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Coconut allergy -- looking for laundry detergent

post #1 of 12
5/12/10 at 4:31am
Thread Starter 
Do you know any good laundry detergents that do not use coconut derived surfactants or other ingredients?

My son has an allergy to coconut. Taking all foods with coconut (a lot of foods) out of his diet has seen good results. The swollen face, facial rash, and hives are now gone but he's still itchy so now we're removing coconut from his environment (as much as we can). We've been using Green Mountain laundry detergent but it uses coconut-derived surfactants.

Soap (and soap nuts) are out. We live in Los Angeles, which has the hardest water in America. Soap does not wash out well here. We're not able to install a water softener.

We prefer not to go back to laundry detergents with synthetic petroleum-based surfactants but will if we need. First, of course, we're turning to the collective knowledge of this forum. Any help is appreciated.
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post #2 of 12
5/12/10 at 8:59am
My dd has a coconut allergy. She is pretty sensitive to it reacting even to coconut based ingredients in CA Baby products. We use Charlie's Soap and she is fine with that. A quick look at their website did not give me any info on whether or not there are coconut based products in it. You could contact them and ask them.
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post #3 of 12
5/12/10 at 9:31am
Well, I just threw in a load and checked the bottle and I'll be darned it is made from coconut oil based detergents and washing soda. Well, I have been using it for quite a while (years) and dd has no issue with it, thank God. I really like it. Perhaps you could ask them for a sample and try it before you invest in a whole bottle or package. GL!

Beth
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post #4 of 12
5/12/10 at 1:44pm
When I was researching to try to find a non-coconut-non-petrol-based detergent, I had no luck. I'm subbing.
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post #5 of 12
5/12/10 at 3:34pm
I've never been able to find one either. Sadly, the only options seem to be either petroleum or coconut & corn (which DD is also allergic to.)

If you could find a bar soap that is coconut-free (which of course probably brings you back to petroleum), you could make your own with this recipe. I'm making this with Fels Naptha- petroleum based- but I couldn't find a bar soap that didn't have coconut. Ivory does. Maybe you could just use the borax and washing soda without the soap?
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post #6 of 12
5/12/10 at 4:38pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by changingseasons View Post
I've never been able to find one either. Sadly, the only options seem to be either petroleum or coconut & corn (which DD is also allergic to.)

If you could find a bar soap that is coconut-free (which of course probably brings you back to petroleum), you could make your own with this recipe. I'm making this with Fels Naptha- petroleum based- but I couldn't find a bar soap that didn't have coconut. Ivory does. Maybe you could just use the borax and washing soda without the soap?
I've been using Kiss My Face 100% Olive Oil Soap, because my son also reacted to coconut. That might work with the homemade detergent recipe above.
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post #7 of 12
5/12/10 at 4:54pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by BirthKathy View Post
I've been using Kiss My Face 100% Olive Oil Soap, because my son also reacted to coconut. That might work with the homemade detergent recipe above.
I don't suppose you know the source of the citric acid they use?
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post #8 of 12
5/12/10 at 5:05pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by JacquelineR View Post
I don't suppose you know the source of the citric acid they use?
Wait. It's 100% olive oil soap, but there are other ingredients? Now I have to go look this stuff up....

eta: which ones are you looking at? I see sodium chloride in the bar soaps, but no citric acid.
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post #9 of 12
5/12/10 at 5:16pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by changingseasons View Post
Wait. It's 100% olive oil soap, but there are other ingredients? Now I have to go look this stuff up....

eta: which ones are you looking at? I see sodium chloride in the bar soaps, but no citric acid.
Here.
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post #10 of 12
5/12/10 at 5:19pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by JacquelineR View Post
Strange. The Kiss My Face website doesn't list citric acid. I wonder which one is outdated?
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post #11 of 12
5/12/10 at 7:02pm
I just bought a bar of this soap in the last couple of weeks and the citric acid wasn't listed on my ingredient list.

I would wonder about using this on clothes. It leaves an incredible amount of soap scum and has even clogged my drain. I still use it because it is the only safe stuff I have found for my dd. I am glad that for some reason she doesn't react to the Charlie's Soap.
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post #12 of 12
5/12/10 at 7:46pm
Hmmm... I'm pretty sure the package did not say citric acid. I have been avoiding that, so I think I would have noticed. It is a gooey soap though. I also bought soap from here:

http://www.amazon.com/Olivella-All-N...3704179&sr=8-1

This one washed very nice, but smelled just a little strong for me and my husband (we're super unscented here). Might be nice for laundry. I believe they offer an unscented bar, but we haven't tried it.

and here:

http://www.countryrosesoap.com/Merch...duct_Code=SP39

I haven't used this one yet, but I've been using the liquid olive oil soap from the same place and I like it.

Both these bars are about half the size of the Kiss My Face bars.
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