Spotlight of the month- Lindiwe Cara (@Behindtheallergy)

I’m delighted to shine this month’s spotlight on Lindiwe, whose creativity and dedication have made her such an inspiring force in the allergy community. Linds has been creating engaging, educational content for years, using her platform to raise awareness, share honest experiences, and empower others navigating allergies and intolerances. I’ve long admired her authenticity, passion, and advocacy, her commitment to making the community feel seen and supported is truly something I look up to.

For those who are new to your page, can you share a little bit about yourself and what inspired you to start @behindtheallergy?

I’m Lindiwe, the founder of Behind the Allergy (formerly The Allergy Table). I live with multiple severe allergies. I’m anaphylactic to peanuts, tree nuts, sesame, kiwi, lentils, horses, pineapple, shellfish, chickpeas, and peas, as well as environmental allergies, asthma, and severe eczema.

I’ve been managing anaphylaxis and eczema since I was just ten months old. Growing up, allergies were rarely understood, people often thought we were exaggerating or making things up. As a child, I was excluded from cookery classes, lunch tables, and so many everyday experiences. That sense of isolation followed me for years, and by the time I reached my early twenties, I’d had enough of suffering in silence.

I created my Instagram platform, to share my story and connect with others who live with allergic conditions. It started as a small community on the internet – a space to raise awareness, meet each other, share stories, find out our boundaries, share grievances and remind people that allergies deserve to be taken seriously. And honestly, the rest was history!

You can find me at @behindtheallergy where I share stories, honest conversations, and creative content about navigating life with allergies and other allergic conditions.

You create such fun, creative, and educational content about living with anaphylaxis and eczema. What motivates you to keep sharing your journey online?

Thank you so much,  that honestly means a lot, especially as I’ve been creating content for over ten years now! The online world has evolved so much, but my mission has always stayed the same, to build community and connection.

For most of my life, I felt completely alone in managing allergies. Finding others who understood that experience truly changed everything for me. There are definitely moments where it’s hard to keep posting, especially when I’m managing flare-ups or burnout,  but then I receive messages from people saying my content made them feel seen or less isolated. That always reignites my passion.

The allergy community online is now so much bigger than it was a decade ago, which is incredible. I never want anyone to experience the loneliness I once did. While I wish allergies didn’t exist, I’m grateful that we now have a supportive and visible community.

Now, my goal is to take that message even further,  beyond the allergy community, to challenge misconceptions around anaphylaxis, eczema, and atopic conditions. Knowing that my content helps people feel understood and more confident in their own skin makes it all worthwhile.

How important is cultural awareness and diversity when it comes to recognising, understanding, and treating conditions like allergies and eczema, both in healthcare and within society?

It’s incredibly important. Cultural background plays a huge role in how symptoms are perceived, how care is accessed, and even how seriously people are taken when they speak about their health. Representation matters,  not just in healthcare and research, but in media, education, and advocacy too.

On a personal level, I never saw anyone who looked like me represented in allergy or eczema spaces growing up. I didn’t know what “normal” eczema or allergic reactions looked like on darker skin tones, and that really affected how I understood my own conditions.

Visibility isn’t just about medical accuracy,  it’s about helping people feel seen and validated. When all communities are included, awareness becomes richer, understanding deepens, and the support becomes more inclusive for everyone.

As we mark Black History Month, who is a Black figure, past or present, that has inspired you, and how does their story connect to your own journey of resilience and advocacy?

I wish I had more visible role models growing up, but my mother made sure I was surrounded by powerful Black voices; people like Maya Angelou, Nina Simone, and Aretha Franklin. Their strength, creativity, and ability to transform pain into purpose have always inspired me.

Their resilience reminds me that advocacy isn’t just about speaking up for yourself,  it’s about using your story, no matter how hard, to create space for others to thrive. That message guides everything I do with Behind the Allergy today.

Looking ahead, what’s one positive change, whether in representation, education, or healthcare, that you’d love to see for people living with allergies and eczema?

I’d love to see greater education, empathy, and transparency; particularly within brands, restaurants, and healthcare systems. Allergies are usually misunderstood, dismissed, or minimised, and that lack of understanding makes daily life much harder.

If we can normalise these conversations, in schools, workplaces, and online spaces,  we’ll make the world safer and more inclusive for people with allergic conditions. Everyone deserves to feel seen, supported, and confident living life with allergies and eczema.

Check out Lindiwe on social media:

Instagram: @behindtheallergy

TikTok: @behindtheallergy

Youtube: (7) Behind the Allergy – YouTube