Estimated reading time: 13 minutes
With a constant runny nose and tissues in every pocket, Mrs.CBB sought help from an allergy specialist.
For many suspected types of allergies, visiting a specialist is the best option to narrow them down.
Today, I want to discuss Mrs. CBB’s newly confirmed allergy and how it’s affecting our budget.
Although we were hoping for a zero allergy result from testing, that was not the case.
Below, you will learn how much this allergy costs us and why we spend the money we do.
Skin Prick Allergy Testing
Years ago, she had a skin allergy test done on her inner left arm, which revealed she had allergies.
- Allergy to cats and dogs
- Dust
- Ragweed allergy
- Grass pollen allergy
- Tree allergy
- Weed allergy
The skin allergy test is uncomfortable for anyone undergoing the procedure, especially if there is a reaction.
All she would describe is that she wanted the testing to be over and the itching to stop.
A good portion of her arm had allergy trails, but what was most distinctive was her ragweed and grass allergy.
What shocked her was the number of environmental allergies she had with ragweed, which was the highest.
Her love for gardening, flowers, and picking weeds (it relaxes her) she’s no longer to do.
Over the years, she’s had cats and dogs, and they proved to be no issue.
Until now we purchased a kitten for our son amid COVID-19 because he adores them.
We also think he was bored because he couldn’t see friends and played alone.
Since Mrs. CBB and I are allergic to cats, we bought a kitten and hoped for the best.
The things we do for our children to make them happy.
It took a few weeks, but the runny nose started for both of us, along with sneezing.
Unusual Problems Started Happening
Since 2018, Mrs. CBB has had numerous dermatitis or rashes that bother her.
That was when the head-scratching began as she was diagnosed with folliculitis and then excoriation.
What is Excoriation?
Excoriation is a picking disorder diagnosed as Mrs. CBB couldn’t stop scratching the scabs on her head.
Due to folliculitis, there were tiny bumps at the bottom of some hair follicles.
She began picking her scalp, and it would get worse and then bleed and crust up again.
The more she scratched the front of her head, the easier it was to see the hair loss in the area.
The doctor told her to stop by wearing a hat to keep her hands away from her head.
That worked for a while, but the bald spot was still visible, and things needed to change.
She had already been through a test for Lupus, and as it presents in this same way, it was not, thankfully.
Again, she was sent to a dermatologist who had his practice outside the hospital.
After numerous medications, which included a few spots on her face, she had to move on to a new doctor.
Nothing was working, so the last step was to visit an allergist who could conduct patch testing on her back.
Allergy Patch Testing
What is allergy patch testing?
Patch testing is when 90 products are on patches and taped to one’s back.
The patches are testing what allergens are causing problems such as dermatitis (rashes)
More is needed since the skin prick and blood tests revealed environmental allergies.
You must not shower over 3-4 days and return to the allergist daily.
Mrs. CBB was miserable during this test and wanted to rip the patches off.
She was allergic to something, and that something was Limonene.
Once diagnosed, you must avoid what products or foods cause an allergic reaction.
With Limonene, it’s not as easy as with many foods and beauty products.
Patch testing is a process to detect allergic contact dermatitis to something a person has contacted at home, leisure or at work.
It involves applying patches with test substances in small chambers or discs to a person’s back.
The patches are secured with hypoallergenic tapes. No needle pricking is involved.
Folliculitis Allergy
Understanding Folliculitis
What is Folliculitis?
Folliculitis is when the hair follicles anywhere on your body become inflamed.
Ingrown hairs and folliculitis over a few parts of her body were a problem for Mrs. CBB.
One summer, it caused her back to break out in little bumps with a clear substance inside.
We figured it was spreadable as it ended up on her chest, face, and, ultimately, her hair.
Eventually, it was in a large circle around the top of her head that got very painful.
Visiting Your Family Doctor
After discussing her symptoms with our family doctor, she got Mrs. CBB’s skin allergy test.
It was a relatively simple procedure, also known as prick allergy testing.
The prick testing includes the inside of your arm with a needle and waiting for reactions.
Fortunately, our doctor’s office did the allergy testing on-site, so there was no driving.
Straight after, she said the arm had trails and bumps from the allergy concoctions.
Getting An Allergy Diagnosis
The second trip to the allergist happened in 2021 when a nurse completed patch testing on her back.
Patches with the allergen were taped to her back to see what, if any, results came back.
She had to visit the allergist three days in a row, which was driving back and forth.
There was no ability to shower during the product allergy testing process, although a sponge bath was fine.
After three trips out of town to the allergist, she was finally diagnosed with an allergy to Limonene and Linalool.
Limonene Allergy Symptoms
We had never heard those words before, but now they are a part of Mrs. CBB’s life.
The main symptoms she would experience were a runny nose when she brushed her teeth and sneezing with aerosol, incense, or essential oils in the air.
Other symptoms of a limonene allergy could be vomiting, nausea, sore stomach, coughing, and diarrhea.
Lastly, skin dermatitis is the big one that causes tiny bumps on the skin with a clear fluid.
Limonene
What is limonene?
Limonene is a chemical found in the peels of citrus fruits and in other plants. It is used to make medicine. In foods, beverages, and chewing gum, limonene is used as a flavoring.
In pharmaceuticals, limonene is added to help medicinal ointments and creams penetrate the skin.
webmd.com
Often, you must touch a citrus fruit and parts of your body, such as your face, to react.
It may come right away or take some time before it reacts. We eat lots of citrus in this house in the form of lemons and limes.
Although we have a bottle of lemon juice in the refrigerator, if we see a bag of lemons and limes on the reduced rack, we buy them.
Our 7-year-old son loves using the juicer to squeeze the juice out of citrus fruits.
Linalool
What is linalool?
Linalool is a naturally derived ingredient from essential oils that is used in skincare and cosmetic formulations to improve the scent.
Linalool is generally associated with lavender however, over 200 plants produce linalool and it can also be found in citrus, mint, rosewood, and cinnamon oils.
TheDermreview.com
She was very overwhelmed after learning more about Limonene and Linalool.
When you leave the allergist’s office, they give you a printout of the allergy information, and away you go.
She wasn’t ready for the sheer amount of foods and health and beauty products that included Limonene.
Ditching Products That Contain Limonene or Linalool
When we returned home, she immediately went to our main bathroom and began reading labels.
Sure enough, almost every product she had, including toothpaste, had both or one of these ingredients.
We will donate any products I cannot use to a woman’s shelter so they don’t end up in the bin.
The problem is replenishing her health and beauty products without massive budget increases.
However, like anything else, prices increase when you have a problem, and only high-end products control them.
We’re hoping to purchase what she needs at Shoppers only on 20x the point days, so she gets the best return.
Foods Containing Limonene
Limonene is not only in health and beauty products but also in the foods we eat every day.
Limonene is found in many foods because it is used as a flavoring agent It naturally occurs in lemons, oranges, limes, grapefruit and mandarins; but, can be found in chewing gum, ice cream, soda drinks, fruit juices, baked goods, extracts for baking and puddings.
www.fruitsandveg.org
Since Mrs. CBB follows a keto diet, she eats less fruit than approved berries.
She does add fresh lemon or lime juice to meats and salads and will continue to do so.
In the end, she has to deal with an allergic reaction to dermatitis if it flares up.
Allergens such as Limonene linalool are not life-threatening for most people, but for some, it’s deadly.
Those with a severe allergy must carry an epi-pen as a doctor determines.
Health and Beauty Products Made With Limonene
The most significant expense to our monthly budget fell under the health and beauty products.
Since linalool and Limonene are ingredients in many beauty products and essential oils, she stays away from them.
For example, anything made with tea tree oil, lavender, cologne, or perfume will start an allergic reaction.
When linalool is in an oxygenized environment, it becomes oxidized, which causes allergic sensitivity.
Mostly, she will have a runny nose and sneeze often, and she will take an allergy fighter such as Claritin.
Below are some essential oils that are safe as they are safe for Limonene and linalool sufferers.
Cedarwood, Eucalyptus, Sweet Fennel, Clove, Frankincense, Carraway, Labdanum, Sandalwood, Patchouli, Myrrh, and Vetiver.
The Derm Review
She has yet to test any of the above oils but certainly will give them a try.
Recently, she purchased an essential oil diffuser for our house but would gift it to her sister.
Years ago, Mrs. CBB visited a nose specialist because her nose would run when she brushed her teeth.
He did prick testing on her arm, which she had done the year prior, and found the same results.
That meant she still had to deal with a runny nose each time she brushed her teeth.
A friend who is a dentist found a toothpaste without fragrance, linalool or Limonene.
She ordered two bottles for Mrs. CBB to see if it made any difference when brushing her teeth.
We had discussed that Mrs. CBB would get a runny nose each time she brushed her teeth.
A toothpaste made by NU SKIN called AP 24 Whitening Flouride solved the problem.
No more runny nose using this toothpaste; however, it comes with a hefty $52 price tag for a two-pack.
Limonene In Beauty Products
What is Limonene used for?
It is used to make medicine.
Limonene is used for obesity, cancer, and bronchitis, but there is no good scientific evidence to support these uses.
You’ll find limonene in foods, beverages, and chewing gum, as it’s used as a flavoring.
In pharmaceuticals, limonene is added to help medicinal ointments and creams penetrate the skin.
Web.md
We traveled to Shoppers Drug Mart on a 20x points day to read product labels.
Replenishing Health And Beauty Is Pricey
After discovering that all her products contained Limonene, we had to replace everything.
- Shampoo
- Conditioner
- Bar Soap
- Face wash from the dermatologist
- SkinCeuticals SPF 50
- Facial Scrubs from the dermatologist
- Face toner
- Hand Cream
- Body cream and scrub
She also had a prescription for Neutrogena Shampoo called T-Gel, a therapeutic shampoo.
The T-Gel is behind the counter and costs $12 a bottle. It controls the symptoms of dandruff, psoriasis, and contact dermatitis.
She also found a fragrance-free Ultra-gentle daily cleanser by Neutrogena, which she uses on her face.
Luckily, she found three bars of body soap that were fragrance-free and contained no limonene or linalool.
It was a struggle to find any, but there are soap bars at the Bulk Barn we used to buy, so we will still check there.
The cost for the three bars of soap on sale was $5.99 at Shoppers Drugmart.
She also located Seventh Generation Free and Clear, fragrance-free hand soap on Amazon Canada.
If you look closely at the Fructise Big Volume hairspray ingredients, you will notice it contains both Limonene and linalool.
If you have Limonene or a linalool allergy, we would love to hear about what products you use.
Laser Hair Removal
One of the ideas before patch testing was to try laser hair removal.
She started about two years ago with laser hair removal and has since finished her legs, Brazillian, and back (light hairs).
The results are excellent, and Mrs. CBB says she would have done it earlier if she could have.
We estimate to spend close to $8,000-$10,000 on laser hair removal, which is typical.
The costs are certainly not cheap, but the time and money she saves will ultimately pay off.
Changes To Our Monthly Budget
How did the limonene allergy affect our budget?
Quite a bit, although some expenses are one-time costs.
Over the past year, you may have noticed a significant increase in our health and beauty budget category.
Now you know why there was an increase and that there was nothing we could have done to fix the problem other than what we did.
Recently, a CBB fan told me she was unsubscribing because we were no longer frugal.
I don’t disclose every part of our life when I share our monthly budget. However, I wanted you to know this.
She was affected by not knowing why we were overspending, but we were figuring it all out.
Be prepared for emergencies because, at any time, something long-term could happen.
The laser hair removal is almost completed on her entire body to reduce any folliculitis.
As mentioned above, the final cost will end around the $10,000 mark; however, it’s worth it if she feels like a million bucks.
Budgets Often Change Without Notice
No one should suffer if they have the money to change life without debt.
Discussion: Do you have any allergies that have caused you to increase your budget categories?
Please leave me your comments below and tell me how the allergy has impacted your budget.
Thanks for reading,
Mr. CBB