foodallergiesmom

Product Review: First Aid Beauty!

December 22, 2019December 22, 2019 foodallergiesmom

Not only does my daughter have food allergies, but she and I both have extremely sensitive skin, and now my newborn son seems to be following suit. Dry, itchy skin is one of the most annoying things to have to deal with every day. I’ve always struggled with a dry face and finding a lotion that would actually help moisturize without making my face oily was hard to come by. I’ve tried everything – things from the aisles in Target, things my friends were selling through multi-level marketing, home remedies – but nothing ever really worked the way I wanted it too. Then I had my daughter whose skin was even more sensitive than my own and I really struggled. She’s had eczema since she was a baby and even creams, washes, and lotions labeled for eczema seemed to irritate her skin more. We saw a dermatologist and have basically stopped using everything except Vaseline and medicated prescriptions from her doctor. It’s been rough. Add in the food allergies, and the often unclear ingredient labels that are found on cosmetics products, and I felt hopeless that I’d ever find something for her to use besides sticky, messy, Vaseline.

I was talking about my own skin at work one day and a coworker (who used to manage a Sephora store) recommended a product to me. She told me that she even had some extra and she’d bring it for me to try. Thankfully, she followed through and I was introduced to First Aid Beauty.

One of my favorite things about it is that their ingredients are VERY clearly labeled and they have even more details about each product on their website. The product that I first used was their “Ultra Repair Cream”. You can use it in your face and body. After using it myself and LOVING it, I finally decided to try it on my daughter’s hands. Her hands are always one of her worst places for dry, itchy patches, but I don’t like using the steroid cream from her doctor on her hands for fear she’ll put them in her mouth. I had been wanting some sort of lotion to use on them, but again… almost everything contains fragrances and alcohols that actually just make her skin worse. I finally decides to give the First Aid Beauty a try and to my delight – it worked! Not only did it not cause extra irritation, but it actually got rid of her rough, dry patches of eczema!

All of First Aid Beauty’s products are animal cruelty-free and have over 1,300 ingredients in their “no-no” list. The Ultra Repair Cream I mentioned above is Gluten-Free, Nut-Free, Soy-Free, and Vegan! It does, however, contain oat, so if that it an allergy for you, you’ll want to avoid this product!

A few days ago, I decided to buy one of their kits so I could give a couple other products a try. It came with their Ultra Repair Cream, Facial Radiance Pads, Ultra Repair Hydrating Serum, Pure Skin Facial Cleanser, and their Ultra Repair Lip Therapy. My face has seriously never felt this good. I’m always leery of exfoliating pads because sometimes they seem to make my dryness worse, but in this case, they really helped to get rid of the dry flakes and the serum and lotion helped to keep my face moisturized throughout the day. I’m officially hooked!

As with anything, I’m not naive enough to think that this product will work for every person. But if you’re like me and you (or your kids) struggle with eczema and overly dry skin, this may be something to try – especially if you also have to contend with food allergies and get scared of cosmetics products that don’t REALLY tell you what is inside them. Knowing that this lotion is vegan and nut-free means that I can feel safe letting my daughter use it despite her milk, egg, and peanut allergies! I always recommend reading labels for yourself and doing some research before trying something new, so I’d encourage you to head over to firstaidbeauty.com to check it out for yourself if you are interested.

*This is NOT a paid advertisement. This is strictly a product review of something I’ve actually found useful. 🙂

Brand review! Oat-ly Ice Cream!

December 15, 2019 foodallergiesmom

Today is my daughter’s 2nd birthday! Unfortunately, we had to cancel her birthday party because the flu has hit our home HARD and 3/5 of us are sick (including her and me). We still tried to celebrate a little with some Asa allergy-friendly ice cream! She absolutely loved the Oat-ly chocolate, non-dairy, vegan “frozen dessert”! Asa is allergic to dairy, egg, and peanut which makes most ice creams impossible for her to eat – but this was perfect.

Also, I tasted it and it honestly tastes just like chocolate ice cream! I think if I served it to people without them knowing they wouldn’t even know the difference! We will definitely be getting this again! Can’t wait to try other flavors too!

*We bought this at Target for those wondering where you can find it!

Finding Dairy in Unlikely Places

December 12, 2019 foodallergiesmom

When we found out that Asa had allergies, the first one we discovered was dairy. My initial thought was, “Well I guess she can’t have milk or ice cream or yogurt.” But the more I started thinking about it, the more I realized dairy was in everything! It’s hard enough to navigate food items, but I had never even thought about the non-food items that dairy could also be hiding in. I still find out new things every day. So where are some of these milk ingredients hidden, you may ask? Well… let’s look at a few!

First, it’s important to note that dairy can come in multiple forms so it’s imperative to know all the words you are looking for. Milk, lactose, Recaldent, casein, whey, and lactalbumin are all dairy ingredients, so it’s not just as simple as looking for “milk” on a label. Also, “lactose free” and “dairy free” are two VERY different things. A lactose intolerance is NOT the same as a dairy allergy and the two should never be confused. And just because something is “lactose free” does not mean it doesn’t still contain dairy/milk!

But if a label says “dairy free” it should be safe, right? Not quite. This is crazy to me, but some things can be labeled “dairy free” and still contain milk ingredients. Take coffee creamers for example. Many of them say they are dairy free but still actually contain milk. See the pictures below of this Coffeemate French Vanilla Creamer:

The first picture shows the “Non-dairy” claim while the second picture shows that it contains casein, “a milk derivative”. The one shows the importance of checking the ENTIRE label, no matter what!

So what about those non-food related things? A friend actually sent me this one the other day and I was appalled to find I had this one in my house! Thankfully I had never used it with Asa, but our older daughter has used them multiples times. She doesn’t have food allergies so we were safe there, but the thought that I could have used these with Asa without thinking terrified me. Crayola Color Bath Dropz contain lactose! Again, this label is super tricky. The ingredients do not list lactose. They legally don’t have to since this is not a food product. (Don’t get me started on the laws here. I’m saving that whole topic for another blog.) But a closer inspection of the box shows that it does, indeed, contain lactose. *It’s important to note that I have the box but most of these come in a tub so be on the lookout regardless of the packaging!

I read a story once of a girl dying from using a medicated toothpaste that her dentist had prescribed to her. This dentist knew about her milk allergy but still prescribed it anyway. Several whitening and medicated toothpastes contain an ingredient called Recaldent. This is made of a milk derivative. If you have a food allergy, it’s important to not only talk to your dentist about any allergies you may have, but ask them to see the ingredients before you begin using any new products!

Recaldent is not only found in these toothpastes, however. It’s also found in a very popular gum brand – Trident! It is not in every version, but it is definitely found in Trident White and Trident XtraCare.

Another weird place to find a milk ingredient is in dust-free chalk. Many of the name brands do not contain the dairy ingredient, casein, but some off-brands do. This can be scary because, again, they do not have to list this on the package since chalk is not a food product. You can always contact the manufacturer to get specific ingredient information, but this isn’t always an easy or quick task. Casein can also be found in glues, paints, and inks.

I hope this blog is as eye-opening to you as it was for me when I learned about these things. I only scratched the surface here, as dairy can also be found in daily things like cosmetics and lotions where, once again, they don’t have to be labeled. Navigating a dairy allergy is a lot more than simply avoiding that 2% gallon of milk most people have in their fridge. It’s something that requires you to be be vigilant daily to avoid a major catastrophe!

The Guilt is Real

December 9, 2019December 9, 2019 foodallergiesmom

I don’t know about any other allergy parents out there, but I constantly feel guilty having to talk about Asa’s allergies with other people. On Thanksgiving I had to make an announcement and ask everyone to make sure they washed their hands and their kids hands after they finished eating so that Asa didn’t get touched after someone who had touched one of her allergens. Even while I was making the announcement, I was cringing inside. I hate having to be “that mom”. You know… the mom that seems overprotective and pushy. The mom that wants to tell you how to parent your kid. The mom that has to ask you to take extra steps when you’re around my daughter. I hate it. But I have to do it.

The reality is, that announcement had to be made. I can’t risk my daughter’s well-being just for my anxiety’s sake. But man… it’s hard sometimes.

I can’t tell you the number of awkward moments I’ve had. The countless times I’ve had to ask people to wash their hands. The times I’ve had to remind my friends that their kids’ bottle filled with milk couldn’t be left out for fear my daughter would grab it and take a drink. The times I’ve had to remind the Sunday School workers again for the 10th Sunday in a row that my daughter has allergies and can only have the snack we packed for her. The times we’ve had to give the epipen tutorial. The times I’ve had to ask that my friends put away the peanut butter snacks while we are around. The times we’ve had to wipe down tables/high chairs when we get to a restaurant while other people look at us and think we are just massive germaphobes. All of these times are really hard. Every time makes me feel a little crazy, a little needy, and a lot self-conscious.

Trust me – the last thing I want to do is bring it up. The last thing I want if for you to think I’m telling you what to do with your kid or your life. But I have to. Because if I don’t stand up for my daughter, who will? After all, she’s only a toddler. It’s my job as her mom to protect her and keep her safe. If anything ever happened to her because I chickened out and didn’t give the reminder even just once, I’d never forgive myself.

I’m forever grateful to my friends that go out of their way to make sure their kids only have Asa-friendly snacks when we are around. The ones who text for clarification of her allergies. The ones who offer to order a special vegan cupcake at their child’s birthday party just so that Asa doesn’t feel like out. The family who wipe things down religiously and advocate on our behalf daily. I’m thankful for them because they take some of the weight off me. They make sure I don’t have to ask them to keep Asa safe. Instead, they proactively try to keep her safe themselves. And I can’t tell you how much that means to a mom who constantly feels like a crazy person with crazy requests. We don’t want to live this life. But we have to. So please, I beg you – be gracious. Be understanding. Be considerate. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. I don’t expect you to know everything about food allergies. I know I sure didn’t before we had Asa. I’m still learning everyday. But just know, it’s awkward when we have to ask people to help us keep her safe. And it means the world to us when you try to be accommodating and helpful! It means way more than you know!

Yummy Vegan Biscuits

December 6, 2019 foodallergiesmom

Biscuits and gravy has always been one of the best meals my husband makes. He’s been dying to find a way to let our daughter try them but her dairy and egg allergies have made that difficult. Today he adapted a recipe found on Pinterest to make vegan biscuits and they were DELICIOUS!!! We’ll attempt gravy soon and I’ll share once we find a good recipe. But for now I’ll leave you with the biscuit recipe! PS – they were taste approved by everyone in our house! Once again, I’ll include exactly the items we used for those that may not know where to start with using good substitutes, but feel free to modify to your favorite brands if you want!

Ingredients:

2 cups flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp sugar
1/2 cup Country Crock Plant Butter (sticks – chilled and cubed)
3/4 cup Oat Milk (we used Silk brand) chilled in the freezer

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and place the cubed plant butter and oat milk in the freezer.
Combine sugar, salt, flour, baking powder, and baking soda in a mixing bowl.
Use a pastry cutter (or a fork if you don’t have one) to add the chilled cubed butter into the dry mix. This will make the mixture a course ground consistency.
Add the oat milk and work into the flour to form a crumbly, soft dough. Pour out onto a floured surface and knead into a 5-6 inch rectangle. Fold in half and knead a total of 3 times. You should end with the same 5-6 inch rectangle.
Roll the dough out with a rolling pin and cut about 6-8 biscuits using a biscuit cutter or the mouth of a juice glass. Reknead the remaining dough and repeat these steps to cut more biscuits.
Brush with melted plant butter and bake for 11-14 minutes or until edges are golden brown.

**This recipe is dairy and egg free. The Country Crock plant butter, however may contain soy so you’ll want to swap that for a different vegan butter if you have a soy allergy!

If you try this recipe, make sure to let me know how you like it! It’s definitely going to be our go-to biscuit recipe from now on!

The best vegan chocolate chip cookies!

December 4, 2019December 4, 2019 foodallergiesmom

I finally made the best chocolate chip cookies that I’ve ever made! And they’re vegan! The best part – no one would ever know! And I say that not as a crunchy mom who thinks all vegan things taste great. I say that as a sweets fanatic who is skeptical every time I find a vegan baked good. I promise, these won’t disappoint! I’m going to include the exact ingredients I use for those of you that may not know where to start with buying allergen-free ingredients. Feel free to revert to your favorites if you want though!

Ingredients:

1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 3/4 cup flour
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup vegan butter (I used Country Crock Plant Butter sticks)
1 egg equivalent of Bob’s Red Mill Egg Replacer
1/2 cup Enjoy Life Semi-Sweet Mini Chips (or however many you want)
Splash of Oat Milk (if needed to make dough the right consistency)

Instructions:

Set oven to 350 degrees F
Microwave the butter until melted but not hot (about 40 seconds)
In a large bowl, mix the butter with both sugars
Stir in vanilla and egg replacer (after you’ve let the egg replacer stand for 1 minute)
Add the flour, baking soda, and salt.
Mix dough until soft. This is where you will add the splash of oat milk if needed. I feel like it helps the consistency get just right! You want the dough soft and a little sticky but not overly sticky.
Stir in chocolate chips
Scoop out dough with a medium cookie scoop (about 1.5 tbsp) and place 2 inches apart on cookie sheet (I used parchment paper)
Cook for 8-12 minutes. Cookies will still look a little underbaked but that’s what makes them chewy and delicious!

I hope you enjoy these cookies as much as my family did! My food allergy daughter’s birthday is in two weeks and I’m definitely going to be making a big batch of these for her party! If you make them, comment and let me know how you liked them!

***Please note that these cookies are egg, dairy, and peanut free. If you follow this exact recipe they will still contain gluten and have the possibility of containing soy (the Country Crock Plant Butter may contain soy).

**This is the best egg replacer I’ve found when baking!**

Every Label. Every Time.

December 1, 2019 foodallergiesmom

This Thanksgiving we had a lesson in food allergies. This perfectly explains how hard it is to shop with them and how easy it is to make a mistake! My awesome sister-in-law called me while meal prepping to double check because she said that she didn’t see allergens listed on her yams. I told her that my small cans said they “may contain peanuts”. She read hers again and said they didn’t say that. I told her it was probably because she bought the big cans and I bought the small ones so they were probably made in a different factory. My sis-in-law went the extra mile be bringing me the containers of every item she used just to be safe. I pulled out the yams can and sure enough it said it could contain peanuts. (See picture #2). She was shocked and said she swore the others didn’t say that. We were so thankful that the one can that she brought for me to check had the warning. God was watching over us! She went home and checked last night and every other can does NOT have that warning. (See the first pic). This means that even though she bought the same size and same brand from the same store, there were some that may contain peanuts and some that didn’t!!! You literally have to read every label EVERY time. This is the life of someone with food allergies. It’s exhausting and frustrating and it just plain sucks. You can’t just trust a “safe food” because the one time you don’t may just be the one time it’s not safe 😞 Thankful for an overly-cautious sister-in-law who went a step further than most people would. It kept Asa safe this Thanksgiving!!!

Becoming a Food Allergy Mom

December 1, 2019May 27, 2020 foodallergiesmom

On November 27, 2018, we found out that my 11-month-old daughter was allergic to dairy. I suspected she might be after two strange incidents. The first incident involved vomiting violently after eating a new baby puree. When I checked the ingredients of the tub of baby food, I saw that it had pineapple and milk – two things she had never had before. I wondered if that could be a cause but I quickly dismissed the thought and returned to life as normal. A month or so later while eating out at a restaurant, my daughter got ahold of a butter packet on the table. She chewed on it, busted it open, and made a mess. I didn’t think much of it – after all, my kids have done much worse before. But about 10 minuted later, I noticed that she had a swollen upper lip.

At first I thought she must have hit it when the packet exploded. Then my mom brain kicked in – what if this was the milk in the butter? Could she be having an allergic reaction? Again, I sort of dismissed my thought but her lip was only getting worse so we decided to be safe and head to urgent care.

The doctor said that it did, indeed, look like an allergic reaction. My head started spinning. There’s no way she’s allergic to milk, right? Not my kid. We made a follow up with our pediatrician who referred us to an allergist just in case. Two weeks before my daughter’s first birthday (you know… the one where they are start drinking whole cow’s milk…) we found out that she had a dairy allergy. What did this mean??? They ordered us an epipen, quickly taught us how to use it, gave us about 20 sheets of information about allergies, asked if we had any questions and sent us on our way. Did I have any questions? Um… yeah… about a thousand. I couldn’t even wrap my head around this food allergy. No one else in my family or my husband’s family had ever had a food allergy. I had no idea what it really meant. But boy, was I about to find out.

Within a couple months, our allergist had us try a few other foods – soy, egg, peanut. Soy didn’t produce an allergy. Thank God! One down! When my husband tried peanut butter one day while I was at work, he thought we had made it through that one as well. She was acting fine. But the moment I walked in the front door after work, I saw a tiny spot on her skin. We started checking her and the hives literally started spreading before our eyes. We called 911. I had to give the epipen. My daughter was crying hysterically. I was putting on a brave face but inside I was terrified. We went to the hospital to be monitored. Thankfully, the epipen worked and we were discharged within a few hours.

Another month went by and we introduced egg. This time, we were both home when we did it – we were scared to do it alone. Her reaction to the egg was scarier than anything we had ever experienced. She broke out in hives. BAD hives. So bad that they spread to every inch of her body. I called 911 to be safe. I wanted them to check her lungs. While on the phone with them, my daughter started wheezing. My husband and I looked at each other and knew that the epipen was needed. I once again slammed the needle into my daughter’s leg. She once again cried. We were once again terrified. We went to the hospital, as you always should after administering an epipen. But this time was worse.

The hives started spreading again. She was crying and lethargic. She was laying on me and not letting go. I was praying – literally. The doctor said they were going to have to do another round of epi. They went to place the order. I was filled with fear. Why wasn’t this working? Why was she so lethargic? Was she going to be ok? I prayed again – literally. Right before the doctor came back in the room, her hives started subsiding. She started acting more like herself. Thankfully, we escaped having to administer more medicine, but the fear remained.

My husband and I went home that day more scared than ever. It was the first time we had REALLY seen the potential danger of her food allergies. This was more than hives. This had effected her breathing, and that’s something you never want to see your child go through. From that moment on, we became more vigilant than ever. Throughout the past year, we’ve learned a ton. We still mess up. Food allergies are really difficult to navigate. And out of that, this blog/site was born. My goal is help provide support, educate others, and share some tips and tricks along the way! Like it or not, I’m a food allergies mom. I hope this will help some others out there like me!