There has been A LOT of discussion on these butters when used topically, between the admins from various Guaifenesin Support groups and myself. And this is what I have come to:
Topical Butters are NOT ok! Some people totally block on them and it’s NOT worth slowing down your progress over. It’s like mint, just walk away! You WILL find other lovely products to replace the ones with butters in them.
Here’s the cause for discussion: PURE Cocoa butter, Shea Butter and Mango Seed butter in your products MAY be ok. One group does allow butters as some people don’t block on them. Personally, I am not willing to be one of those groups! I want EVERYONE to have the best possible chance of getting well again on the protocol.
These particular butters are processed fats from seeds. If that is ALL that is in the butter, you are supposed to be fine. The idea with these butters being safe for the protocol is because they are supposed to sit on the skin and not get absorbed. Umm, really?! That’s the whole reason I love them! They absorb and feel amazing!
Here’s the trouble: These pure butters are costly and companies will sometimes add other oils or extracts to cut the cost down or improve the quality and we don’t know what other ingredients are used for this purpose and could block our Guaifenesin from working. Not to mention how much of it actually does get absorbed through your skin!
I make my own products and LOVE the feel of Cocoa butter in my products. I do double check on the ingredient list by contacting the company that makes my cocoa butter. BUT, this concerns me enough that I have stopped making and selling products with cocoa butter 🙂
Everyone has different sensitivity to salicylates, so some could use these things and not block, while others will totally block and see reversal in their clearing progress. I didn’t have good progress in clearing over the past year and I am pretty sure it’s the butters. When I cut out all my products with butters, I started cycling pretty hard and noticeably! I am not willing to risk it, are you? Char’s Motto totally applies here: When in doubt, do without!
*Please note that salicylate sensitivity plays a role in this! My website and support group are VERY sal careful! We have found certain things to block the salicylate sensitive people (such as using Vinegars topically, Stevia, topical butters, gums, certain toothpastes) and want to be extremely cautious with what we say is safe or not. Anybody who is being mapped by Dr St Amand or Dr Congdon is a different story, as they have someone who can help them to know when they are blocking. The rest of us who don’t have mappers have to be SUPER diligent so that we don’t block, since we have nobody to catch it if we do!*
Click for more: FAQ about the Guaifenesin Protocol and Salicylates