Life So Far with CAPB Allergy

In my last post, I discussed FINALLY going through patch testing and discovering that I have allergic contact dermatitis to CAPB and DMAPA.  Since discovering this and avoiding it in every way I can, my eyelid dermatitis has slowly and steadily significantly improved.  Up close they are still a little bit wrinkly looking and sometimes slightly pinkish or slightly dry-feeling, but that is me scrutinizing them, and I would say to the naked eye they are about 90%-95% back to normal.  This is A-OK as I know that the skin’s barrier can take weeks to fully heal, and my patient handout on CAPB said it could take 2-4 weeks or more.

I will also say that things are not completely perfect in skin-world.  I have had (probably unrelated) dry itchy patches on my right shin and right knee that keep flaring off and on for well over 1-2 months now, and now I have a little patch on my right hip and a very slight one near my collarbone that have developed over the past week.  In the grand scheme of things though, these are minor and more just annoying and frustrating.  Better to have rashes on my body than on my face ANY day.  These do not seem related to CAPB, I am not sure what they are related to.  It’s either just eczema being weird, or maybe some mild push-back from my system from using Desonide periodically over this past summer/fall.  I was using Desonide in a “pulse” fashion to keep symptoms at bay, and last used it on my face for maybe 2-3 days around the time of my patch testing, and last used it on my leg patches for a day or two last week.  I don’t know if you can go through TSW twice, but I sure as hell am not planning on being the one to find out.  I think it’s best to just ride out these itchy patches and not use steroids on them any more, even though my use over the past months has been quite conservative, in my opinion.

But overall, this is a huge relief!  I am no longer existing in the day paranoid about my eyelids being uncomfortable or about someone noticing them and thinking there is something wrong with me.  I still find it so weird that the body systems are such where something I put on my HANDS and RINSE OFF immediately can migrate to causing symptoms on my EYELIDS, but hey.  At least I feel so much more relieved knowing the cause and putting a name to my irritant.

My patch testing was a few weeks ago, so you might wonder, how am I adjusting to this new way of life and avoidance of these chemicals, besides enjoying a consistent improvement in my skin’s condition?

The biggest thing for me to be vigilant about is to never use soaps in public places.  CAPB is a surfactant (makes things foam) and is super common in soaps.  Obviously in a public restroom, you don’t really have the luxury of reading the ingredients, so better safe than sorry.

So, every morning that I hit up the gym, I tote my bottle of Free and Clear cleanser with me to wash my hands afterward.  Every day at work when I need to wash my hands, I get out another stored bottle of Free and Clear from my personal locker.  And at home, I of course have yet another bottle of Free and Clear by my bathroom sink.

So, I thought I had controlled for the three common places that I frequent.  But, I’ve had some interesting occurrences along the way.

• Last weekend later in the day on Sunday, my eyelids started to feel itchy.  “WHY?” I thought, and finally had the conscience to mentally re-trace my steps as to where I had been and what had I possibly used.  AH-HA!  I had been at a friend’s house where we were doing a workout, and as a total reflex after the workout, I washed my hands with whatever they had by their bathroom sink without even thinking about it.  Washing my hands with it ONE TIME made my eyes itch (even though soap is something you rinse off), and this re-emphasized to me that yup, this is my new allergy and I have to be very all-or-none about it, no exceptions.
• I did have the foresight last week to think ahead and bring my trusty hand soap in my coat pocket when I went to church.  For a germaphobe like me, shaking people’s hands in church is all fine and good, but it is a requirement that I use hand sanitizer or wash my hands after.  HOWEVER, this past Sunday – OOPS!  I forgot my hand soap in my rush out the door.  Before church, I used the restroom, and suddenly realized that I should not use the provided soap.  Trapped in the stall with this realization, I came to another realization that this meant I would need to leave the restroom without washing my hands.  And now yet another realization that there were other women in there bustling about, and I’d need to make a break for it to make sure no one saw me heading out with unwashed hands!  I heard a bunch of flushes and the door opening for people to leave, and took this as my chance!  I rushed out only to find another person making their way inside the restroom.  I made small talk as I ‘pretended’ to hit the soap dispenser and gave my hands a rinse-off with only water.
• I was at a restaurant over the weekend and didn’t anticipate needing to use the restroom.  But, having more shopping ahead, I thought maybe it would be a good idea.  Well damn, I had left my soap at home.  It’s either “suck it up, bladder” or go in and use the restroom and carefully touch nothing but avoid washing hands.  (I chose the latter).

I also know it is going to get interesting traveling on a plane in a few weeks when I fly for the holidays.  I will be bringing many full-sized products that for me are “medically necessary”, and will obviously have to explain to the airport security why I need these larger-than-2 oz containers so I can have a happy rash-free reaction-free holiday!