl tosylamide, lead, and acetone — plus more listed below.

4 BETTER OPTIONS

Acquarella Water-Based Nail Polish

Acquarella is based in Tucson, Arizona.  Polish does NOT contain: Formaldehyde or Formaldehyde like derivatives, toluene, ketones or any petrochemical solvents, DBP or other phthalates, TPHP, polyurethanes or polyurethane film-formers, parabens or camphor, mercury, lead, FD&C colors or coal tar (Lake) products in their colorants, gluten or wheat by-products, or any aromatic hydrocarbons.

Acquarella Water Color Girly got an EWG ranking of 1 –their least toxic (BEST) rating. Their polish remover also gets a ranking of 1, which is great.

RMS Beauty Polish

Rose Marie Swift (RMS Beauty) is my hero! A trailblazing makeup artist to the world’s supermodels (including Gisele Bundchen) who suffer from chemical sensitivity. RMS Beauty Polish is free of petrochemicals, parabens, DBP, TPHP, toluene, camphor, xylene, formaldehyde, formaldehyde resin, and animal products.

RMS Beauty Polish has apparently not been ranked by the EWG as of this writing.

Zoya Nail Polish

By “Art of Beauty” out of Ohio. Zoya is the name of one of the owners, a cosmetologist by trade who was previously a classical pianist in Russia. She emigrated to the United States with her husband Michael, a chemist who developed the products. Zoya is a “10 Free” formula, without DBP, formaldehyde, formaldehyde resin, toluene, camphor, TPHP, parabens, xylene, ethyl tosylamide, or lead.

The new products from Zoya have apparently not been ranked by the EWG as of this writing

Honeybee Gardens, WaterColours, Water-Based Nail Enamel

Honeybee Gardens is based in Pennsylvania and was started by a 27-year-old herbalist back in 1995. Honeybee Gardens nail polish is water-based rather than solvent based. It does not contain FD&C colors, toluene, DBP, xylene, or formaldehyde, camphor, or benzophenone-1.

Honeybee Gardens nail polish has apparently not been ranked by the EWG as of this writing.A HELPFUL TIP FOR POLISH COLORS

Get some clear polish from your favorite non-toxic brand. Take your mineral makeup and tip some out onto a paper. Then just dip your clear nail polish into the mineral powder and spread it on your nails. That way you can get any color you like. You can also use the “100% Pure” brand of makeup.

NEED MORE BEAUTY TIPS?

Don’t miss the Low Histamine Beauty Survival Guide for non-toxic beauty tips, the skinny on histamine releasing (mast cell degranulating) beauty ingredients, antihistamine and anti-inflammatory beauty alternatives and the top brands natural brands I’ve found.

——REFERENCES/RESOURCES——

https://acquarella.com/collections/nail-polish

http://honeybeegardens.com/watercolors-nail-enamel/

Here are my top choices for a natural anti-ageing boost that’s also antihistamine and anti-inflammatory. For a time I was convinced that caring about something so shallow, as caring about the way I looked, had a place in my life. Thankfully I realised that there was a balance to be struck between slathering layers of chemicals onto myself, in an effort to feel a bit better, despite the health turmoil I was facing. Now I’m just excited that the mirror now reflects the happiness and contentment I feel. 

Please remember even foods and natural products with antihistamine and anti-inflammatory benefits can be problematic. 

Moringa Oil

I’ve been a mega fan of the moringa plant since discovering it in Bangkok. Nothing beats it as a moisturiser or balm for soothing cracked and upset skin. It has antihistamine and anti-inflammatory properties and makes an excellent make up remover. Moringa has anti-ageing benefits for the skin and may reverse UV damage. We can of course also use moringa powder in green smoothies.

Pomegranate seed oil

This fruit seed has incredible anti-ageing benefits relating to its encouragement of hyaluronic acid production, and cell turn over. It also happens to be a mast cell stabiliser (which means it can prevent histamine release). The good stuff is in the seeds and also in the skin. It’s very high in sugar as a juice (which I don’t recommend).Sea Buckthorn Oil

This antihistamine oil was found to prevent mast cells from releasing histamine into the bloodstream. It prevents UV damage, resolves acne resulting from inflammation, and treats hyper-pigmentation.

CLICK HERE FOR A FOUR WEEK HISTAMINE RESET WITH MEAL PLANNERS, STRESS RELIEF STRATEGIES & MORE

Broccoli seed oil

This as always been my go to styling product. I have very, very, curly hair, that required ample amounts of silicone based styling oils. Now that’s all in the past of course. I had read years ago that this oil mimics silicone when applied to hair, and yup, it’s a total frizz fixer. It’s actually even better at it that the synthetics.

According to Dr. Axe, this oil prevents UV damage from the sun, and is high in linoleic acids, which promotes ceramide synthesis. These regulates skin cells and plump up the skin. This oil is also rich in sulforaphane, an incredibly healing compound that acts as an antihistamine.

Kudzu and probiotic

This Japanese root can be found at most health food stores and online. It’s tradiitonally used in foods and make up. When mixed with a probiotic, in one study Bifidobacterium Breve was used, it boosts hyaluronic acid (HA) production as effectively as topically applied Retin-A (retonoic acid). HA is what doctors use to plum lips and faces with. I’ve been using this mixture for quite some time and love it.

Don’t forget, my ebooks are full of recipes made up of the foods with antihistamine and anti-inflammatory properties.

You’ll find recipes full of foods with antihistamine and anti-inflammatory properties my books Anti-Recipes and The Anti-Cookbook

——-REFERENCES——

Mahajan, S G, and A A Mehta. “Inhibitory Action of Ethanolic Extract of Seeds of Moringa oleifera Lam. On Systemic and Local Anaphylaxis.” Journal of immunotoxicology., U.S. National Library of Medicine, Oct. 2007, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18958739. Accessed 11 Sept. 2017.

Wen, K C, et al. “Comparison of Puerariae Radix and its hydrolysate on stimulation of hyaluronic acid production in NHEK cells.” The American journal of Chinese medicine., U.S. National Library of Medicine, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20128051. Accessed 11 Sept. 2017.

Ali, Atif, et al. “Enhancement of human skin facial revitalization by moringa leaf extract cream.” Advances in Dermatology and Allergology/Postȩpy Dermatologii i Alergologii, Termedia Publishing House, May 2014, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4112252/. Accessed 11 Sept. 2017.

Price, Annie. “Meet Your New Wrinkle Fighter: Broccoli Seed Oil’s Sulforaphane Up-Regulates Enzymes that Protect Skin Against UV Radiation.” Dr. Axe, 5 Sept. 2017, draxe.com/broccoli-seed-oil/. Accessed 11 Sept. 2017.

Rédei, D, et al. “Bioactivity-Guided Investigation of the Anti-Inflammatory Activity of Hippophae rhamnoides Fruits.” Planta medica., U.S. National Library of Medicine, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28662529. Accessed 11 Sept. 2017.

When people tell me they’re still highly reactive no matter what dietary, stress busting, or lifestyle changes they make, I immediately suggest looking at bath and beauty products. My reactions to these were so very severe that they resulted in near immediate migraine, buzzing in my head, feet and fingers, hives and what looked like acne. Over the years my tolerance has improved greatly, to the point that I can once again use scented products (very natural scents) and use some chemicals. That might not seem like much, but just a few years ago I wasn’t able to use shampoo, body wash or deodorant. Though I can tolerate nasty stuff now, I don’t use it.

Click here to learn how to tailor a histamine balanced diet and healing plan to your lifestyle.

So here’s a list of my favourite histamine-friendly cleansing products.

Because people always ask me where they can buy things I talk about, I added the amazon links here. Please feel free to ignore them and find them on your own somewhere else.

Before we kick things off, may I please ask someone why on earth I’m paying for what’s NOT in my products and food? Yes, yes, quality, blah blah, but really, not everyone who buys organic foods and beauty products are millionaires devoted to a life of hedonism. I’m certainly not. I seem to spend almost every penny I earn on food and keeping myself clean…

If you have products you love and think should be on this list, please share below and I’ll add them here. I’ll then pin this list in the navigation for those who wish to refer to it. Please remember, I can’t predict what will work for you. Just because I’m ok with something there’s no guarantee everyone else will be, but these are products that I’ve trialled and researched and found to be the most likely to work for us.

And finally, a note on higher histamine ingredients than may appear on my list: while tomato extract may be in a 100 percent pure body wash, I’ll take it any day over decyl-sulfer-methu-chemical-name-gmo-bla-bla, any day.

So here’s what’s currently in my bathroom cupboard:

100 Percent Pure Mint Green Tea Cleanser and also the Cucumber cleanser

This brand has the most AMAZING products. I use their mascara, eyeshadows, shampoos, everything! I use the unscented cucumber cleanser daily and the Green Tea one every few days. They’re both really effective and gentle on the skin. I use mine with a face brush for extra exfoliation.

[AMAZONPRODUCTS asin=”B0042PE9YC”]

Andalou Naturals Willow Bark Toner

A recent find at my local health food store. This brand has the most incredible natural ingredients and plant stem cells (I have no clue if this is just sales hype but their products are really special). This toner is an absolute must for my oily skin. I keep a travel size of it in my handbag in case I need to refresh my foundation while away from home. It’s funny, I still vividly remember the days of scrubbing myself raw with a loofah, sea salt and water, and now here I am, using toner!

[AMAZONPRODUCTS asin=”B00B7V4DTU”]

Incognito (unscented) Activated Charcoal Soap

I came across this soap when I ran out of the small suitcase of dead sea bath soap I brought with me from London. It only has a handful of (natural) ingredients and is great for face and body. If this doesn’t take your fancy, check out the Kiss My Face Olive Oil soap. It’s pure olive oil, nothing else. Incognito are perhaps better known as a company for their natural citronella mosquito spray. I pack that with me when traveling anywhere warm.

[AMAZONPRODUCTS asin=”B01AVIQ9SC”]

Green People toothpaste

So my other suitcase from London was half full of this toothpaste. I struggled for years with a severely swollen throat that sent me to the ER a number of times. Turns out that toothpaste was a huge part of the problem. When I finally researched the ingredients online I realised why. My immune system is just more active and ready to fend off perceived invaders than most people’s, so I need to take extra care. While in the past this meant totally avoiding pretty much everything on the planet, now it’s a much more balanced approach consisting mostly of not using processed products and chemicals.

[AMAZONPRODUCTS asin=”B0013G3C28″]

Earth Paste

Now this stuff is available in the US. It’s also nearly twice as expensive. Please, please, please share some of your favourites so I don’t have to plan my toothpaste purchases a month in advance from another country.

[AMAZONPRODUCTS asin=”B00VQU2PCY”]

100 Percent Pure Honey & Coconut Shampoo and Conditioner

These are the products I broke my no-poo cherry with. After having tossed out my shampoo for a year (because of horrible itching, dermatitis and hair loss mind you), I gingerly diluted some of this stuff and quickly rinsed my scalp in it. Success! I was fine with it and so began my love affair with this brand. I now use their Yuzu shampoo, but it definitely has more scent. I wasn’t ok with it when I first tried it, but I persevered and now am totally into it.

[AMAZONPRODUCTS asin=”B00JH31B54″]

Nourish Organic Unscented Body Wash

I’m totally cool with light, natural scents (rather than natural perfume/parfum which is anything but), but I’ve added this here because it’s a good bridge product. Their other cleaners aren’t bad either if you’re looking for unscented.

[AMAZONPRODUCTS asin=”B008N1RYOS”]

Schmidt’s Unscented Deodorant

As my understanding of chemical names evolved over the years I realised the tricks cosmetic companies play in trying to cover up the nasty stuff. Things like aluminium and propylene glycol are just not meant to go under my arms. While this isn’t the strongest stuff on the planet, it sure beats the coconut oil I used to rub under there every 30 minutes.

[AMAZONPRODUCTS asin=”B018K3RMUY”]

Cleanwell Thyme Hand Sanitiser

I’m not a big believer in using these products but traveling demands it. I use this stuff on planes, trains and when riding in a car service. It has a couple of ingredients I’m not crazy about so I rinse it off my hands right after spraying. It is the best I’ve found out there, short of carrying a little pot of Manuka honey around (which I’ve done in the past!)

[AMAZONPRODUCTS asin=”B000IZ8LIK”]

It’s finally here! Man Food – a high nutrient antihistamine and anti-inflammatory ingredient filled book geared towards guys, women who love to work out, yoga like they mean it, or just load up on healing nutrients. Features my personal shopping list of antihistamine and anti-inflammatory foods.

The Anti-cookbook and all liquid Anti-Detox Book, don’t treat any conditions, but feature a plethora of the high nutrient antihistamine and anti-inflammatory ingredients that have been instrumental in helping me feed myself on a limited diet. The Anti-cookbook features a four page list of antihistamine and anti-inflammatory foods and comes in regular and Paleo.

The Low Oxalate Cookbook features antihistamine and anti-inflammatory rich recipes.

Don’t miss the Low Histamine Beauty Survival Guide for non-toxic beauty tips, the skinny on histamine releasing (mast cell degranulating) beauty ingredients, antihistamine and anti-inflammatory beauty alternatives and the top brands natural brands I’ve found.

Take a peek at my other low histamine and antihistamine cookbooks for more high nutrient recipes

Those with hair loss combined with allergy like symptoms who do not test positive for allergies (via IgE) may have high levels of inflammatory mediators like histamine, prostaglandins and/or interleukins. These inflammatory molecules are found in mast cells in the human body and are usually released as needed, but those with chronic allergies, high overall IgE level, histamine intolerance, mast cell activation, mastocytosis and other inflammatory medical conditions may have disturbances in mast cell function, thereby causing excess inflammation and hair loss. There’s a number of ways to tackle this, including some exciting news about a natural oil that’s more effective than minoxidil at promoting hair growth.

All references further down in the post. 

There’s many different kinds of hair loss so it’s best to get to a doctor, but here are a few types that are specifically linked to inflammation:

Prostaglandin D2 specifically has been implicated in male pattern hair loss (and hair loss generally) [1]. Interleukins and high IgE levels have been linked to alopecia areata, which is characterised by “either patchy hair loss or more generalized alopecia that results in complete loss of scalp hair” [2,3,4] and also with telogen effluvium, a diffuse hair loss that may not manifest until two to three months after exposure of the scalp to an allergen, or after a sudden shock/trauma, or sudden decrease in caloric intake [5].  Interestingly a study published in the American Journal of Pathology in 2003 found that stress caused telogen effluvium hair loss in mice via mast cell activation specifically [6]. A study in China found that alopecia areata progression can be predicted according to the mast cell activity in scalp biopsy [7].

It’s always exciting when I find that something that I’ve been writing about for a while is effective for more than I’ve been using. In this study published in 2013 in the Journal of Cosmetics, Dermatological Sciences and Applications, found that nigella sativa, a key component of many of my nutrient dense antihistamine and anti-inflammatory ingredient rich recipes has been shown to be effective in treating telogen effluvium when applied topically [8]. It’s a small sample of patients, 20 in total. The 10 treated with antihistamine nigella sativa applied the lotion for three months. The results showed a significant improvement in seven of the patients treated with the nigella.

Apples meanwhile, another mainstay of my diet, not only are rich in antihistamine quercetin, but also in procyanidin B-2, which researchers in a study published in the British Journal of Dermatology in 2002 found promotes hair growth [9].

A number of studies have also shown green tea to promote hair growth [10] but most excitingly, peppermint oil rubbed into the scalp has been shown to be more effective than minoxidil at promoting hair growth [11]. Peppermint oil has a number of contraindications and is thought to lower testosterone levels so many not be appropriate for males. Please visit the University of Maryland website to read up on it. 

It’s not my intention for this post to provide a complete round up of everything that can cause hair loss. I do recommend getting a comprehensive vitamin and mineral, autoimmune and thyroid panels to rule out the obvious deficiencies and potential causes which have been covered  on other blogs.

Most specifically, something threw me recently while researching why my own normally lustrous mane was looking a little anemic (if you’ll forgive the coming pun). It seems that what is considered a “normal” serum ferritin level, is considered by trichologists (hair doctors) to be woefully inadequate and a frequent cause of hair loss (see below for attribution). A number of studies agree with them: finding that low iron stores (serum ferritin) are associated with hair loss [12, 13, 14].

As I am always trying to go vegan again (for love of the animals), I had again completely cut a source of vitamin B12 and iron without considerably upping my intake of non-heme iron or adding in a B12 supplement. Both were still in normal (but low) range. I began a vegan B12 spray just because that’s what smart vegans are supposed to do and though not actually vegan I eat so little animal protein that it seemed worth the effort to get my body to accept it again. It took a couple of months but my body and B12 supps are now simpatico.

I neglected the iron however and while my hair suddenly sprouted in thickness, that hair reached about half an inch before suddenly shedding again.

Interestingly I also found a study  linking high serum ferritin with inflammation [15]. It seems that high levels are indicative of various inflammatory conditions including chronic kidney disease and is often seen together with elevated interleukin and c-reactive protein. 

Then I came across the Philip Kingsley (hair doctor) website for the first time in years since my frantic research on the issue in 2010. Back then going low histamine, binning the shampoo and taking mangosteen supplements to stabilise mast cells and lower prostaglandin D2 levels  was enough. The Kingsley site informed me that while a general practitioner would consider a serum ferritin level of 14-170 micrograms per litre normal, research at the Philip Kingsely practice has found that anything under 80 ug/L (micrograms per litre) in women could cause or contribute to hair loss [16]. My mother went to the clinic in the 1970s after giving birth to me so I imagine they have quite a bit of research on this that has been conducted in the last 40 years or so…

I began taking spatone iron water daily and at two weeks I noticed my hair had not only sprouted but continued to grow. Oh happy day. The mystery of the thinning hair has once more been resolved, but hey, there’s all kinds of fun to be had with age related hormonal fluctuations one day to look forward to.

But iron supplementation isn’t on the cards for me long term. Dr. Fuhrman and others tell us that iron is an oxidant and feeds cancer cells [17].

A few iron rich foods I am upping my intake of (via nutritondata nutrient search tool):

(% RDA)

1 cup chickpeas 26%

1 tbsp spirulina 11%

1 tbsp tahini 17%

28g agar 33%

28g chives 31%

1 cup pistachio 29%

100g cacao 81% (Hmmm, I’d like to think this is why I’m always craving it, but realistically, not!)

And if you’re eating meats: 100g calf liver 36%

I do speculate however that the cause of my hair loss back in 2010 may have been caused by the sudden restriction in calories that many of us on the histamine elimination diet undertake.

It’s finally here! Man Food – a high nutrient antihistamine and anti-inflammatory ingredient filled book geared towards guys, women who love to work out, yoga like they mean it, or just load up on healing nutrients. Features my personal shopping list of antihistamine and anti-inflammatory foods. 

The Anti-cookbook and all liquid Anti-Detox Book, don’t treat any conditions, but feature a plethora of the high nutrient antihistamine and anti-inflammatory ingredients that have been instrumental in helping me feed myself on a limited diet. The Anti-cookbook features a six page list of antihistamine and anti-inflammatory foods and comes in regular and Paleo. 

The Low Oxalate Cookbook features antihistamine and anti-inflammatory rich recipes. 

Don’t miss the Low Histamine Beauty Survival Guide for non-toxic beauty tips, the skinny on histamine releasing (mast cell degranulating) beauty ingredients, antihistamine and anti-inflammatory beauty alternatives and the top brands natural brands I’ve found.

Take a peek at my other low histamine and antihistamine cookbooks for more high nutrient recipes and sign up to my mailing list for freebies. 

———– REFERENCES———

[1] PROSTAGLANDIN D2 POST

[2] http://www.hindawi.com/journals/mi/2010/928030/

[3] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23075639

[4] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17010262

[5] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23075639

[6] http://archderm.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=478194

[7] http://www.hindawi.com/journals/mi/2010/928030/

[8] http://www.nature.com/jid/journal/v133/n5/full/jid2013110a.html

[9] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8664805

[10] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11841365

[11] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4289931/

[2] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1868104/

[13] http://www.scirp.org/journal/PaperInformation.aspx?paperID=35882

[14] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17951130

[15] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18922994

[16] http://www.philipkingsley.com/hair-guide/healthy-hair-nutrition/anaemia-iron-deficiency/

[17] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16173333

It wasn’t so long ago that a post I wrote on eczema being a mast cell/histamine intolerance related issue went pretty viral. A recent re-post on my Facebook page generated an impressive number of requests for me to look into whether rosacea is also one.

Well, guess what folks – it sure is!

Sadly it seems that word isn’t spreading as fast as we might like, at least not fast enough to the doctors who might help us. So here’s all the research you’ll need to take to your dermatologist in order to make him aware of the link, or get your family doctor to write you that mast cell specialist/immunologist referral you may have already suspected you need.

WHAT IS ROSACEA?

Wikipedia calls rosacea a chronic inflammatory “skin disease” characterised by facial redness, small and superficial dilated blood vessels, papules, pustules and swelling. Celebrities dealing with it include former US president Bill Clinton, Mariah Carey, burlesque star Dita Von Teese, actress Diane Kruger [1] and according to some online sources/websites, Cameron Diaz and Prince William [2], something I haven’t independently verified.

A study in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology, funded by a research grant from the National Rosacea Society, revealed that mast cell numbers are increased in the skin of rosacea patients [3]. The study found that the mast cell proteases recruit other immune cells, thereby amplifying the inflammatory response.

Demodex skin mites have also been shown to play a role in rosacea [4], by triggering the inflammatory response or blocking hair follicles.

And that’s a great point I should elaborate on. The presence of these mites could be the actual mast cell trigger. Having rosacea therefore doesn’t necessarily mean that you have an actual mast cell disorder.

Come again?

This is something I had to wrap my head around just last year. That some of us with histamine/mast cell symptoms, are experiencing them as a result of a primary issue, like mites on our skin, a bacterial or viral infection, rather than us having an actual mast cell disorder that is causing the rosacea symptoms.

How to tell the difference? Dr. Diana Driscoll has spoken about this quite a bit [5]. Seems many of us are still pretty much in the dark as to which came first – the mast cell disorder or mast cell disorder symptoms caused by a virus or something. In my case, I believe that my mast cell activation, the symptoms of which have disappeared of late, was secondary to a stress disorder. As Joseph Cohen over at Self Hacked told me during a genetic consultation I did with him: “You’re wired for stress!”. I’ll go into more detail about this in an upcoming post. I have to, because I continue to be shocked by how my symptoms evaporated as I dealt with my lifelong, debilitating stress.

Back to the matter at hand.

The list of common rosacea triggers featured on the National Rosacea Society’s website looks suspiciously familiar, with patients self reporting spinach, avocado, yeast, vinegar, alcohol, eggplant, tomatoes, citrus fruits, spicy foods and “foods high in histamine” as problematic [6]. As well as beauty products and stress/anxiety.

Given that this all does look and sound very familiar…here are some possible tips on dealing with rosacea, from a histamine intolerance/mast cell perspective, and that of someone who struggled with decades of the most hideous skin “acne” that didn’t respond to any antibiotics prescribed, retin A or accutane, or topical creams that thinned out and almost killed my skin, but cleared up 100% after six months on a low histamine diet. I wonder now if it was mild rosacea?

You’ll find recipes full of foods with antihistamine and anti-inflammatory properties my books Anti-Recipes and The Anti-Cookbook

Tips for dealing with rosacea

Given the incredible similarity between histamine intolerance/mast cell activation and rosacea triggers, and the fact that we are now told there’s definitely a rosacea/mast cell link, what I have been doing to heal my own mast cell disorder/histamine intolerance could apply.

As always though, please check with your healthcare provider before making any changes as I am neither a doctor nor a nutritionist. All I am doing is sharing research and what has worked for me. Please remember, what works for me might not for you. 

1. Meditation and yoga

Several rosacea societies share that patients self-report stress as being a mega-trigger. This makes sense given the acknowledged role of stress as a mast cell trigger [7]. Meditation and yoga have both been shown to switch off/dampen genes related to mast cell/histamine disorders, as well as inflammation generally [8]. I gave up kickboxing a few weeks ago to focus on yoga. I now practice between five and nine hours weekly, in addition to walking. One of the greatest moments of recent years has been finally achieving a headstand, on my own, without needing a wall to lean my feet onto. I know, it’s the small things sometimes!!

2. Medication

There are numerous rosacea treatments that your dermatologist will be aware of, but I found an online patent application from a team at the University of California that really piqued my interest. Their proposed treatment patent outlines a role for mast cell stabilisers and vitamin D [9]. Many people begin conversations with me thus: “I know you’re totally anti-medication” or “I know you don’t believe in taking medication.” Neither of these statements is correct. I do not advise people to come off meds and I do not believe that taking meds is a bad thing. I choose not to take them myself any longer, mostly because I have been overmedicated since birth. I have been on some kind of medication, or many types, every month of my life, till just a few years ago. It’s a personal choice, but you better believe me, if I needed meds, I would take them. Never feel guilty for doing so, never allow anyone to make you feel bad for being so “weak” as to need them. There’s no weakness in accepting help, be it from a doctor or a medicine. Get well, be strong, then you’re in a position to decide if you want to continue taking them. I often ask people why they would stop something that’s making them feel better? In my case, the point is, I was on the wrong meds and wasn’t getting better.

3. Supplements

Bioflavonoids

Given that mast cell stabilisers may be of use for rosacea, bioflavonoids like quercetin and luteolin, shown to be as effective as the commonly prescribed mast cell stabiliser sodium cromolyn [10], could be useful. I take Dr. Theoharides’ Neuroprotek (I do not benefit financially in any from mentioning this supplement but he is a friend!). You can of course also find bioflavonoids in most brightly coloured plant foods, the kind that make up the bulk of my diet (check out my Anti-Detox book for some great all liquid recipes).

Vitamin D

Usually a good bet for those with immune system conditions, including rosacea it seems. Another study funded by the NRS focused on the role of vitamin D enhancing the production of human antimicrobial peptides cathelicidins (LL-37). These beneficial peptides, which normally help prevent inflammation, are “abnormally processed” in rosacea folks [11].

4. Diet

Given that the bioflavonoids quercetin and luteolin are found in plant foods, why not eat the plants, whether or not you’re taking supplements or medication? That’s the question I asked myself just a few years ago. In my case I decided that nothing goes in my mouth unless it treats me. I’m human of course, but when you set yourself a goal like that, even “cheating” by spending 10% of your histamine allowance on still healthy foods (raw cacao, dates, almond flour coconut sugar homemade cookies), you’re still golden!

5. Examine your beauty routine

It might surprise you to learn that many common beauty ingredients are mast cell/histamine triggers. They’re too numerous to mention here, but I’ve found that almost all commercially available brands have these ingredients, as well as those that disrupt the endocrine system (more on that on the EWG website). The great news is that newer, truly natural brands like 100% Pure and RMS Beauty offer very stylish alternatives. To sum it up – if you can buy it at a generic store, it’s likely to cause problems. The aforementioned brands contain more natural ingredients, some of which actually possess antihistamine and anti-inflammatory ingredients like (real) moringa and coconut oil. You’ll find a full list of healing cosmetic products in the low histamine beauty book.

You’ll find recipes full of foods with antihistamine and anti-inflammatory properties my books Anti-Recipes and The Anti-Cookbook

CLICK HERE FOR A FOUR WEEK HISTAMINE RESET WITH MEAL PLANNERS, STRESS RELIEF STRATEGIES & MORE

——REFERENCES—

[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosacea#Notable_cases

[2] http://www.everydayhealth.com/rosacea-pictures/famous-faces-with-rosacea.aspx

[3] http://www.nature.com/jid/journal/v134/n11/abs/jid2014222a.html

[4] http://rosacea.org/rr/2014/fall/article_4.php.]

[5] www.prettyill.com

[6] http://rosacea.org/patients/materials/triggers.php

[7] http://www.mastcellmaster.com

[8] https://dev.healinghistamine.com/how-i-learned-to-stop-worrying-and-love-yoga-again/

[9] http://www.google.com/patents/WO2014159771A1?cl=en

[10] http://www.mastcellmaster.com

[11] http://rosacea-support.org/cathelicidins-regulated-by-vitamin-d3.html