Finding and navigating a rare allergy — on a budget
Ever since age 10, my lips have been chapped and peeling.
“Stop peeling your lips!!” my mom said. My dentist agreed. “You are going to get cancer,” he said. (Is this even a thing??)
But I couldn’t stop. Because they just kept hurting and swelling. Here is the daily cycle:
At some point in the day, my lips would start to swell and lose color.
I’d apply chapstick or petroleum jelly.
My top layer of skin became dry and scaly, begging to be peeled.
I would apply more chapstick or petroleum jelly.
Finally, they’d be so swollen and uncomfortable that I’d give up, peeling the top layer off with my fingernails.
Sometimes they’d bleed afterwards. But at least most of the skin felt softer and better, no more swelling or scales.
Next day: repeat.
This is a phenomenon known in the medical field as cheilitis. It has various causes, but the results are similar.
I tried to stop peeling them. I did. But if I didn’t peel them, they’d peel themselves, the skin falling off in small flakes as the lips themselves looked more and more gross. People commented on them. I hated looking at them.
I got and tried every kind of advice from age 10 to 30.
I got allergy tested.
I changed toothpastes.
I slathered my lips in products my doctors promised would work.
Finally, I got allergy tested again — a comprehensive test. The results came back: I was allergic to gallates. Propyl gallate, octyl gallate, dodecyl gallate.
Gallates are antioxidants added to fatty foods as a preservative.
When I was initially diagnosed with a gallate allergy, my doctor said they’d be listed on product labels.
They aren’t.
I thought if I ate food that said “no preservatives,” it would be all right.
It wasn’t.
I’ve had to curate a list of products with my doctor that are safe for my lips, because gallates are in EVERYTHING. The default is for products with fats to use gallates as a preservative.
How to avoid gallates — skincare
The moisturizing product and skin protectant my doctor recommends is Aquaphor. It is excellent for skin moisturizing, safe to use around the mouth, and does not contain preservatives. I use it both when my lips are dry and also to protect my lips in case I need to eat something that I know will irritate them. It’s not perfect as a protectant, but it helps.
I don’t use lipstick or chapstick — EVER. Gallates in the oils trigger the allergy. It may be possible to use organic lipstick, however (see below).
How to avoid gallates — food
Through a couple years of research, I discovered that USDA-certified Organic products do not allow gallates. Finally, I was onto something.
I’m still in a period of trial and error, but I can say conclusively that when I avoid non-certified-organic fats, my lips heal. They become soft and supple again, no swelling, no peeling.
Here are the main non-organic foods that trigger my allergy:
- Oil of any kind
- Butter and heavy cream
- Cheese
- Hamburger and sausages
The allergy is exacerbated by eating piping hot foods, such as MELTED cheese or anything hot with oils in it, as the fats are thinner and skin pores are opened, allowing more fats to seep in. For example:
- Most baked goods really hurt (esp hot), as they are filled with butter and oil
- Chocolate is an issue — I suspect they use gallates to preserve the cocoa butter in chocolate
- Pizza has pretty much all of the different types of oils in it 😂
But I can eat any of these foods — as long as I go organic.
How I manage my gallate allergy without breaking the budget
You can try to buy all organic fats, but it will destroy your food budget. Organic restaurants, organic breads, organic meats… . before you know it, you’re spending an extra $50–100 / month.
I need to buy some things organic — like oils, butter, and cheeses — but can sidestep some of the other items with a little cleverness.
- Cooking: Keep an arsenal of organic oils and organic butter on hand. I keep organic olive oil and organic sunflower oil next to my stove. Hint: The cheapest organic olive oil comes in a big tin at Trader Joe’s.
- Eating out: Order things that are raw (salad, fruit), boiled (ham, oatmeal, hard-boiled eggs, crab), or steamed (veg, rice, shrimp…).
- Meat: If you can’t afford organic, you can still eat meat, I promise! Avoid super-processed meat like hamburger and sausages, for example. Buy meats that are boiled (like ham) rather than roasted or baked. Roasting and baking often involve oil. Buy tuna that is packed in water, not oil.
- Nuts and nut butters: Organic nuts are expensive. As an alternative, buy raw nuts or nuts that are “dry roasted” — “dry” meaning no oil. Be sure you buy organic peanut butter instead of regular.
- Breakfast: Cook your own or eat oatmeal. Trader Joe’s also has decent-priced organic cereals.
- Snacks and breads: Big issue. Almost all of these will have oils, and there aren’t a ton of organic options. BUT.
A few snacks already don’t use oil: a few brands of corn chips, rice cakes, dense crackers such as wasa crisp bread.
Trader Joe’s has great cheap tortiallas — they’re not labelled organic, but if you flip them over, the oils are organic!! Quesadillas and burritos have become a regular part of my rotation.
I bake my own no-knead bread. It takes 5 minutes to mix up, rises overnight, then 40 minutes in the oven. The bread costs 70 cents to make, vs $4.75 for organic bread loaves. It tastes amazing, too.
Sometimes I just cheat, eat some not-organic fat, and take the hit. Especially when I’m at someone’s wedding and there aren’t other food options. Plus, there’s cake. 😋
But in general, I try to follow the diet because sore lips are no fun.