Changes in cosmetic labels could bring relief for Canadians with allergies
Global News
Health Canada is currently doing an online consultation as part of a requirement that would have the cosmetic industry include 24 fragrance allergens on labels.
Alisha Minielly was mystified as rashes suddenly started appearing all over her body, including one that persisted on her left leg for six months.
She figured something in her makeup or shampoo could be the culprit and began switching to personal products labelled as having “natural” ingredients but that did not help. Neither did a steroid cream prescribed by a doctor at one of the walk-in clinics she visited because she didn’t have a general practitioner.
A patch test, which had a dermatologist placing small amounts of various fragrance mixes on her back and covering them with patches for five “very itchy” days, revealed she was allergic to a long list of common fragrances used in products ranging from face wash and moisturizer to shampoo, conditioner and hair dye.
The allergens included propolis, which smells like beeswax, as well as nickel, geraniol, limonene, linalool and anise alcohol. The fragrances add floral, citrus, woodsy and other scents, which sometimes mask unpleasant smells. For Minielly, they caused contact dermatitis.
However, learning about the allergens that were making her miserable was only half the battle for Minielly, even after she shunned every product that could possibly cause a rash. She realized she breaks out just from being around others who have used something her body reacts to, restricting her social interactions.
“Now, all my close friends and family know when they see me to not wear cologne or perfume. And to try and limit the fragrances that they’re wearing, like a fragrant shampoo, for example. It’s really hit and miss and it is tough,” she said from New Hamburg, Ont., about an hour’s drive west of Toronto.
Minielly is hoping proposed regulations by Health Canada to require the cosmetics industry to disclose 24 fragrance allergens on product labels will provide some relief for people like her.
The agency is currently doing a 70-day online consultation, ending April 22, of the cosmetics industry and the public as part of a requirement that would have the industry include the 24 allergens on labels. It can currently use the term “parfum” to represent a mixture of substances.
The motion won't mean the city is investing or accepting payment in cryptocurrency any time soon, but will instead direct staff to look into those possibilities.
Enbridge officials said in a statement that the reroute proposal has gone through rigorous reviews and studies.
A proposed deal that would see three tobacco giants pay out billions to provinces and territories, as well as smokers across Canada, has been approved by the companies' creditors.
Tokyo recently announced a four-day workweek policy in an effort to boost Japan’s record-low fertility rate - something that Canada is also struggling with.
More than 1,500 firefighters were battling the blaze, many working in steep canyons, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, known as Cal Fire.
Evidence has grown in recent years that highly processed foods are linked to a wide range of chronic health problems, like diabetes and heart disease.
Environment and Climate Change Canada has released its list of the top 10 most impactful weather events of 2024.
Fifteen charges under the federal Fisheries Act have been laid against Imperial Metals Corp. more than 10 years after a tailings pond collapsed the Mount Polley mine.
Many kids and teens are looking forward to the holidays with great excitement, but others find it a difficult time of year filled with anxiety, stress and loneliness. It’s something Alisa Simon, the chief youth officer at Kids Help Phone, says they watch for when school pauses for the winter break, noting, “we do see an increase...
Advocates and friends of a Nova Scotia woman who died from stage IV breast cancer are urging the province to update its screening policy for women with dense breast tissue.
The report estimates a cancer patient will face almost $33,000 on average in out-of-pocket cancer-related costs in their lifetime, including loss of income.