FreYourSkin: My Struggle With Toxic Ingredients & How Belly Jelly Was Born

Hey! So this is cool. A post about who I am, what brought me to your life and what brought you to mine.

I grew up with super sensitive skin and always had to be cautious about what I put in and around my body. I was the kid who could only wear cotton, never wool or tights, and couldn’t play contact sports because I would bruise. My friends would buy the latest trendy makeup and there I was with hives and itching as I tried these new products. Not only was this physically difficult, but emotionally I was hurt. I couldn’t do the things I wanted do with the people I loved spending my time with.

As a teenager, my skin was the focus of my existence. I would spend hours before high school applying makeup in attempt to cover my hives which appeared to be acne. I recall crying to my mother often because of the heart ache I was experiencing around my skin (I’m sure you can understand this stage of life!).  We went to every Allergist and Dermatologist that would hear my story and would attempt to “fix me.” However, no one was able to figure it out.

I was then able to meet with a Doctor who ensured me to figure out what was causing me to have these itchy and red marks all over. I did a patch test, which was the best and worst thing I could have done. For 3 days I had allergens applied to my back, which caused my entire face to swell, hives all over my body, and the inability to shower or easily sleep. However, after it was all done, I found my allergens. Today, I can repeat my allergens in seconds of ingredients most people have never even heard of: PROPYLENE GLYCOL, DMDM HYDANTONIN, BALSAM OF PERU, QUATERNIUM-15, COBALT DICHLORIDE...HUH?!

If you’re like me these ingredients can strike a chord. Most people look at me like I’m a chemist.

However, the moment I flipped my products over to look at the ingredients, I saw them highlighted. They were in my makeup, my face skincare, my shampoo and hair products, even in shredded coconut. How could this be?!  I threw out everything I owned and vowed to start fresh. That’s when I headed over to the local pharmacy and started researching.  Every product on the shelf had at least one of these ingredients.

When this all began, the products available to me were minimal. But thankfully times are changing and people are opening their eyes, doing their research and questioning the system.

When I became pregnant with my son in 2017, I knew I couldn’t use the ultrasound gel provided in my Doctor’s office. It contains blue dye and propylene glycol. I did my research and couldn’t find any other options on the market.

I hit my kitchen and started concocting mixtures to bring to my Doctors’ appointments. And that’s when Dr. Jacobs Naturals Belly Jelly was born.