Home Sweet Home!

I feel so relieved that I am home! I could kiss my bed! Haha! We arrived at the airport at 1.10pm and discovered that there were still seats for the 1.50pm flight. We took it and ran to the gates! And discovered that the flight was slightly delayed. Whew! I've done two loads of laundry and it is still not done. Am too tired to wash another load. 6 days of clothes worn by three people is no joke. We don't recycle. I did not wash my clothes at the serviced apartment as I do not know what kind of soap powders which the other tenants have used. Thus, I brought everything back to wash! It is no small feat!!! I'm going to sleep now. How I have missed my bed. I am having a neck ache from sleeping on the apartment's bed. Goodnight! ZZZZzzzzzzzzzz...........

Going home!

We are checking out of the apartment and it is 12pm now. Our flight is at 7.15pm and we are going for a walk at the airport. And we will be hanging out at the business lounge. I'm tired. But grateful to be well! Can't wait to sleep on my bed!!!!!!!!! :)

Leaving On A Jetplane

Well, all good things must come to an end. I hope this is not true where good health is concerned. I am looking forward to going home tomorrow. I am tired but feeling great. Still on 100 percent of salicylate-free diet. Can't wait to go home. :) Will post up pictures and write in detail about this journey when I am back home! Goodnight!

An Evening at the Beach!

Ahhh! Such bliss. I finally went to a beach today and enjoyed some fresh sea air, lovely weather, wonderful cooling breeze and the pure, original sound of waves crashing on the shore. No seals at this part of the world though! Haha... Still on 100 percent of salicylate-free food and feeling good. Tired though. I will blog in detail and put up pictures when I am back home. I miss my BED!!!!! Haha! ;) Goodnight!

Good Days

Things have been great so far. I am eating my salicylate-free food and am sleeping as much as I need. Blogging with the iPad is terrible as the Blogger restricts a lot of movements. I can't write in paragraphs and I can't insert pictures. Will update another time! :)

I Left On A Jet Plane!

It was the first time in a VERY long time that I travelled anywhere far. And I sat the plane for the very first time since God-knows-when. It was stressful and yet exciting as this is Joel's first time ever travelling overseas. We did not go very far but so far things have been good. I have been good actually. And I hope that this is the beginning of greater things for my health. I hope that slowly but surely I will be able to travel more and one day I will be able to eat food that I have been unable to eat during these 38 months. The preparation that I prepared myself mentally, physically and emotionally took about two months. I won't deny that I am excited but yet dare not hope for very much as IA can be very temperamental. I am praying and hoping very hard for a breakthrough with IA. That things will get better and much more stable. I will write more when I have the time. But as of now, I am exhausted and will be going to bed shortly. It is 9.50pm! It has been a good day. I will share on how I prepared my food in advance and how I go about surviving! Goodnight!

Salicylate-Free Home-Made Buns & Chicken Stew

Here is the link for the salicylate-free buns. Click here.

Here's the recipe for the chicken stew:

Ingredients:

1. 1 whole chicken cut into 4 parts
2. 5 large old potatoes peeled and cut into 4 parts
3. 4 strips of celery cut into strips
4. 2 cups of warm water
5. 1 1/2 teaspoons of sea-salt
6. 1 teaspoon of sunflower oil
7. A handful of barley

--------------------------------------------

1. Put the chicken, potatoes, celery and barley into a large clay pot.

2. Pour the sea-salt and sunflower oil into the warm water and stir.

3. Pour the concoction over the chicken and the other ingredients.

4. Boil the dish for about 2 hours (allow the stew to boil before turning down the heat, allowing it to simmer for the remainder duration of time)

5. Stir the stew from time to time.

6. Serve hot with the mini buns and butter.

Bon appétit!

A Happy Place

Someone asked me recently, 'Are you happy?'

I then asked the person, 'What is happy?'

To which he replied, 'Happy means happy loh!'

Hmmm....

So what is happy?
What is happiness?
What is being happy?

Happy can be defined as:

1. Delighted, pleased, or glad, as over a particular thing
2. Characterized by or indicative of pleasure, contentment, or joy
3. Favored by fortune; fortunate or lucky
4. Apt or felicitous, as actions, utterances, or ideas.
5. Obsessed by or quick to use the item indicated (usually used in combination): A trigger-happy gangster. Everybody is gadget-happy these days.

Happiness can be defined as:

1. The quality or state of being happy.
2. Good fortune; pleasure; contentment; joy.

Does it mean that I am happy when I am always flashing my teeth in a Cheshire's cat-like-ear-to-ear grin?

Does happy mean that I am always laughing the boisterous laughter of the land of the Giants?

Does being happy mean that I am never sad?

Does happiness mean that I should rename myself with a new name called Joy Unspeakable and assign a new job title which is called the Minister of Making People 'ROFLMAO'?

Does living in the state of happiness mean living in the transcendence of happiness while constantly mantra-ing OMs which are bursting with happiness?

Well, here is what I think happy is.

I think happiness mean that I live my life to the best I can even with Death breathing down my neck and hearing its tick-tock-tick-tock in my ear.

I think happiness mean that I when I go to bed at night, I can still smile to myself and say that it was a good day even though the bowels misbehaved themselves tremendously till the bum-bum had the imprint of the toilet bowl. Because I still have my bowels and tomorrow will be a better day. Or the day after. Or the week after that.

I think happiness is when I did not do anything constructive but lazed around, taking a well deserved break which my body, soul and mind needed. Though i think hours on the iPad playing finding-hidden-objects-games is VERY constructive!

I think being happy is resting much and using my brains to rationalise logically that Rome wasn't built in a day. Neither can my health be built in a day. It has been 38 months now and I am happy at how much I have progressed.

I think happiness is when your true self is spoken out.

I am happy because I have learnt so much, gained so much in the midst of my losses and grown so much. I can plant my own vegetables! I can eat so many more foods now! I have a very beautiful and supportive family! I have great friends! I found people who are in the same boat as I am in! And I am alive! If that is not happy, I do not know what happy means to you then...

And if I am never sad, how can I know what happiness is?
If I never know what pain is, how then can I know what it is like to be relieved when the pain is gone?
Happiness is sweet when you fight hard for it or when you stop struggling to be happy.

And happiness is being able to find a constant in the inconsistency of IA.

38 Months

So here I am. 38 months later, writing my 166th post for this blog. 38 months on being alive. Or supposedly alive. Or getting-there alive. Or maybe it's a barely alive?

Am I alive?

What is alive?

How am I alive?

The definition of alive according to the dictionary:

1. Having life; living.
2. In existence or operation; active.
3. Full of living or moving things; abounding.
4. Full of activity or animation; lively.

I am a living being. I breathe, I eat, I poop and pee, and I breed. The little young man is the proof!

I am in existence. Evelyn Chua exists. Ask my family and they will tell you that I am no ghost! I must be one VERY loud ghost!

I am active. Actively being alive with satire, sarcasm, and madness. Hey, it keeps me sane!

I am constantly moving. Moving people to tears or frustration by my blog posts - according to them.

I am full of activity. I am a full-time wife and mother who is also a full-time cook, cleaner, driver, Florence Nightingale, maid, container-gardener, and not forgetting blogger! Oh, and I am lively too! Lively with anger (according to my son) and sarcasm (according to my brother).

Oh yeah, I almost forgot. I had an encounter with Death and lived to tell the story of it.

So am I alive?

Hell, yeah!!!

So how has the 'alive me' grown in this 38 months?

Hmmm....

Let me see.

..............................

Damn!

I can't think of anything.

My mind is like a blank piece of paper.

Come back and ask me when it is 39 months. Or maybe 39 years. That is if I am still ALIVE!

Oh by the way, are YOU alive?

The Glorious Heavens - Part 15

'You must not blame me if I do talk to the clouds.' - Henry David Thoreau

'I am the daughter of Earth and Water,
And the nursling of the Sky;
I pass through the pores of the ocean and shores;
I change, but I cannot die....'
- Percy Bysshe Shelley, "The Cloud"

'To me, the skies are beautiful.
Why?
Because they remind me that I am alive to enjoy their beauty!'
- Evelyn Chua

Salicylate-Free Bake Minced Chicken + Sliced Potatoes

Ingredients:

1. 500gm of minced chicken

2. 6 large old potatoes

3. 1/2 teaspoon of sea-salt

4. 1/2 teaspoon of cane sugar

5. Sunflower oil

-----------------------------------------

1. Pour minced chicken, sea-salt and cane sugar into a bowl and mix thoroughly.

2. Peel the old potatoes and slice them thinly.

3. Pour the minced chicken into a baking dish.

4. Arrange the potato slices evenly on the minced chicken.

5. Drizzle sunflower oil on the potato slices generously.

6. Bake in pre-heated oven at 230C for 35 minutes.

7. Allow to cool slightly before serving.

8. Serve with sushi rice and a vegetable dish!

Bon Appétit!

The Power of Food Additives (Part 1) - An Introduction

Food additives are substances which are added to food in order to preserve the flavour OR to enhance the taste or appearance.

Some additives have existed for centuries. They are:

1. Preserving food by pickling with vinegar (pickled cucumbers)

2. Preserving food by salting with salt (bacon)

3. Preserving sweets with sweeteners

4. Preserving wine by using sulfur dioxide

When food processing boomed in the second half of the 20th century, many, many, many more additives were introduced. And many were artificial additives.

In order to regulate these additives and to keep the consumers informed on what they are, each additive is assigned a unique number. They are termed as the 'E Numbers'. Today, this method of coding the additives is internationally adopted, accepted and practiced.

The thing about these 'E Numbers' is that not all additives are approved. And in some countries, they do not carry the letter E. They only carry the numbers. An example would be additive 260 and not E260.

Though the United States Food and Drug Administration approve of the usage of these additives, they are listed as 'Generally recognized as safe' or 'GRAS'.

Salicylate-Free Mini Buns

I deleted the previous post by accident, so here it is again!

Ingredients:

1. 1kg of organic high-protein bread flour

2. 1/2 cup of sunflower oil

3. 1 teaspoon of sea-salt

4. 1 packet of instant yeast

5. 1 cup of warm water

6. 1 teaspoon of cane sugar

7. 6 tablespoons of sunflower oil

--------------------------------------------------

1. Pour all ingredients into a large bowl and mix them thoroughly.

2. Sprinkle some flour on the counter top and knead the dough until smooth.

3. Place the dough back into the large bowl, cover with a damp cloth and leave aside for a out 2 hours for it to rise.

4. Knock the dough back down and knead again for about 5 to 10 minutes.

5. Divide the dough into small, round balls.

6. Place them on baking trays and allow them to rise.

7. Preheat oven at 200C.

8. Bake mini buns for about 20 minutes or until slightly browned.

9. Allow mini buns to cool on trays.

10. Serve them warm with butter!

Bon appétit!

Salicylate-Free Salmon Rice Balls

Ingredients:

1. 3 cups of sushi rice

2. 300gm of salmon

3. 1/2 teaspoon of sea-salt

4. *Sesame seeds (optional)

--------------------------------------

1. Boil the sushi rice.

2. Bake the salmon in the oven at 220C for 20 minutes.

3. Once the salmon is done, debone the salmon.

4. Once the sushi rice is done, mix the deboned salmon, the sea-salt and the sushi rice together until they are well blended.

5. Tear out a piece of cling-wrap which is the size of an A4 paper.

6. Scoop 2 tablespoons of the mixed rice and twirl the cling-wrap until the mixed rice becomes the shape of a ball.

7. If you can tolerate sesame seeds, you can add sesame seeds to the salmon rice balls.

Bon Appétit!

Low-Salicylate Side Dish

I have loved chick peas since I was a child. My mom would buy packets of them, and I would eat them ALL BY MYSELF!!!! Haha!!

The ones sold outside have spices and curry leaves. Which is what makes them yummy! It's a different story now. Spices and curry leaves are definitely out but the chick-peas aren't.

So here is my low-salicylate recipe of home-made steamed chick peas!!!!

Ingredients:

1. 500gm of raw organic chick peas

2. 1 teaspoon of sea-salt

3. 3 cups of water

---------------------------------------------

1. Soak the chick peas overnight in the fridge. If you do not soak them overnight, you will end up with VERY hard chick peas.

2. Boil a pot of water and add the sea-salt in it. Add the chick peas and boil for about 2 hours (or until the chick peas soften).

3. Drain the water from the chick peas.

4. Serve them warm!

Bon appétit!

*YUMMY!*

Salicylate-Free Hash Brown

I am hungry just by typing this post! *drool*

Ingredients:

1. 1kg of old potatoes

2. 1 1/2 teaspoons of sea-salt (you can add extra if you want the hash brown to be more tasty)

3. 1/2 cup of all-purpose flour

4. 1 cup of sunflower oil

5. 3 large eggs.

----------------------------------------

1. Wash and peel the potatoes.

2. Grate the potatoes.

3. Drain off any excess moisture from the potatoes.

4. Add the all-purpose flour, eggs and salt to the grated potatoes and mix well.

5. Heat the wok and pour the sunflower oil into the wok when it is HOT!

6. Drop tablespoon sizes into the boiling oil. (*BE VERY CAREFUL OF BOILING OIL!)

7. Scoop up the hash browns by using a a drainer scoop.

8. Place them on paper towels to drain of excess oil.

9. Allow to cool. Eat them while they are still warm and enjoy the crispy sensation!

Bon appétit!

The S & F Words

* Do skip this post if you are a Puritan. You have been warned!

A few weeks ago, the moment my son got up the car after school, we had a conversation that went like this:

Joel: Mommie, teacher so and so said that we cannot use the S and F words in her class.

Me: Did teacher explain and tell all of you what the S and F words mean?

Joel: No.

Me: What if I said slow and fast?

Joel: HOR!!! I will teacher that you said the S and F words!!!!!

Haha!! Such innocence. It is only a matter of time before he finds out what they are.

I have been told that if I were to send Joel to a 'religious' school, he would then not be exposed to the 'cultures of the world'. Or keep him at home and home-school him and protect him from the onslaught of the world.

Which brings me to my next point.

Where do you think your children are going to work when they finish their studies? Lets not get ahead of ourselves. Where do you think they are going to pursue a degree? Mind you, many of the cultures of universities and colleges today consist of sex, parties, drugs and booze. Of course there are people who do not practice such ways of life. But there are a large number of students who do. And your children are bound to mingle with them.

What I am trying to say is that if your children have been over-protected all these years to the extend of not knowing what the S and F words are, imagine the shock they will get the moment they step out of their cocooned state of life.

It is all about balance. And by balance, I mean that they have to learn the good and the bad about this life on this planet. Unprotected sex when one is not ready is bad as unwanted pregnancies are a catastrophe. Abandoned babies, back-lane abortions, forced marriages which end up in divorce or abuse. But does this mean that we tell our children that all sex is evil? Drum it into their brain that sex is dirty and that hell awaits those who think of sex?

The world is changing. And we have to change with it. Little children as young as two years old are able to maneuver the iPad and iPhone better than any of their parents. Children are maturing at an even earlier age. The olden method which we were raised up with do not work anymore. The 'Because-I-said-so-because-I-am-your-father/mother' does not work anymore today. My son demands a precise explanation and if it defies logic, that's it. He will know that mommie or daddy is bull-shitting him.

It can be akin to carrying a large suitcase. As the child is too small to carry it, an adult will carry it for him/her UNTIL he/she is old enough to carry it on his/her own. So at this point of time, I will carry that baggage for Joel until he is deemed strong enough to carry it on his own. And if you disagree with me about how I raise him up, I got two words for you. Shut Up.

Life comes in a package. It consists of the good, the bad and the ugly. As Joel reaches a new stage, a new phase, I will release little nuggets of life to him so that he will be prepared to face the world which is many times, Full of Shit.

Damn!

I just said the S and F words again!!!

The Definition of Product Labels

How many times have you been misled to buy some product because the label claimed to be something you thought it to be? Upon closer inspection, the ingredients are a total opposite of what they advertised on the label!

Here are some of the common terms that we come across in our everyday products:

1. Fragrance-Free or Unscented

This is a general claim that implies that the product does not contain any fragrances. (click here)

In reality, fragrance-free or unscented products do contain artificial/natural fragrances OR masking agents to cover up existing smells of other chemicals or ingredients used in the products.(click here)

2. Hypoallergenic

This has very little meaning to it. (click here) In fact, this is a rather unregulated term!

Basically, sensitive people can still react to product(s) that has a hypoallergenic claim. It can also mean that allergy-causing ingredients are still present in the products, but they are used in smaller amounts!

Read hypoallergenic skincare for more information.

3. Ophthalmologist Tested/Dermatologist Tested

This actually means that an ophthalmologist or dermatologist tested the product. How it was tested and on how many people it was tested remains unclear.

An interesting link on dermatologically tested and clinically proven. Do read this!

4. Not Tested on Animals

This mean that the product(s) were not tested on animals. But this does not mean that the INDIVIDUAL ingredients of the products were not tested on animals. The 'Not Tested On Animals' movement was started by animal rights organizations stating that animals have an intrinsic right not to be used for experimentation.

What does this tell hypersensitive people like us about the product? Nothing!

5. Preservative-Free

Preservative-free products do not last long and they are of a greater risk in contamination. Preservative-free products would need to be refrigerated and thus consumers find them to be a great hassle.

Click here to read about 7 reasons there aren't more preservative free cosmetics.

An interesting link about preservative-free cosmetics.

So if you buy a product which states that it is preservative-free and yet it expires within 1 to 3 years, chances are that the manufacturer is lying!

6. Organic

The term organic means plants or natural materials have been produced by using methods that do not involve modern synthetic inputs such as synthetic pesticides and synthetic chemical fertilizers, do not contain genetically modified organisms (GMO), and are not processed using irradiation, industrial solvents or chemical food additives.


Transparency of labeling of products is very important because it helps people who are hypersensitive and people with allergies to identify the ingredients in products that they are sensitive to. By doing so, consumers can be safe.

To Scent or Not To Scent - (Part 5) Fragrance-Free & Masking Agents

As I was researching for this series on perfumes and fragrances, I stumbled upon a scary discovery!

Fragrance-free DOES NOT MEAN fragrance-free!

Confused?

Let me explain to you what fragrance-free means.

FRAGRANCE-FREE or UNSCENTED products have an added chemical to MASK the smells of the other chemicals or fragrance in their products!!!

OH MY GOD!!!!

How ignorant I have been!

No wonder of late, the Simple shampoo has been irritating my nose and I could not figure out what it was!

Even though the masking agent(s) mask the smells of the other chemicals, they can still trigger a hypersensitivity attack as the chemicals are still in there. It is just that you don't smell it now, that's all.

Scary eh?

Of course I understand that there is no way we can completely avoid synthetic chemicals in our daily life. I am wondering on how to go about this fragrance-free and unscented products with masking agents.

Veratraldehyde

Veratraldehyede is an example of a masking agent.

The compound structure is structurally related to benzaldehyde. It is derivative of vanillin.

This is added to soaps, detergents and luxury perfumes as an odour-masking agent.

Veratraldehyde occurs naturally in champaca flower extracts, peppermint and raspberries. But it is commercially cheaper and thus almost all veratraldehyde used today is synthetic.

Not only it is used as a masking agent, it is used by perfumers as a fixative as it helps perfume linger longer on the skin or fabric.

Veratraldehyde's usage level is meant to be kept at or below 10% of a perfume's concentrate oil.

Veratraldehyde is also known as Methylvanillin, Veratric Aldehyde, Veratral, Veratryl Aldehyde, Veratrum Aldehyde, Vanillin Methyl Ether.


An interesting link.

Click here for more information on veratraldehyde.

To Scent or Not To Scent (Part 4) - Perfume Hypersensitivity

Perfume has been used since the ancient of days. Many people are perplexed to why the big fuss over the use of perfumes and fragrances today. Many are outraged and ask, 'What is wrong in trying to smell good?'

During the ancient days, only 100% extract of plants and animals were used. No synthetics, no chemicals. 100% original. It is a different story today. Due to high cost, animal and plants being on the verge of extinction (because of the huge amount needed to FEED the mass market of perfume/fragrances), synthetic chemicals are needed to continually boost the perfume market. 

Perfume Hypersensitivity or 'Allergies'

Many people today have developed a hypersensitivity, an 'intolerance' or an 'allergy' to 'smells'. Particularly to perfume. And to these people, it never crossed their mind that their perfume/fragrance could be the one that is triggering their 'allergy' reactions. And sad to say, some are too addicted to their perfumes to give them up. And continue to live in denial and in sickness!

In order to prolong the shelf life of perfumes, preservatives are added to extend their shelf life. And many times, these preservatives are the culprits of perfume 'allergies'. 

Some 'allergy' reactions are even caused by the natural products that are in the perfumes!

Common 'Allergy' Causing Chemicals in Perfumes

1. Amylcinnamic Alcohol

This is very extensively used in women's perfume. It produces a jasmine-like 'floral-ness' when accompanied by more volatile chemicals of floral character. Assists in fixation for perfumes. It is known as a human immune system toxicant. It can cause contact dermatitis.

It is also known as:
* 1-heptanol, 2-(phenylmethylene)
* 2-amyl-3-phenyl-2-propen-l-ol
* 2-(phenylmethylene)-l-Heptanol 
* 2-benzylideneheptan-1-ol 
* 2-benzyliidene-1-heptanol 
* 2-pentyl-3-phenylprop-2-en-1-ol

* Alpha-amylcinnamic alcohol 
* Alpha-amylcinnamyl alcohol 
* Alpha pentyl cinnamyl alcohol 
* Amylcinnamic alcohol 
* Amylcinnamyl alcohol
* Buxinol 


2. Anisyl Alcohol


This is used in perfumery and it has a hawthorn ordour. It adds volume and also gives a natural aspect to floral compositions such as mimosa, lilac, cassia, apple-blossom, jasmine and heliotrope as well as to clover and fougere perfumes. 


It is also found in acid cleaners, fabric conditioners, antiperspirant, toiletries, fabric detergent liquid, soap, powder detergent and liquid bleach.


It is filed as a non-food allergy which can cause nausea, headache, breathing difficulty, hoarse voice, loss of voice, tingling lips, muscle pain, joint pain and etc. Some react in an anaphylactic reaction, some get asthma, abdominal pain, eczema or headaches. (click here)


3. Benzyl Alcohol


This is used as a solvent and preservative in perfumes. Benzyl Alcohol has been associated with contact allergy. When tests were conducted on lab rats, DNA damage was recorded. For more information click here.


4. Benzyl Salicylate


Since I am salicylate sensitive, I am going to highlight this in red. This is used as a solvent for synthetic musks as a fixative in floral perfumes such as jasmine, lilac and lily. There has been evidence that people can become sensitized to this material, thus has been given a Restriction Standard by the International Fragrance Association.

5. Cinnamic Alcohol

This has a distinctive ordour which is described as sweet, balsam, hyacinth, spicy, green, powdery and cinnamic. This is used in perfumery and in deodorants too.

Cinnamic alcohol has been found to have a sensitizing effect on some people and thus has been given a Restricted Standard by the Internal Fragrance Association.

6. Cinnamic Aldehyde

Cinnamic Aldehyde is a skin irritant. This is also used as a flavoring agent. For more information click here.

7. Coumarin

Coumarin has a distinctively sweet ordour which reminds people of freshly cut grass or hay. This has been used in perfumes since the late 1800s. For more information of Coumarin, click here.

Research shows that it could cause cancer. And it can trigger contact dermatitis. To read more about the side-effects of coumarin, click here.

8. Eugenol

Eugenol is used in perfumeries, flavorings, essential oils and in medicines as a local antiseptic and anesthetic.

Eugenol is hepatotoxic, which means it can cause damage to the liver. Kouros Eau de Toilette by Yves Saint Laurent contains Eugenol. People who have sensitivity to Eugenol should avoid this fragrance. Eugenol can cause contact dermatitis.

Click here for more information.

9. Geraniol

Geraniol is a monoterpenoid and an alcohol. It is the primary part of rose oil, palmarosa oil, and certain types of citronella oil. Geraniol also occurs in small quantities in geranium, lemon, and many other essential oils. It has a rose-like ordour.

For a detailed information on Geraniol, click here.

Geraniol can be found in facial moisturizer or facial treatment, hair colouring and bleaching, moisturizers, women's fragrance and anti-agine products.

People should avoid Geraniol if they have perfume allergy.

10. Hydroxycitronellal

This is a perfume ingredient with a medium strength floral scent which smells like lilly and sweet tropical melon. The two main components in Hydroxycitionellal are Citral and Geraniol.

It has been noted that Hydroxycitronellal above 5% concentration caused facial psoriasis and it is a documented irritant.

For more on Hydroxycitronellal click here.

11. Isoeugenol

Click here for the chemical make-up of Isoeugenol.

Isoeugenol is a substitute phenol.

It is known to cause contact dermatitis.

This is a very interesting link on the study that has been done on Isoeugenol.

12. Musk Ambrette


* Musk ambrette (2,6-dinitro-3-methoxy-4-tert-butyltoluene), a nitro-musk compound widely used as a fixative in fragrance formulations and found to a lesser degree in flavor compositions, produces hindlimb weakness when administered in the diet or applied to skin of rats for periods up to 12 weeks. Underlying neuropathologic changes consist of primary demyelination and distal axonal degeneration in selected regions of the central and peripheral nervous system. Murine neurological disease induced by musk ambrette occurs at doses well above estimated maximum daily human exposure. Lifetime experimental neurotoxicology studies using lower concentrations of musk ambrette for prolonged periods would be needed for the estimation of human risk.

* taken from neurotoxic properties of musk ambrette

Read contact and photocontact allergy to musk ambrette.

Apparently, this has been discontinued in the industry of perfumery. It is a banned product.

13. Sandalwood Oil

Read here for Sandalwood oil non-food allergy reaction.

Though Sandalwood oil is mild, it can cause severe allergy reaction when applied undiluted.

14. Wood Tars

* In a population of 1883 patients tested for allergic contact dermatitis (1985-1988), a prevalence of 5.4% (103 cases) was seen for wood tars (ICDRG allergen, 12% pet.) sensitization. In this group (n = 103), retrospectively, a combined allergy was seen to wood tars and fragrance mix in 43% and to wood tars and balsam of Peru in 31%. A combined allergy to wood tars and coal tar was seen in 19 patients (18.5%): 14 to liquor carbonis detergens (LCD), 8 to lianthral and 3 to both LCD and lianthral. Within the group with wood tars allergy (n = 103), a minority (n = 37) had a history of atopic dermatitis. Comparison of the test results in atopic and non-atopic subgroups (within the group of 103) revealed a higher incidence of combined wood tars-fragrance mix allergy in the atopic group (n = 37). In this group, a lower incidence of combined wood tars-coal tar sensitization was seen in comparison with the non-atopic group (n = 66). The authors believe that combined "wood tars-coal tar" allergy could be the consequence of cross-sensitization rather than due to long-term previous topical treatment with tar derivatives. The high % of cross-allergy between wood tars and fragrance mix emphasizes the role of wood tars as an important indicator allergen in perfume allergy.

* taken from wood tars allergy, cross-sensitization and coal tar