Hives! or Put Your Glasses on First

by Kendel on June 3, 2014

I have terribly dry skin. In the winter, in the Midwest, it’s something I have to stay on top of or pay the price. So, I went to one of those places with all kinds of smell-good bath supplies. I bought a lovely smelling set of lotion and body wash. I confess that I have learned through the years that any lotion that has fragrance in it isn’t the best choice for my dry skin, but that’s beside the point. I was excited to use it. The next morning after I got in the shower I realized I had forgotten to put my body wash in the shower, but it wasn’t worth it, so I just used the regular stuff and decided I would just have to use it the next day. I got out of the shower, dried off, and applied the lotion. It smelled really good. It made me happy. So, from the neck down, I hydrated my skin. I put the body wash in the shower so I didn’t forget again, finished getting ready, and I was on my way to work. Once I arrived, I noticed that my legs were starting to itch a little. I chalked it up to dry skin and tried to ignore it. As time went on, the itching got worse and spread. I excused myself to the ladies room and pulled up a pant leg. My skin was bright red. Bumps were everywhere. Great. What was going on? I made it through the day. When I got home I went to the bathroom to assess the damage. I went to grab the lotion and look at the ingredients (I’m not really sure why I did this, because I wouldn’t have known what I was allergic to). As soon as I grabbed the bottle I realized the problem. I had put body wash on me instead of body lotion. Yep, just rubbed it all over. I jumped in the shower to wash it off, but it was too late (it suds up really nicely though). The damage was done. A visit to the dermatologist and a lot of oatmeal baths later, I had learned my lesson. Put you glasses on first Kendel.