School allergy policy and cosmetics - AIBU to think this is overkill?

[Areolaborealis]

DD has extremely dry skin and hair, and after trying various chemical-laden and expensive products, we've found using natural oils in the bath to be the most effective management (rapeseed, coconut, and castor oil usually). We've been doing this for years.

DD9's school has a very strict no nuts and seeds policy that has recently been extended to cosmetics. After a recent bag inspection, DDs moisturiser was sent home because it contained castor oil (I actually didnt realise this). I have no issue with not sending this to school but it got me thinking about whether it's irresponsible to still use these oils at home given that she will presumably take traces into school with her. FWIW, there are no known nut, seed, coconut or castor allergies in her class but I don't know about the rest of the school. I hate the idea of sending DD into school covered in an allergen but I'm not sure how much I want this policy to dictate what we use at home. DD has become anxious about this and has started checking all our product ingredients.

AIBU to think this is overkill?

Pretty much everything is an allergen for someone. I think they need to be specific about what known allergies they have in the school. I have a teacher friend who is severely allergic to fish but the school still serve fish and chips. He has to stay out of the lunch hall block on Fridays

It's ridiculous and unfair on everyone who doesn't have an allergy.

The ones with the allergy if it's that severe should be taught in isolation.

But the policy isn’t dictating what you use at home?

If a person has an allergy to something, it's up to that person to mitigate, not the rest of the population.

Many schools have a no nuts policy.

It is quite common as it's the easiest way to deal with situations where a child has a nut allergy. Schools cannot rely on parents telling the difference between one type of nut and another so a blanket no nuts policy is easiest to explain.

If it has been extended to cosmetics then it is likely this is a response to an incident that occurred in school.

Regardless of what people think, the school is responsible for the nut allergic child's safety while they are at school. If the child has had a reaction due to cosmetics then if the school don't extend the ban they could be found negligent in court should the child have another incident.

This would potentially cost them tens or hundreds of thousands in damages. Not to mention the possibility that the child might die.

The school do not really have a choice here if they want to comply with the law.

Sorry.

But we don't know if somebody does have such a severe allergy.

And how exactly does the person with a possibly life threatening severe allergy mitigate against it? Medical advice is usually to avoid exposure to the allergens. I hope neither you nor anyone you love ever develop such an allergy - then you might realise how utterly uncaring some of the rest of the population are! Classic "I'm alright Jack" attitude. I would be ashamed if I'd made your post.

Another selfish individual who doesn't care about anyone with a terrible potentially life threatening condition. Imagine thinking it's ok to put a 5 year old into isolation instead of making reasonable adjustments! I despair over the lack of basic humanity shown by some posters, they'd do nothing for anyone if it inconvenienced them in the slightest!

I’m actually amazed at how much schools are trying to get involved with what is parenting, nothing to do with education. They have no right imo to remove skincare products from your child’s bag, yes another child may or may not be allergic, but shouldn’t the emphasis be on educating them not to share products due to possible contaminations and allergies.

as for if your child should be not using products on their own skin in case it causes an allergic reaction, how much physical touching is there between the children? If another child has a servers allergy then they should have an epi pen on them at all times. Will your daughter be not using products with potential allergens when she’s a grown up in case of somebody else’s allergy in the street, workplace, etc? I have a mild allergy to chlorine (rash if I don’t shower after swimming and travel home and then shower) would it be someone else’s fault if they were to brush past me after with chlorine traces on their skin and I got a rash? (Probably an unlikely scenario 🤣 )

isolate them.

isolate the “gays” too.

isolate the wheelchair ridden.

isolate those who aren’t top of the class.

isolate anyone who makes me have to be slightly inconvenienced.

Honest to god man, some people are just selfish arseholes. (Not the original poster)

I happen to think that confiscating cosmetics is a bit much but maybe just count yourself lucky that avoiding one cosmetic at school is all you have to worry about?

I don’t seen the issue here. She wasn’t told to stop using the product just to stop bringing it to school.

Actually legislation requires schools to adhere to the same rules as any other catering outlet such as labelling correctly, making ingredients available etc, and to have proper plans in place for their pupils with allergies including having individual allergy plans, staff training, schools can now keep adrenaline auto injectors on site that are not prescribed for a named pupil and so on, but there is no obligation to provide a completely "free from" environment. It's largely impossible to do so anyway. In fact the allergy charities such as Allergy UK and the Anaphylaxis Campaign explicitly discourage this type of approach.
From Allergy UK...
" It is not possible to guarantee and enforce a nut free zone as staff cannot monitor all lunches and snacks brought in from home. A free from environment creates a false sense of security and does not safely prepare children for environments where nuts may be present."
My DS is anaphylactic to a number of foods including nuts and seeds and I would be complaining to his school if they brought in a draconian policy like this. It's illogical, unworkable, doesn't effectively enhance safety of allergic pupils and inconveniences a lot of other people.
The safest way to manage severe allergies is to teach the affected individual to manage it, not to try to control their environment like this. If there is a child in the school with this specific allergy they are going to encounter their allergen if they go into a shop selling make up, get on a bus, go to the cinema - all kinds of things which cannot be controlled.

That’s a bit harsh really, isolation?

I have sympathy for people who have serious allergies, but I do wonder how they manage these allergies every else besides school and their own homes? You can't stop all of the general public from using cosmetics or eating foods that contain allergens, so how do they manage then?

My sons school is nut free and I'm careful not to give him anything like chocolate spread in his sandwiches etc but it's never even crossed my mind until seeing this thread that cosmetics could pose a problem too, I pick him up from school every day with hair that's been washed with nut oil containing shampoo and a face that's been scrubbed with a nut based scrub etc. I'm sure I can't be the only one.

I wouldnt expect you not to use it at home. The risk of cross contamination while applying or immediately after applying is what school ia guarding against. Using it at home is fine and that is why allergy children carry epi pens and wash their hands before eating to protect themselves.

YABVVU and ridiculous OP.
Fair enough for them to dictate that it can't be brought into school. There are so many ways a child could come into contact by accident.
But you using it at home before coming in, is irrelevant. Do you think everyone they come into contact with, in daily life is rigorously quizzed on what beauty products they've used?

Castor oil is made from a type of bean so I’d say it’s unlikely to be an allergen. I think use at home would be ok as it would have sunk in pretty quick.

I use a blend of black seed oil, castor oil and rose hip oil on my face which I think would be nut free and not commonly allergenic.

My DD is severely allergic to a specific food item which is rarer than nuts plus has a severe nut allergy.
she goes in to complete anaphylaxis,

people always say the same thing well how do you manage it outside of school etc like that makes it ok 🙄

they are are school 6 hours a day 5 days a week often say In closed rooms and education is not something that should be avoided.

our life is very restricted
she has never been on public transport
she has never been to the cinema
she eats take outs that I strictly monitor but never inside a restaurant.
she does not go to school birthday parties
or ever played in a soft play

but in schools they can navigate it so that she can attend and that’s her right !

It's fine, just make sure she's not hugging anyone with an extremely severe nut allergy.
Our son regularly has asthma symptoms and puffy itchy eyes when he's sat near a child who has a cat as he has a severe cat allergy. It's unfortunately just part of having an allergy, I'd imagine children covered in dander because of having cats and dogs are causing far more allergic reactions than moisturiser that's soaked in 12+ hours before but we wouldn't ask them to get rid of their pets.

This must be awful for you as her mum, you must be drained emotionally from never being able to take a break from the worry, and obviously from the constant checking of ingredients. I say this with empathy and concern

My DS has an allergy. It is better for school life to be normal so they can learn to manage it. The above poster is right, there are too many allergies to exclude them all. I think he sits at an allergy table for lunch so they can be monitored for swapping food!

You can get nut free chocolate spread

You will get butchered on MN!
But agree.
Every day there is a new restrictio and new alergy. It is getting bizarre.
All nurseries and schools have nut free policy, jet children eat peanut products and come in with hands, face and clothes covered in it. Apparently in this form no one will have issue but god forbid you send coconut oil product! Mad.

@LondonFox i dont know any allergy parents who agree either. There's no proof it helps and just encourages complacency.

Are they going to start banning kids from wearing sun cream in school then?! Castor oil is used widely across many products and cosmetics .…this is becoming ridiculous and blanket bans are not advised…..AllergyUk does not support “ nut free “ school policies and there is ongoing hype around nut products when in reality dairy allergies may pose risks too.