Allergic to Beeswax Chafe cream?

[colorisnt]

I haven't been allergic to beeswax in the past, but now I am starting to wonder. This post may be TMI for some, but I am trying to figure out if it may be my chafe cream that is causing issues. I have recently had surgery to remove a kidney stone. Because of this, I was put on a strong antibiotic (cipro). These things often give me yeast infections. I thought I had one, so I did a monistat 3-pack as recommended by my gyno.

However, the itching has not stopped. I am riding and ALWAYS changing out of my chamois immediately, but I am still getting itchy. And now, I have bumps in the pubic region. I am not going to use my natural beeswax cream anymore because each time I use it, it seems to get worse. I haven't heard of people allergic to this. In fact, the reason I chose this cream was because it WAS all natural and I have so many allergies. I figured it would be better.

Anyone allergic to beeswax? Should I be worried now about bee stings and should I call my allergist to get an epipen?

[ny biker]

Poison ivy is all natural, but I'm still allergic to it. You never know what will make your immune system go haywire.

Are you still on the cipro? I had bad itching caused by cephalexin, and was told it was an allergic reaction. Although that itching was around my ankles and feet.

In any case, I think the best thing is to talk to your allergist. Also a google search could help -- I had a very unpleasant and unusual reaction to cashews last year, and I learned more about it from a google search than I did from my doctor. I had to use detailed search terms, including exactly where the itching was happening, to find the useful information. (Turns out it's related to the poison ivy allergy...)

[WolfGirl]

I don't know what's in your cream, but I think I've got some allergic reaction to palm oil or some such? I say this because a couple times in the last few years I've tried deodorants/antiperspirants which are natural, and have had some tropical oils in them. I ended up each time with a really weird itchy rash/fungussy thing under my arms, which went away with a homeopathic antifungal cream. Anyway, my point is, it might not be the beeswax; it could be some other oil that's in it. Just more fodder for your quest...good luck!

[zoom-zoom]

I don't know if it's an allergy...but I tried Bliss, the women's version of DZNuts and there is something in it that made my hind-portions uncomfortably warm for hours afterwards, even after showering. At first I thought it was the tea-tree oil, but I have since tried other products with TTO and no issue.

I would try a different anti-chafe product and see if you still have issues. You may be able to narrow it down to an ingredient or two causing your discomfort.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

I used to use Burt's Bees lip balm several times a day for years, I loved it. I suddenly got allergic to it- lips swelling up, burning, turning red, awful!
Turns out I didn't develop an allergy to beeswax, but to the essential oils in it, like the peppermint oil. The question is what other ingredients are in your chafing cream? Any mint oils or menthol to give a 'cooling' effect, for example?
Might well be another ingredient. Essential oils can be very irritating on mucus membranes like lips and intimate parts.

[colorisnt]

Thanks for all the replies! No, I avoided those "warming" ingredients because I did not want to be "warmed" or "cooled" down there for any reason lol. I checked my label and it says beeswax, mineral oil, lanolin. So it may be one of the other ingredients? Regardless, I am not able to use that any more.

Any suggestions on things that ARE non-irritating and don't involve talc or other irritants?

[OakLeaf]

Lots of people are sensitive to lanolin. Are you sensitive to wool?

Several of us use pure shea butter. Not only is it one ingredient, but it lubricates and lasts better than anything I've ever tried (and I've tried a LOT of lubes :rolleyes:).

[colorisnt]

Where do you buy pure shea butter by chance?

As for lanolin, I'm not sensitive to wool, but then again, I don't wear it on my privates haha, so I don't know about that.

[OakLeaf]

Natural food stores, some drug stores, some garden stores.

[colorisnt]

I will try order online. No health stores here (no health haha) and not available at the drugstores here. Just asked mom's friend (who is a skincare specialist) and she says get it online.

[Owlie]

I was going to suggest the lanolin as well.

[colorisnt]

I don't know about the lanolin still, but probably best just to try the advice about shea butter. I ordered some online and am waiting for it to get here.

[ny biker]

Curious about the shea butter -- any problems washing it out of your shorts, especially the chamois?

I've used Chamois Butt'r for years, and have no problems with it on my butt where I need it most. But recently I've had chafing with the seams in the front of my shorts. The Chamois Butt'r solves that problem, but also causes a rash of tiny red spots a couple of days later.

[Catrin]

Curious about the shea butter -- any problems washing it out of your shorts, especially the chamois?

I've used Chamois Butt'r for years, and have no problems with it on my butt where I need it most. But recently I've had chafing with the seams in the front of my shorts. The Chamois Butt'r solves that problem, but also causes a rash of tiny red spots a couple of days later.

I have used 100% Shea butter as a chamois cream several times, and it had a quite noticeable odor. I also had to wash my shorts several times, with Shout, to get the odor out.

I have had that container of shea butter for some time so perhaps it is just too old - but am unsure that actually happens :confused: The stuff is expensive, so I don't want to purchase another container of it as an experiment. It seemed to work fine though.

[OakLeaf]

I've used Pré de Provence and Organic Essence brand shea butters. They both have a very slight scent, kind of a lard-ish smell. If you put your nose right in the tub, the smell is distinct, but I would never notice it from farther away, in the quantities that I use it. Certainly not among all the other aromas of long distance cycling. :cool:

There might be a little bit of whitish residue that doesn't always come out of my chamois in Ohio, but my tap water is very cold. It seems to come out completely in Florida where the tap water is closer to 70°F. It's no more residue than I've experienced with any other lubricant that actually, you know, works rather than dissolving in my sweat. I figure that anything water-soluble comes out in the wash and any part of the shea butter that isn't water-soluble won't hurt me, particularly since I dry my shorts in the sun (probably not the best thing for the fabric, but one of my few concessions to modern bacteriophobia).

[Catrin]

Oakleaf - thanks for this information - there must be something off with my shea butter because the odor was almost overpowering...I only tried it because I was riding by myself...

I haven't tried Chamois Butt'r, so will check it out.

[Owlie]

Depending on what conditions it's stored in and how old it is (and what else may be in it), it can probably go rancid.

[GLC1968]

Depending on what conditions it's stored in and how old it is (and what else may be in it), it can probably go rancid.

I was going to suggest this, too. Foul odor in a fat-based product...randicity is likely.

As far as that original cream is concerned - I cannot put mineral oil of any type on my skin or I break out in little bumps that if left untreated, get very itchy. Mineral oil can be pore clogging...so that might be the culprit as well.

[colorisnt]

See, I didn't think about that, but I do remember my mom's BFF (the skin care guru) stating that it could be very irritating to skin and is in a number of products claiming to be "natural", so that could be it.

Well, I got my shea butter 2 days ago and haven't ridden with it thanks to migraines happening. They took me off the med that makes me prone to kidney stones and now they came back with a vengeance! I am now on an Alzheimer's med that is supposed to help my type of migraines (pretty new, just started clinicals this year) and it seems to be helping, so I will be back soon I hope! I did apply it to my legs arms and belly today after a bath, though, and I haven't had any allergic rxn so far. It feels great and now I know why it is in my conditioning treatment!