Sensitive Noses, Sinus, and Mysterious Breathing Complaints

For kids who suffer from unexplained sinus problems, dust is sometimes not the only thing we have to watch out for.  Some kids (and adults) get breathing problems (blocked nose, runny nose, breathing difficulties, etc) from food allergies.  I have a dear friend who can't breathe after a meal with bread.  But for others, fragrances (whether "natural" or artificial) can trigger such symptoms.

Here, I detail some things you can do if you or your child have such problems.  The most important rule is, try to go fragrance-free on everything you use on your body.  Here are some options that have worked really well for my family.  They are very easy on your budget too, I promise!!

1. Try to stop using talcum powder.  Breathing it is no good for your respiratory system.  Talc-free powders are available at most health shops, but the best solution is not to use them at all.  (kinder on your walllet too)
2. Showering:   Use Simple Brand Soap.  Do NOT use any other product from the brand because their other products have nasty chemicals.  You can buy this soap from NTUC, Shop n Save, Guardian, Watson, or any of the larger supermarkets.  I buy mine in bulk at half the price from 2 fantastic toiletry shops in Chinatown.  They cost S$2.90 for a 2X125g pack in Chinatown.
3. Shampoo (Kids): Use the same Simple Brand Soap for shampoo for your kids.  My little girl's hair became much softer after using it, much to my surprise.  
4. Shampoo (Adults):  For adults with chemically treated hair (which will not respond very well to Simple Soap), I suggest my favorite fragrance-free, low-chemical shampoo - Wonder Wash.  It's really a "wonder" wash - the friends I've recommended it to can't stop raving about it.  One uses it to cleanse her face, and another loves it as a shampoo, just like me.  I can't find it here, so I buy it from iHerb.
5. Hair Conditioner (Kids)   I personally don't find it necessary to condition kids' hair.  My little girl's hair is soft and smooth and shiny without any conditioner.
6. Hair Conditioner (Adults);  I now use jojoba oil (just plain oil, with nothing added please) for conditioning and my hair has never been better.  In fact, shopper that I am, it works as my facial moisturiser too!!
7. Body Moisturiser :  Now I don't really think that kids need it, but jojoba oil also works well as a body moisturiser.  (See?  I told you I'll help your wallet).  I prefer to use coconut oil as it's richer. 

Where to Buy From

1. Singapore:  As mentioned, for cheap toiletries and household cleaning stuff, (like Magiclean Wipes), I frequent these 2 shops somewhere in Chinatown, they are Ocean and Swanston.
2. For the products that I recommended above, Wonder Wash & Jojoba Oils and Coconut Oil, (for that matter, any other oil), I have done my market research (please trust me on this), and it is DEFINITELY CHEAPER to order it from iHerb and have them ship from the USA to Singapore than to buy from Singapore sellers of jojoba oil.  This was my last experience in 2010:  One seller who claims her jojoba oil was of some "higher grade" priced hers at S$40 for a 100ml bottle.  I later found the same thing selling on iHerb (even after adding the shipping cost to Singapore) for US$14 for a 118ml bottle (including shipping) and the bottle on iHerb is "certified organic" and this Singapore seller couldn't even come close to anything like that (and you had to travel to her shop in Bukit Timah).
3. IHerb Discount :  If you want to get a US$5 discount off your first purchase, use my code: PIX638

 That's all for now folks!!

Dust Allergies Anyone?

This post is written for Alvin, sister's BIL.  

For those of us having to deal with dust allergies (whether adults or kids), here are some important points to note:

Household Practices

1. Except for the clothes you wear, everything (bedlinen, soft toys, sofa covers, etc) MUST be washed at 60 deg C to kill the dust mites.  They survive detergent!!! So don't cheat!!
2. Dispose of all rugs / carpets if possible.  If not, purchase those those that can be washed at 60 deg C, and wash them at least every month (since you are stepping on them all the time). 
3. Dispose of all soft toys if possible.  If not, purchase Purchase pillows / bolsters / comforters that are synthetic if possible.  They wash more easily and dry faster in Singapore's humid climate.  This makes it less likely for mold to form and for your sensitive family members to develop further allergies in addition to the dust.  Wash these at least every 2 months, and more often if you have the resources.
4. Wash all bedlinen at least fortnightly (I wash mine fortnightly, and for comforters, I do monthly because they take so long to dry).
5. Try not to use detergents / fabric softeners that are heavily scented.  Most allergic individuals can be affected by fragrances.  
6. Skip fabric softener if you can.  I use baking soda instead of fabric softener and it has worked well for my family for more than 8 years.  Baking soda rinses out whatever soap residue there is, and when I sun-dry my clothes, they smell.....fresh.  Like the sun. No overpowering fragrances.

Things To Buy (and where to buy from)

1. I use a laundry ball in my washing machine which claims to wash without detergent.  And this enables me to use MUCH MUCH less detergent (and less awful chemicals & fragrances) than is necessary to get my clothes clean.  I got mine at Carrefour for S$59.90 but have since found it selling for less than half the price at Gmarket!!!  Talk about being fleeced.
2. I put baking soda in the fabric softener compartment as described above.  Baking soda can be bought cheaply in bulk from Phoon Huat.
3. I buy dustmite covers to cover my pillows, bolster, and bed mattresses.  These are specially made to have such small holes that mites can't pass through them and die off, protecting you from allergies.  They last a lifetime.  Mine have lasted 3-8 years and still going strong.  They cost a bomb from Allercare, but trust me, THEY ARE WORTH THE MONEY.  Just compare the cost of it to endless trips to the doctors for inhalers / steroid nose sprays / antibiotics / antihistamines and uncountable days of medical leave for....and you get the picture.  I'm not rich, but when I compared the cost of all the years of suffering from dust allergies to the cost of these covers.....I wish I'd discovered them sooner.