Guai Resources On This Page:

SALS

Salicylates are material made in all plants to fend off soil bacteria and pests. If the ingredient is a chemical, no matter the origin, it is okay (except for any chemical that has the word "salicylic" in it, including mentholatum and artificial wintergreen which are both methylsalicylate and beta hydroxy). If an ingredient contains two or more words, you might find them listed separately. Alternatively, if an ingredient is a single word you might find it included in a combination of words.

"Chemicals" extracted from plants are no longer considered plants because the process used to do the extraction makes them no longer "natural". If the ingredient is a "chemical" name then it no longer contains salicylates. Basically, we're trying to avoid plant parts in products, as opposed to a single ingredient extracted from a plant. Plant parts include a plant name listed by itself, with words like "leaf" or "seed", or with the words "extract" or "essense." In contrast, extractions of one chemical from a plant do not block, unless that chemical is salicylic acid. Two things happen in the extraction process: one, the chemical is purified and does not have salicylates in it; two, the chemicals they extract it with make it unnatural anyway.When you see a chemical word in combination with a plant word, it's ok. When you see numbers as part of the ingredient, it's ok.

If a product is composed entirely of chemical ingredients except forms of salicylic acid, or comes from animals other than bees, we can be sure it's not a blocker.

Products made from grains (corn, wheat, barley, rye, arrowroot, buckwheat, maize, millet, oats, rice) are ok also, but only products made from the grain itself. The rest of the plant upon which the grain grows does contain salicylate. Thus while oatmeal will not block guai, wheat grass will. As some of us are more sensitive to salicylates than others, it is strongly recommended to avoid all of them until such time as you are well enough to detect a difference in reversal when using a product which may include some.

It's good practice to check ingredients every time you buy a product because manufacturers may change them without warning, turning a previously sal-free product into a sal-full one.The Sal lists exist simply to narrow the field in your shopping excursions. Please check product labels for salicylates before purchase. The absence of an ingredient from this list doesn't qualify it as a salicylate. It's not possible to list all ingredients which could be in products you use. Please do yourself a favor when starting guai and use the fewest products you can and check those thoroughly as well.

TWO CATEGORIES OF NATURAL SALICYLATES TO AVOID are: ingested from herbal medications which are potent enough to easily block guaifenesin; and topically applied products which deliver salicylates directly into the blood stream.

SALICYLATE FREE INGREDIENTS

All Synthetics are OK. When checking labels of products use the following checklist of salicylate-free ingredients: There is no blocking from preparing food - they're not concentrated enough. The only suspected problem would be with stripping rosemary from stems etc. Artificial flavors don't block (except possibly wintergreen, & mentholatum which are menthylsalicylate).

Acids (All OK *except* those with "salicylic" as part of its name)
Acetaminophen
Acrylates copolymer
Alcohol (Rubbing...for topical use)
Allantoin
Aluminum
Alpha hydroxy acid
Amino acids
Ammonium lauryl sulfate
Artificial Sweetners
Ascorbic acid
Aspartame
Barley
Benzalkonium chloride
Benzoic Acid
Benzol peroxide
Benzphenone
Benzyl Alcohol
Betaine
BHA (Butylated Hydroxy Anisole)
BHT
Bifidus
Bismuth
Brewers yeast
Buffered istonic solution
Butylcarbomate
Butylene glycol
Caffeine
Calcium carbonate
Calcium Citrate Goldline brand is okay (must check all brands)
Calcium polycarbophi
Caprilic acid
Caprylic/Capric trigylcerides
Carrageenan
Caramel
Carbomer
Carbozymethylcellulose sodium
Carmine
Carnauba wax (or any product not absorbed by skin)
Cellulose
Ceramide
Ceresin
Cetyl Alcohol
Chitin (OK if source is Crabs, Lobsters or Beetles)
Chlorine and Acids in swimming pools
Cholesterol
Cinnamon (as a food)
Citrate
Citric acid
Citric derivative
Chloride
Cocoamphocarboxyglycinate
Cocoyl
Cocomide DEA
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cocoa butter
Coco Amido Dipropyl
Cocoate
Coconut acid
Coconut fatty acid
Coconut Oil fine in soap & shampoo (as it is rinsed off quickly); not okay in other topicals, ie. skin lotion, etc.
Collagen
Colors (All)
Corn oil
Cornstarch (Ok eaten or topical)
Cortisone/Hydrocortisone? (If it's a cream - ensure no aloe)
Cottonseedate
Cottonseed Oil in generic brand of Guai
Cros-carmellose sodium
Crosporidone
Cyclohexanols
Cyclomethicone
D-alphatocopheryl
D - Limonen
Dicaptyl Adipate
Dextrose
Dicalcium Phosphate
Dicaprate
Dicaprylate
Dilaurate
Dimethicone
Dimethyl ether
Dioctyl
Dioleate
Disodium
Distearate
DMDM hydantoin
Dodecylbenzenesulfonate
Dulfate
Edetate
EDTA
Elastin
Esgic
Ether
Etidronate
Fatty acids
FD &C dyes
Flax seed oil (OK ingested/NOT for topical use)
Fluticasone propionate
Fragrances.
Fructooligosaccharides
Gelatine
Glucosamine sulfate
Glucose
Glyceryl
Glyceryl Rosinate
Glyceride
Glycerin
Glycine
Glycol
Glycol
Glycolic acids
Glycoprotein
Glycosamnioglycans
Glycosphingolipids
Gum (ok if not from plant)
Hasntri-quarternary COCOA-based phosphospholipid.
Hexylene glycol
Hyaluronic acid
Hydrated Silica
Hydroxide
Hydroxypropylcellulose
Hydroxypropyl
Hydroxethylcellulose
Hydroxysultaine
Idopropynyl
Illepe Butter
Imidazolidinyl
Ionlate
Isobutane
Isopentane
Isopropyl
Isethionate
Japan wax
Kaolin
Lac-hydrin
Lamisil
Lanolin
Lauramide dea
Laureth
Lauric Acid
Lauroamphodiacetate
Lauroyl
Lauryl
Lecithin
Linoleic acid
Lipid extracts
Liposomes
Lysine
Magnesium (glycinate)
Magnesium
Maltitol
Maltodextrin.
Manganese
Manganese Violet
Mannitol
Methocarbamol
Methoxy-cinnamate
Methyl
Methylchloroisothiazolinone
Methyl gluceth-20
Methylcellulose
Methylisothiazolinone
Methylparaben
Mica
Microcrystalline
Mineral oil
Molybdenum
Myristate
Myristyl
Mucopolysaccharides
NaPCA
Neomycin
Neopentol glycol
Novata (beeswax)
Oat flour
Oatmeal
Octyl
Organic sulphur
Oxybenzone
Ozokerite
PABA (found in Vit B complex)
Padimate
Palmitate
Palm kernal acid
Panthenol
Parabens (all)
PEG--(all)
Peroxide
Petrolatum
Petroleum jelly
Phenoxyethanol
Phenylalanine phenylephrine HCL
Phenylethyl alcohol
Phosphate
Phospholipids poloxamer
Polyethylene glycol (PEG)
Polymethylsilsesquioxane polymyxin B sulfate
Polyquaternium
Polysorbate 80
Poppy Seeds
Povidone
Pramoxine
Propionate
Propylene
Propylene glycol
Propylparaben
Pyrophosphate
Quaternium-15
Retinol
Retinyl palmitate
Ricinoleate
Riboflavin
Rubbing Alcohol for topical use
Safflower Oil (small amts supps/topical--NOT massage/bath oil. IF you suspect you block easily, avoid)
Sarcosine
Shea Butter
Silica
Silicate
Silica gel
Silicoaluminate
Silk powder
Siloxysilicate
Sodium
Sorbitol
Soy protein
Soybean oil
Squalane
Squalene (okay from fish sources; sal suspect from olive oil - call company to ask source(s) of their squalene.)
Stearalkonium
Stearate
Stearic acid
Stevia (Small amts may be food cat. & ok....larger amts may block)
Sulfate
Sulfosuccinate
Superoxide Dismutase
Talc
Tallowate
Tea (usually OK to drink if comes in teabag form; not if therapeutic strength which usually comes in loose form from practitioner/health food store) . Not OK in topicals/supplements.
Tegrasodium
Tetrasodium edta
Titanium Dioxide
Tocopheryl Acetate
Tribehenin
Triclosan
Triethanolamine
Trimethyl
Trisodium
Ultramarines
Urea
Vaseline
Vegetable oil (small amts supps/topical--NOT massage/bath oil-- IF you suspect you block easily, avoid)
Vegetable Protein
Vegetable Stearins
Vitamin B1
Vitamin B6
Waxes (All)
Wheat germ oil (Grains have no salicylates, thus wheat germ oil or any product which comes from the seed of a grain itself is safe. Wheat grass would not be since the other parts of the plants are included)
Wheat Amino Acids
Wheat Protein (& Hydrolyzed)
Xanthan gum
Xylene-sulfonate
Zinc.
Products put on your nails or ends of your hair and eye lashes are fine.
Note: You can walk barefoot in the grass and swim in the lakes and rivers.

Alfalfa
Algae extracts
Aloe vera
Avocado oil
Almond
Allspice
Angelica
Arnica
Balm mint
Balsam
Bergamot
Beet root (probable 'bad guy')
Beta Carotene (If plant source)
Beta Hydroxy
Bisabolol
Bismuth salicylate
Boswellin
Castor oil. (added to some prescription drugs as a filler but not thought to block in such small amounts)
Camphor
Camomile
Capsaicin
Capsicum
Cinnamon
Cinquefoil Leaves
Citrus(fruit)
Clove
Chlorophyll
Clover blossom
Coriander
Cottonseed
Dandelion Root
Ethylhexyl salicylate
Eucalyptus
Farnesol (suspect)
Fennel
Flavinoids (Some contain larger amounts of 'quercetin' than others. That is the apparent source of salicylates. It would be best to shun all sources that list flavonoids since there is no way of knowing)
Geranium
Gums (Plant)(ok as a filler in med's)
Homosalate
Horsetail
Jojoba (Buxus Chinensis)
Lavender
Lemon
Lemongrass
Lime
Malvaceae Extract
Marine (Plant) Extracts
Marjoram
Meadowfoam
Melissa
Menthol
Milk Thistle
Mentholatum (is methylSALICYLATE)
Methylbenzylidene camphor
Mountain Mahogany Leaves
Myrrh
Octyl salicylate
Palm oil
Papaya
Peppermint
Pfaffia Root
Pollen
Rose oil
Sage
Salicylic acid
Sclerotium Gum
Vanilla Extract
Vegetable (assorted sources - re: vitamins are suspect) Wahoo Bark
Witch Hazel
Yeast, Yeast Extract
Ylang ylang
Yucca Root
As you can see, many of these are readily identifiable as plants, others, not.Some like "sweet almond oil" can even be synthetic, and only a call to the manufacturer can identify this.

DON'T TAKE MEDICINAL HERBS
They are strong enough to block guaifenesin. An example, but not exhaustive list follows:
Aloe
Barbasco
Belladonna
Borage
Black cohosh
Bladderwrack
Calendula (marigold)
Camomile
Chikory
Cholorophyll (avoid as we're unsure)
Cloves
Comfrey
Echinacea
Evening Primrose
Feverfew
Garlic (Therapeutic strength)
Ginko biobla
Ginseng
Grapeseed
Griffonia (HTTP extracted from Griffonia is fine as long as it is pure).
Honey (ok to eat but don't use topically)
Kava
Kelp (suspect only)
Lemon Grass
Licorice (very high in salicylate)
Marijuana (not known)
Matricaria Extract (is wild chamomile extract)
Meadowsweet
Milk Thistle
Peppermint
Pinyon pines
Red clover
Resin, Rosin & Resorcinal, (don't know sal content)
Rose hips (often used as a source for Vitamin C)
Rosemary
Royal Jelly
Sassafras
Senna
Silymarin
St. John's Wort
Stone Root
Tea (medicinal - Therapeutic strength, usually found in loose form)
Tea Tree
Thyme
Turmeric
Valerian
Violet
White Willow Bark
Wintergreen (natural or artificial is methylsalicylate)
Witch Hazel
Yarrow
Any dictionary can be used to check names to see if they are plants. Melatonin, for example, is a hormone, not a plant, and may be used.

WHEN GARDENING, WEAR GLOVES AROUND ALL PLANTS, GARDEN PLANTS ESPECIALLY HIGH IN SALICYLATES INCLUDE:
Acacia
Aspen
Birch
Geraniums
Lillies
Marigolds
Mints
Rose hips
Tea tree
Tulips
Violets
Willow
All parts of any berry plant, incl: Apple, Blackberry, Peach, Strawberry. It's OK handling fruits and vegetables in the kitchen except perhaps for stripping fresh rosemary off branches or handling mint in which case, wear gloves for protection.

CHECK VITAMINS/SUPPLEMENTS
for any plant sources:
Bioflavonoids
Quercitin (one of the bioflavinoids)
Rutin
Thymol

MISCELLANEOUS
Marijuana (Not known)
Snuff
Tobacco (Chewing)
Tobacco Smoking (There *may* be degrees of blocking in some)
Tobacco Menthol Cig's (blocked some members)

PRODUCTS TO CHECK CAREFULLY FOR SALICYLATES:
Everything that goes on your skin or in your mouth
Additives in Cosmetics and Creams
Deodorants,
Hair Conditioners
Lotions
Mouthwashes
Razors and Shaving Creams
Shampoos
Toothpastes -- sometimes contain added salicylates - call companies. Artificial flavors, and probably combination artificial/natural, are OK, but all natural flavor may not, unlisted sal's are a problem in at least one brand).
Topical muscle pain products (Ben Gay etc-ensure no pepper) We ask that you check everything you put on your body as none of the topical muscle pain products appear to be safe. The way Ben Gay works is the same way that Aspergum works, by delivering aspirin directly to the painful area. Studies have shown that these salicylates travel throughout the body rapidly.

GENERAL RULES FOR PRODUCT LABEL INSPECTIONS:
Acne products and wart removers are often pure salicylates.
Cuticle treatment oils (usually ok but avoid any with natural oils)
Dental floss for mint
Deodorants often contain castor oil.
Eye creams often contain bisabolol, which is a bark.
Foundations; Skin cleansers; All Creams
Hemorrhoid preparations for aloe
Lipsticks for Castor Oil, Aloe or Camphor.
Medicated creams
Mouthwash, none found at this time to be safe
Nose drops and sprays
Razors for aloe on a strip beside the cutting edge.
Shaving creams may contain Aloe;
Sunscreens for Aloe, Oxyl-Salicylate, Homosalate, bisabolol
Tissues (facial/toilet) for lotions, ie: aloe vera, Eucalyptus oil etc.
Toners For Witch Hazel.
Toothpastes with added salicylates (call companies)(flavors - especially combination artificial/natural - probably ok but all natural flavor may not, unlisted sals are a problem in at least one brand).
Topical cortisone creams may contain aloe
Ultrasound Gels often contain sal's (Aloe)

products specifically made for FMS patients on Guai

SALICYLATE-FREE BEAUTY PRODUCTS for SENSITIVE SKIN
Andrea Rose Salicylate Free Skin Care is especially designed for sensitive skin and for the salicylate sensitive woman.
Cleansing Lotion $18.50
Eye Make Up Remover $17.00
Toner $15.00
Eye Cream $30.00
Moisture Cream $37.50
To order call toll-free 1-888-712-7673 or go to: http://www.andrearose.com/
(Disclaimer: I don't sell Andrea Rose skin care products, nor do I use them. I've included them because many of my FMS friends do use them and endorse them.)

books

Ruth Winter, M.S. "A Consumer's Dictionary of Cosmetic Ingredients." Paperback. ISBN number is 0-517-88196-9. Extensive listing of cosmetic and topical ingredients and what they are made from. A great resource. It doesn't give the sal status of ingredients but states what an ingredient comes from and that, in turn, helps you know what's okay and what's not. Highly recommended.

Paula Begoun. "Don't Go to the Cosmetic Counter Without Me." Paperback. A general overview of cosmetic ingredients in the beginning of the book, as well as a great deal of interesting material about cosmetics in general. The appendix provides 800 numbers for all the cosmetic companies.

Paula Begoun. "The Beauty Bible." Common sense approaches to make-up and skin care.

more resources

Sources of information available for help in determining an ingredient's sal status

Any dictionary can be used to look up if an ingredient is a plant, including the Merriam-Webster Online: http://www.m-w.com/home.htm

The following site provides useful definitions plus ingredient lists for many medications. On-line Med Dictionary: http://www.graylab.ac.uk/omd/index.html

For information re ingredients in medications:
a. Ask your pharmacist
b. Call the company
c. Look in Physician's Desk Reference (PDR)
d. Check Internet Drug Index: http://www.RXLIST.com/

A useful list of Animal (Sal-Free) Derived substances: Sal-Full Exceptions: Honey, Hydrogenated Honey (topical) & Royal Jelly. http://www.cat.pdx.edu/~alf/text/animal-derived-substances

The Sal-free and Sal-full lists, which you are reading. If you want to receive the lists by e-mail, send an email to: LISTSERV@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU and in the body of the email type the commands: GET GG.SAL-FREE GET GG.SAL-FULL

You can also check the Guai-Support Archives "SAL" TKW for previous discussion regarding a particular ingredient or product: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/Guai-Support.html

Cosmetic Connection: Product Finder Resource, names and phone numbers of cosmetic companies, at: http://kleinman.com/cosmetic/shopper.html

Paula Begoun's newsletter, products and website at http://www.cosmeticscop.com or 1-800-831-4088.

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