Question about organic products

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Luvmydobies
Luvmydobies Member Posts: 766
edited April 2015 in Lymphedema

Hello ladies! I just wanted to see if someone could help me out. My LE therapist told me not to use organic lotion on my LE area because of bacteria. I'm having an itchy scalp issue and in the past the only thing that helped was Aveda Scalp Benefits shampoo and conditioner. I think Aveda is organic. Does anyone know if this would be safe? I know I wouldn't be rubbing it into my truncal area where my LE is but it would run down when I rinse it out, unless I shampooed my hair over the kitchen sink which would be fine at home but a pain elsewhere. Were any of you advised not to use organic skin products? I can email my LE therapist but I just wondered what your experience/thoughts were on this matter? Thanks in advance!!

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  • Moderators
    Moderators Member Posts: 25,912
    edited April 2015

    Good question. Interested in hearing from others on their recommendations. Probably good to ask your LE therapist what level of "organic" is acceptable based on his/her experience.

  • Luvmydobies
    Luvmydobies Member Posts: 766
    edited April 2015

    Thanks Mods! I will ask my therapist but sometimes it takes awhile to hear back from her. I read that shampoos containing tea tree oil help itchy scalp so I can use one of those first to try. I'll welcome other suggestions here though

  • SpecialK
    SpecialK Member Posts: 16,486
    edited April 2015

    I think Aveda was organic when first developed, and their products still contain a number of organic ingredients. They have focused on minimizing environmental impact but they have been bought out by Estee Lauder, maker of a consierable number of carcinogenic products.  According to the ingredients listed for this shampoo online it shows that it actually contains parabens, so you might want to double check that.  I have never been told by my LE therapist not to use organic products, but maybe they are referring more to homemade things that are not mass produced?

  • Luvmydobies
    Luvmydobies Member Posts: 766
    edited April 2015

    Thanks for the info SpecialK! My therapist told me not to use Bath and Body works products like I used to and they're mass produced. She also said I only have very mild truncal LE and am at low risk for infection since I only had two lymph nodes removed, so I think she just may be overly cautious with me, but that's fine by me because I try to avoid antibiotics if possible due to having C Diff three times.

  • SpecialK
    SpecialK Member Posts: 16,486
    edited April 2015

    luvmydobies - Wow!  C-diff three times, you poor thing!  Does your therapist have any specific recommendations, or just indicated what not to use?  I am allergic to many antibiotics and I am always nervous taking them.  I had a bad reaction to Levaquin right after my BMX, had to go on steroids for it and then my skin necrosis didn't heal.  That experience is ultimately responsible for the long list of failed reconstruction surgeries you see in my sig line - lost an expander and now have lost an implant - all stems back to that - eeesh!  I have bi-lat lymphedema in my arms, but no truncal.  I did not really get any guidance from my therapist regarding topical products, except for tape - also allergic - and topical antibiotics like Neosporin.

  • dlb823
    dlb823 Member Posts: 9,430
    edited April 2015

    I'm going to guess that your LE therapist is thinking that organic products may not contain stabilizers and preservatives (which is mostly true), and therefor may just possibly be contaminated more easily than products that have preservatives. I think it's a pretty remote possibility if your organic products are fresh and come from a reputable company like Aveda -- as opposed to something organic you (or maybe a patient in the past) picked up at a farmer's market, etc., that wouldn't necessarily have the same quality controls that Aveda does. But, as I said, that's just a guess, and nothing I've ever heard before. As others have said, it will be interesting to hear her rationale. Deanna

  • Luvmydobies
    Luvmydobies Member Posts: 766
    edited April 2015

    SpecialK, I'm sorry to hear of all your issues. Cancer is enough to deal with, minus all the allergies, lymphedema, etc. Aaargh!! My therapist said to use mild/non irritating Unscented soap and lotion. So I just use Dove body wash for sensitive skin. I also use Lubriderm Daily Moisture lotion. She said a lot of people use Eucerin and some use Curel. Eucerin was too greasy in my opinion. My sister in law who has truncal LE uses Cetaphil body wash and lotion for sensitive skin and she likes it. I think the goal is to use non irritating products to try to avoid infection, since LE patients have increased risk of infection. I'm also allergic to a lot of antibiotics like you, andC Diff is awful! I have PTSD from it.

    dlb, she just said Organic products contain bacteria which can cause infection. I am not supposed to even eat Organic foods due to bacteria because of my C Diff history. My GI and Infectious Disease doctor's told me that. I didn't eat Organic anyway but they told me to avoid it due to increased risk of ecoli and salmonella.

  • vlnrph
    vlnrph Member Posts: 1,632
    edited April 2015

    Keep in mind that many of the mass market products use a brand name for a group of items but within each category, the formulations will differ. For instance, you may have tried the Eucerin creme and found it too greasy but they also make a lotion that might feel lighter. Just when you find a version you like (and can tolerate), the manufacturer may change the ingredients so I find it best to read the label carefully: often, the shorter a list is, the better. In Neosporin & generics, the usual offender is the neomycin which means going with a plain bacitracin or maybe Polysporin, also called double antibiotic ointment, for "first aid" use.

    Certainly quality control is important as Deanna points out. No company can afford the bad press and potential lawsuits that would arise from shipping stuff contaminated with bacteria. When I worked in the pharmaceutical industry, we kept shelves of different batches in rooms at various temperatures and sent samples out for stability testing at prescribed intervals in order to be able to assign valid expiration dates.

    The usual warning about observing things like cosmetics for alterations in consistency, odor, etc. always apply. Shop at a place that turns inventory quickly and that should be less of a problem. Sometimes, stores that attach their own price tags employ a code that discloses when stock was received. Ask a clerk to decipher it for you. It bothers me when packages for sale have been around long enough to gather dust...

  • SusanSnowFlake
    SusanSnowFlake Member Posts: 165
    edited April 2015

    My rads Dr recommended Elta Lite which I have to order from Amazon. but I can also use the regularly recommended lotions for skin allergies: Cerave, Cetaphil and Aquaphor. The main thing I was told to avoid was fragrance and dye. Maybe ask for a few alternatives.

  • Luvmydobies
    Luvmydobies Member Posts: 766
    edited April 2015

    Thanks for all the input ladies!

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