Undiagnosed Allergies?

Got a great note from a customer today.  She purchased our zippered bed bug covers for her vacation home.  The real estate agent that handles her rentals suggested that the beds be protected against bed bugs “just in case”.  We hear alot of that lately. And the real estate agent is correct. In the long run, it is cheaper to zip up the beds and protect them against bed bugs than throw the mattress and boxspring out later when they are so infested with bed bugs that they can’t be salvaged.

But that wasn’t the point of her note.  She wrote to let us know that she just returned from spending a week at her vacation home and noticed that while she was there she did not wake up with a stuffy nose or a headache. Seems she has been waking up to a stuffy nose for so long that she didn’t notice it until it was gone!

The first night back in her year around home and the stuffy nose and headache returned.
She has never been diagnosed with allergy to dust mite and has been waking up stuffy for so many years that it had become a “normal” part of how she felt every day.
It was only when she slept in the beds that had the zippered dust mite and bed bug proof covers did she realize that she didn’t need to suffer.

Needless to say, she will be purchasing dust mite proof covers for the beds at her year-around home and sleeping soundly and waking without a headache or stuffy nose. Now she knows she doesn’t have to feel that way.
We hear time and again from people that buy dust mite proof mattress or pillow covers because someone in the house is diagnosed with allergies and they discover that even the “allergy free” household members feel better.

If you stop to think about all the dust mites and dust mite feces that collect in your mattress and pillow, you know that it can’t be a good thing to breathe those particles while you sleep.
Even people that have never been diagnosed with dust mite allergy deserve a good night’s rest and they often find it by accident when they purchase our zippered mattress covers.
Cheryl

©Copyright 1996-2013 Cee DeeKay,Inc dba AllergyStore.com™ All Rights Reserved

Sunscreen that Causes Skin Tumors?

Say it ain’t so!  People slather sunscreen on to protect themselves from the damaging effects of the sun.
Now the Environmental Working Group has concurred with the draft report from the National Toxicology Program (an inter-agency group) that finds that the presence of Vitamin A, (retinyl palmitate), speeds the formation of tumors in sunlight.

That’s right! The sunscreen you may apply for protection may actually speed up the formation of tumors!
They found that the popular brands like Coppertone, Banana Boat, Panama Jack, Hawaiian Tropic, and Neutrogena all contained this ingredient.  In fact more than 200 sunscreens made by 44 different companies listed Vitamin A or retinyl palmitate on their labels last year.

We have cautioned using personal care products with harmful ingredients like formaldehyde and parabens for several years now.  We carry an SPF35 sunscreen from the Vanicream people and when I found out about the Vitamin A, I ran to a tube and read the list of ingredients.

No vitamin A in this sunscreen!  Yeah!  Now you can get outside, be safe from the sun, and know that your sunscreen will provide protection, not accelerate skin tumors!

Please tell your family and friends to read the label on their sunscreen. If you see vitamin A or retinyl palmitate listed on the ingredients, THROW IT AWAY! Get a tube of Vanicream Sunsport 35 and be safe!

If you don’t believe me, read about it here for yourself http://www.ewg.org/release/nih-panel-links-vitamin-sunscreen-skin-tumors 
Cheryl Krause

©Copyright 1996-2013 Cee DeeKay,Inc dba AllergyStore.com™ All Rights Reserved

Will any Mattress Cover Do?

We get calls all the time from people who want to know if you need a special cover to protect against dust mites.

They may already have a cover or pad on the mattress or pillow and want to know if it will do the trick. I don’t blame them for asking. I wouldn’t want to buy a new mattress cover if the mattress cover I already owned would do the trick.

The problem is most regular mattress covers aren’t made of barrier cloth.  Barrier cloth is the common name we given to the microweave fabrics. The idea of a mattress cover made of a microweave is that the fibers have been woven so tightly that the allergens cannot escape through as air flows.

The most tightly woven  microweave mattress covers are made from polyester fibers.  That is because polyester is a strong yarn that can be woven very tightly without breaking.  To get allergen protection, you want a mean (average) pore size of at least 8 microns.  the good microweave mattress covers are made with fabrics that have a 5 micron pore size and the really really good ones have a pore size of 4 microns. Of course if you don’t like the idea of a mattress cover made from polyester and want the coolness of cotton, then you will have to sacrifice some pore size..

So, if the mattress cover you currently own totally encases the mattress, zips closed, and is made from a fabric with a mean pore size of under 8 microns, then you do not need to buy a special cover.  Chances are, your cover does not meet these requirements and the money invested in a new mattress cover will well be worth the relief you get from sleeping allergy-free
Cheryl

©Copyright 1996-2013 Cee DeeKay,Inc dba AllergyStore.com™ All Rights Reserved

Camas alérgicos Cubiertas

Cansado de tratar de obtener una buena noche de descanso. Despertar sensación de que no dormir bien? Usted puede ser alérgico a los ácaros del polvo.

“Una buena noche de descanso no es más que un sueño, para mucha gente. Varios distracciones como la televisión, Internet y el teléfono lo convierten en un desafío sólo para acomodarse en la cama. Una vez allí, el resto puede ser continuamente interrumpido por las reacciones alérgicas a un gran número de factores posibles. la caspa de animales, pelo de mascotas polvo y los ácaros del polvo, y una multitud de otros alergenos causan un cuerpo para reaccionar de manera negativa.

Afortunadamente, los cambios innovadores se han hecho, en el ámbito de las camas alergia hipoalergénicos. Ahora usted puede conseguir todos los elementos que se necesitan para montar una cama bien hecha, futón o cama king size, se han considerado, en la lucha contra los alérgenos. El método más recomendado por los médicos de todo el mundo, y vendidos a las víctimas incontables, la hora de acostarse agradecido, es de encajonar a determinados elementos con ropa de cama alergia cubiertas especiales. Colchones y almohadas son las primeras cosas que usted necesita para tapas para mantener los alérgenos y otros delincuentes a raya.” (Leer artículo completo)

Allergy Sheets? What?

We get lots of questions from people about special sheets for dust mite allergies.  If you aren’t allergic to the dyes and resins that are used in some home textiles, then you really don’t need special sheets if you have dust mite allergies.

The important thing to look for in dust mite sheets is washability and durability.  If you have allergies to dust mites allergy, you know that even if you have a dust mite cover on your mattress you still must wash your sheets every 7 days in 140°F water.  You want sheets that will stand up to this constant washing without wearing out. If you buy sheets with bright, vibrant colors, don’t be surprised if they fade quickly. If you buy satin type sheets they will also be ruined fairly quickly.

The best sheets for dust mite allergy are sheets with a high cotton content for comfort and a thread count that will stand up to washing. Personally, I just use natural cotton sheets.If you like flannel-type sheets or sheets with bright vibrant colors, then wash them in cold water and use De-Mite laundry additive. The cold water won’t ruin the fabric or fade the dyes and the De-Mite will kill the mites and wash them away.  You can safely wash your satin sheets in cold water and De-Mite also.

If in addition to your dust mite allergies you are allergic to the chemicals used to treat fabrics (resins, sizing, finishes) then stick with natural cotton. If you see cotton sheets that are bright white, you know they aren’t natural cotton.  Unbleached cotton is a cream color.  It will lighten with each washing.  If your budget doesn’t allow for organic cotton sheets, then go for natural cotton.

In summary, the best allergy sheets are the sheets you probably already own. Money is tight so use what you have and just improve on it. Just wash weekly in extremely hot water (140°F or more) or wash with cooler temps and just add De-Mite.

©Copyright 1996-2013 Cee DeeKay,Inc dba AllergyStore.com™ All Rights Reserved