Allergies / Intolerances and Blind Changes to Product Ingredients / Formulation

[cseggers]

Has anyone else in this group had a reaction to a product they've used before, only to find out that the ingredients or formula had been changed, but the name of the product did not?

I have a severe intolerance to all dairy and it's derivatives; the most common in cosmetics appears to be whey/ milk protein. If even traces of it reaches any mucus membranes (eyes, lips, etc.) I swell up and start wheezing. I found this out the hard way after Clinique added whey to All About Eyes Rich about four or five years ago. It was a product that I had been using for years! I never expected them to change the formula without an obvious notification, such as changing the name, or stating the formula was improved. I bought it at a Clinique counter - they sure didn't mention it! It was my spouse that noticed the addition of whey; my eyes were too swollen shut to read anything. I now check every cosmetic EVERY TIME I buy.

Since then, I've noticed that Clinique is not the only company out there changing the ingredients of their products without an obvious notification. The personal care industry as a whole needs better awareness of increasing allergies and sensitivities, at least enough to notify the loyal user of a new formulation. Of course, that is not happening anytime soon!

In the short term, I hope to at least emphasize the importance of keeping an updated ingredients list for all the personal care products on this site, so that others may avoid an experience like mine. With the old version of the website, if a product page did not have a proper Ingredients Tab, I obtained that information "unofficially" through the Q&A section. Unfortunately, the Q&A Section has since disappeared, which leaves a gap of information I must obtain through other sites, or what happens more frequently, I just don't buy that product.

Perhaps if you share you experiences and suggestions, the web developers that be may improve the website to all our benefit...

[Susubee]

A friend had this same problem with hair cleanser (she uses conditioner for cleansing). Since her sensitivity is scent-based, and fragrances aren't usually specified separately in ingredient lists, she had no idea. It took her months to find an alternative product that didn't give her migraines.