12 Common Skin Irritants

With so many cleaning supplies and personal care items in our homes these days, it's no wonder that few of us have any idea about which of them are skin irritants. The worse culprits bring redness, itching or inflammation, others bring on stinging or burning. Some reactions are triggered by your own allergy (contact allergic dermatitis) while others cause problems for everyone (contact irritant dermatitis).

Here are the "dirty dozen":

CONSUMER REPORTS WATER SOFTENERS

1) Soap - frequent washing using soap and water, while tough on germs, also strips your skin of natural oils, leading to what they used to call "dishpan" hands. Your skin might just look chapped at first, but if you don't do anything about it, it will crack and bleed. Other related irritants are bubble bath, body washes and dishwashing liquid.

2) Household Cleaners - most of us know full well what these products can do to our skin. Wearing protective gloves when working with all purpose cleaners, dish and laundry detergents, window cleaners, furniture polish, drain cleaners and toilet disinfectants is the best way to protect your skin.

3) Fabric Dryer Sheets - believe it or not, fabric softener and those handy dryer sheets can bring itchy, irritated skin. Doctors see the rash in places that are covered by clothing, with less in areas that are not. Try fragrance free liquid fabric softeners to lessen the effect and still get rid of static.

4) Clothing - especially rough fabrics like wool can be troublesome for those who have a skin problem known as atopic dermatitis (the most common form of eczema). Cotton and cotton-poly fabrics are best if you are one of the 10-20% of children or 1-3% of adults who have this condition.

5) Heat - the hot weather can aggravate skin problems because of sweating. You might see redness or chafing in some spots. While you can't move from a hot climate if that's your home, you can make an effort to reduce sweating by staying in cool places and bathing frequently.

6) Latex - some people are hypersensitive to latex, a natural rubber in everything from those gloves in your doctor's office to condoms. If latex is a problem for you, you'll see raised, red marks under a bra strap or elasticated waistband. Some people who are allergic to latex may also have reactions to fruits like bananas and kiwi.

7) Fragrances - while they may smell wonderful to some, allergies to scents are very common. For some it's musk while others struggle with different smells. Since there are some 5,000 fragrances that use different combinations of chemicals, finding the one that bothers you is particularly difficult. Avoidance, or limiting you exposure is best in these cases.

8) Face Creams - the skin on your face has deep pores that easily absorb creams, meaning you should be careful with what skin care products you use - especially if you feel a burning or stinging when you apply them. Wrinkle creams, cleansers and skin peels are all culprits. Your best bet is to check the labels for well-known irritants like ascorbic acid, paraban preservatives and alpha hydroxy acids (glycolic acid, malic acid, lactic acid) and avoid as best you can.

9) Plants - like poison ivy, poison oak and poison sumac are the most well known causes of allergic contact dermatitis in the U.S. While a mild reaction can last 5 to 12 days, more severe reactions can linger for 30 days or longer. Learn how to recognize all three of these plants so you're able to avoid them.

10) Food - allergies to foods can bring skin reactions such as hives and rashes, but even handling some foods can cause trouble. If you have any open cut on your hands, working with acidic foods or spices can be particularly dicey.

11) Nickel - a substance that's in costume jewelry, watchbands, zippers and more and is a common allergy. In severe cases people have reactions to vitamins or the metal used to repair a fracture in a limb. Your best bet here is to avoid the substance if you know its trouble for you.

12) Sunscreen - while everyone advises you to wear sunscreen to protect your skin from damage by the sun, some chemical agents in the sunscreen itself can lead to the development of a rash or an allergic reaction. Most often this happens with products that have PABA based chemicals, so look for PABA free.

Now that you know a bit more about the most common skin irritants, you can shop as an informed consumer and hopefully put an end to your own skin problems for good.

12 Common Skin Irritants

CONSUMER REPORTS WATER SOFTENERS

Common Water Filter Systems - A Comparison

A lot of different companies associated with water claim to offer or produce the purest and cleanest water. But how do we find out whether their claims are true, or just marketing and advertising? This article compares the most popular water filter systems and water treatment methods, and provides an overview how effective these water purification systems work.

Activated Carbon Filters

CONSUMER REPORTS WATER SOFTENERS

Granular Activated Carbon Filters are efficient and cost-effective water treatment devices, but the consumer has to consider its limitations. Activated carbon filters are able to remove concentrated chemicals (chlorine, trihalomethanes, fluoride), organic material (humus, algae), and microscopic contaminants (herbicides, pesticides, fungicides). Yet when used too long, activated carbon water filters can easily breed bacteria, so one has to ensure to change the filter cartridge regularly.

Reverse Osmosis Systems

Reverse Osmosis is able to remove fluoride from the water, as well as most mineral constituents, such as salts, lead, calcium and iron. This water treatment process is ineffective in taking out a variety of contaminants found in municipal water, such as chlorine and volatile organic chemicals. Water treated with reverse osmosis produces unhealthy drinking water as most healthy trace minerals and salts are also removed during the purification process.

KDF Filters

KDF Filters (i.e. KDF process media) are characterized through a "Redox" reaction (Oxidation-Reduction). During this oxidation reduction reaction, harmful contaminants are changed into harmless components. Zinc and copper are the preferred metals used in the KDF alloy since both are relatively good reducing agents regarding common inorganic contaminants.

KDF process media change, for instance, free chlorine into benign, water-soluble chloride, which is harmless and carried through the water supply. Moreover, there is no need for electricity, no water waste, and the filter is not likely to breed any bacteria. The downside is, however, that KDF filters do not remove fluoride (fluorosis damages bones and teethes) and organic contaminants. A good alternative is to use KDF filter in conjunction with other water filter media.

Water Softeners (Deionizers)

Water Softeners or Deionizers are able to remove the hardness of the water, i.e. calcium and magnesium. Benefits are less pipe scaling, softer feeling clothes, and a longer life of household appliances such as dish washers and washing machines. However, as deionized or softened water contains high amounts of sodium, it isn't good for people's health. That is why softened water or deionized water shouldn't be used for drinking and cooking (the watering of plants and lawns isn't recommended as well).

Distillation

The process of Distillation is relatively slow and must be repeated several times to ensure significantly pure water. It is a good way to produce pure water removed of salt, nitrate, and pathogens. However, synthetic chemicals common in municipal water such as herbicides, pesticides, and chlorine solutions can't be removed through distillation, because their boiling point is lower than the one of water. In addition, distillation removes natural trace elements, thus turning it acidic (hydrogen composition becomes greater in proportion). Long-term consumption of water that is demineralized in that way, can be harmful to the body system and may result in mineral deficiencies inside the body.

Point of Entry Systems

A Point-of-Use System only affects the water at exactly that faucet where the unit is installed. A Point-of-Entry System, installed at the main in-line water feed to your home, is the better choice, as it provides pure and safe water throughout the entire home, including every faucet and shower head inside and outside the house.

Activated Carbon Combined With KDF Process Media

A Point-of-Entry Water Purification System that combines activated carbon with kdf filters is a product that purifies all the water coming into your home or business and removes up to 99% of all contamination, including biologicals, chemicals, and metals, but leaves the trace minerals which are important for health. It provides an unlimited supply of clean, pure, and pH neutral water for the whole family at every faucet in the house.

So it is by far the best choice when considering purchasing an effective and reliable Whole House Water Filter to combine the filtration technologies of Activated Carbon and KDF process media. In this way heavy metals, chlorine, volatile organic chemicals, and other toxins are effectively removed at the highest levels of any home water filter system on the market today. All components should be NSF certified.

Common Water Filter Systems - A Comparison

CONSUMER REPORTS WATER SOFTENERS