Optical Brighteners

[liberatordeluxe]

Does anyone have an allergy to optical brighteners? Just wondered how common a reaction to them was. For the last couple of days I have had intense itching all over my legs and a bit on ababdomen. Is not my shower gEl I know that. Did wash bed sheet in Persil non bio powder though.

 

[gpevas]

Itching???

Has the offending items been properly rinsed? There maybe detergent left in the cloths. My bet is the scent is the problem. I had a problem years ago with Tide that was scented.

 

[whirlcool]

I have lots of experience in this department. I started up with an allergy to the fragrances in laundry detergent a few years ago. Here are some things you can try:

Rewash those sheets in a detergent that is scent free. See if the itching stops.

if itching persists

Make sure that the clothing is rinsed very well. I mean clear water rinse water

if itching persists

Switch to a more gentle soap/body gel. The stuff you are currently using may have been reformulated by the mfgr. This happened to me with Basis soap. It got reformulated. I had to switch to pure unscented goats milk soap.

See where that takes you. I know that itching can drive you mad. If you look at the spots on your skin that are itching you'll find it's where the fsbric touches your skin. This is called "contact dermatitis". Believe it or not the fragrance from detergent is like dandruff on clothing. Even after the clothing is dried, left over bits of the fragrance are still resident on the clothing causing the irritation.

 

[arbilab]

If the fragrance exited the fabric in laundering you couldn't smell it when done. Fragrance elements are the prime allergens in laundry products.

Mom sent me a grass-scented cologne for christmas. It gave me poison ivy.

Synthetic detergents are not natural allergens but their remnants can certainly be irritants. Rinse well.

 

[lordkenmore]

Seventh Generation feels that OPAs can cause skin irritation. From their site:

Why do we avoid them?
SKIN HEALTH

Artificial brighteners are designed to intentionally remain behind on our clothes and linens, so they can rub off on our skin where they may cause irritation.

http://www.seventhgeneration.com/laundry-detergent-for-sensitive-skin

 

[zanussi_lover]

Optical Brighteners

I'm currently using Almat Non Biological washing powder and liquid, and I use about 50-75ml per wash (powder), as it tends to froth up, especially when doing hot washes at 60 degrees, If i use 100ml or more, I tend to get a suds lock during the interim spin of my Beko washer.

This has optical brighteners in it, which I don't find I'm allergic to. I tend to be itchy to strongly scented powder detergents, these fragrances stick to clothes and can be a cause of skin irritations.

I find Almat Non Bio powder lightly scented, has a classic washing powder smell. you could try using less powder per wash? About a heaped tablespoon should be enough, remember as long as you have a soft sudsy liquid, you know that you have used enough to catch the dirt and enable thorough rinsing. I have used Persil Non Bio Powder loads of times before with no problems, unless they have changed the formula and made it stronger on stains.

Its a shame they don't do a Non Biological Colour Powder detergent, that doesn't have optical brighteners or bleach in it, as you could use this for colours and add some Ecover Powder Bleach for Whites.

 

[paulc]

It would seem a few people have complained about the new formula Persil non bio causing skin irritation. My mum has stopped using it because she and my dad had a reaction to it. I don't think it's necessarily the OBA's , it seems far more likely it's the cleaning agents or scent chemicals.

 

[aegokocarat]

I agree with the above statement, I've noticed Persil has a stronger scent now than it used to, so it may well be that.