Multiple Chemical Sensitivity
January 17th, 2007 by 
author
Imagine your body was so sensitive that it reacted to skincare products, perfumes, detergents, hand washes, shampoos, household cleaning products, dust mites and even air fresheners. For suffers of Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS) this is a daily battle.
The list of substances that irritate MCS is long and varied and from a quick glance it is hard to imagine how you would carry out your daily tasks when so many irritating triggers surround us on a daily basis. Especially when they trigger chronic fatigue, headaches, dry itchy skin, skin rashes, breathing, digestive and throat problems.
Multiple Chemical Sensitivity suffers often find it very difficult having their condition diagnosed due to the wide variety of triggers and symptoms but the condition is receiving more recognition in recent years. The problem for most suffers is that most skincare and cleaning products on the market contain a cocktail of ingredients including foaming agents, harsh preservatives, colourings, perfumes and phthalates which flare-up sensitive skin and MCS. These ingredients when applied alone may not trigger the condition but when multiple ingredients are found in each skincare product used the condition can be exacerbated. Chemical Safe Skincare research has shown that the average woman uses 12 skincare products every day which contains more than 175 chemical compounds!
Most people with the condition have tried so many moisturisers, shampoos, shower gels and body lotions that have flared their condition that they end up washing with water.
Skincare products free from colourings, perfumes, harsh preservatives, drying foaming agents, phthalates, formaldehyde and alcohol should be used in order to reduce the risk of irritating MCS.
Posted in Chemical Safe, Safe Skincare, Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLS/SLES), Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS), Allergies | 
January 17th, 2007 at 4:02 pm
I am delighted to see that your group is getting out information about safer cosmetics and about Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, which I have. However, of the dozens of people with the disease that I’ve known I can’t remember any of us being reduced to washing with water only. At least at this point there are many non-toxic alternatives available to conventional products.
January 18th, 2007 at 10:52 am
I suffered for years with sensitivities leaving me very tired all the time. My skin and breathing reacts every time I come in contact with air fresheners, household cleaners and most skincare products. Every time I pass those well-known shops that sell strong smelling bath products my eyes stream, my skin itches and breaks out in a rash and my breathing gets really difficult.
I now know more about the triggers to my condition and MCS suffers vary in the severity of their reactions. I used to use water alone to wash with because my skin kept reacting to even the most sensitive skincare. I found this company who gave me a sample to try before I purchased and it is the first complete range that I have used that didn’t make my breathing and skin react.
More funding is needed for research into MCS so that suffers are diagnosed and treatments are freely available.