Preparing for any day out when you have allergies is a bit like a military operation. The necessary drugs, inhalers, Action Plan and EpiPen must all be ready, as well as snacks, perhaps even sandwiches or a meal and your fully charged mobile phone, should you need to use it in an emergency. Make sure you always wear a medical necklace or bracelet, but especially on a day out.
Plan ahead
Some pre-planning is always advisable before going anywhere, especially a spa hotel. Phone up and speak to staff and tell them what allergies you have before hand. Ask to speak to someone in the spa, kitchen etc. and make sure they’re aware of the severity
A beach bag is very useful
There is a lot of lounging about in big fluffy bath robes at spa hotels, so make sure you have a big enough bag to contain all your necessary paraphernalia, including a good book, wet wipes for dealing with allergens, lots of moisturiser etc.
What treatments to avoid
If you have very sensitive skin you may want to avoid any treatments which involve oils or skin and facial treatments which could leave you with angry, itchy red skin – not the object of the exercise at all. If you are at all unsure of a treatment, don’t have it. Stick to a simple manicure or pedicure which is still a real treat but wont leave you scratching and with worse skin than when you arrived.
The massage
If you plan to have a massage at a spa you could take your own oil with you, just in case. Then if you are at all unsure about anything you can ask the masseuse to use your oil instead. They are unlikely to mind doing this and will probably be happier not to risk a reaction too. Remember to tell them about all allergies, even things you might not think will be an issue, e.g. latex. I had a massage once where the masseuse put on latex gloves to protect her hands from the oil she was using – you can imagine what effect that had on someone with a latex allergy! Not pleasant at all, and I didn’t notice because she put the gloves on after I had laid down on the bed, and removed them before I got up. It took a lot of questioning to get to the bottom of that. When she finally admitted that she did understand allergies because she had one to the massage oil (which was OK for my skin, having done a simple skin prick test before hand and reading the label) hence her having to always wear gloves. “Gloves?” I said. What kind of gloves?” and so we solved that mystery.
Food can be in massage oils, especially nuts. Nut oils may be fine but not all nut oils will have been processed to remove the harmful protein so don’t risk it. Milk and wheat can also be used in moisturisers etc.
Eating out
I will be taking some sarnies in my bag, as well as some nice treats. They assure me I will be able to get something to eat on the day but I don’t want to go hungry and if I’m at all unsure tomorrow I’ll be making good use of my careful planning. Take a camera as well in case you want to photograph any labels, allergic reactions etc.
There are five key lessons here:
- Plan ahead. Always phone the venue and speak to someone before booking.
- Be prepared on the day, make sure you get everything ready the night before so you don’t forget anything vital.
- Remain vigilant. Don’t let your guard down when you’re feeling relaxed and enjoying yourself. Check ingredients and if staff are not sure, don’t eat it. Don’t spoil what should be a treat by being careless.
- Tell your friends you have your EpiPen and where it is in your bag. Mine all know how to administer it and often ask me to run through how to do it again when we go out. Make sure your friends are happy with how to recognise an allergic attack and what to do. It can be daunting and scary but they’ll feel better when they understand.
- Have fun! Make the most of it. Keep smiling and enjoy yourself. If it’s anything like the one I’m visiting it won’t be cheap so make the most of the experience
So has anyone else had any spa hotel incidents? I have before when I’ve been seduced into trying a facial. In my experience they can just be too harsh for sensitive skin as they contain astringents and unknown ingredients. A good massage and a relaxing time with friends can do wonders – but an unplanned allergic reaction could completely spoil your day so be prepared.
Photo by John Tekeridis from Pexels
Ruth – Are there oils used in massage which are definately free of allergic reactions. If so what are they. BH
Hi Bob! Yes there are lots of allergen free oils. If you have sensitive skin, or allergy to nuts, avoid all oils with any nuts in, and any oils with parabens. Best to avoid massage oils containing ginger, clove, pine, peppermint, fennel and even cinnamon which can be irritants. The safest oils that said to be non allergenic and I don’t have any problem with are grape seed, peach and apricot kernal oils. Most masseurs mix oils for massages, but will start with the base carrier oil, which is usually one of these three safer non irritant ones. Just check before they only use a very simple natural base oil and you’re away! Always tell them if you have allergies or sensitive skin before hand.
Hi Rut! great article! i like the way you writing!
and this information was very useful for me!
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Thanks!
Good article.
I have recently had a reaction to a facial on a spa day. Five days afterwards I woke up and could hardly open my eyes because the swelling was so bad. My face and neck was covered in bumps that looked and felt like insect bites and then some of it started to crust over and weep.
I went to the DR and he gave me antihistamines and steroid cream. It is now a week later my face is much less sore, but still very itchy if I don’t use the cream and antihistamines.
I have been put off the whole spa thing….maybe I should stick to manicure and pedicure in future like you suggest.
But is there anyway to find out what caused this reaction…I really don’t want it to happen again!
Hi Helen, it’s so hard to actually discover what caused something as for a facial they will have used numerous products. I think they’re just to harsh for sensitive skins. The only facial I’ve been OK with was an Aloe vera one from Forever Living and even then we had to check ALL ingredients for nuts. You’d be OK with a massage with just the simple base oil, but some of us just can’t take these chemical products on our skin. Your skin is an organ and will absorb what’s put onto it so if you are allergic or have sensitive skin be very careful. Not sure if this helps. The only way to really find out what caused the reaction is to do a skin patch test with a tiny bit of EVERY product the spa used for your facial. Once you’ve narrowed it down you can examine the ingredients. You could also ask your doctor to refer you for skin patch testing.
What should I do if the Spa I went to used 3 pre- blended treatments with the allergen in despite notifying the Spa of my allergies both in writing and verbally on the day. I have raised it with the Spa and made recommendations to them.
Is there something else I need to do? I’m now on Day 5 with symptoms still.