OAT MILK: Allergen or Not An Allergen?
Not An Allergen … but can cause allergic reactions Oat Milk Oats and oatmeal aren’t top contact allergens (oatmeal is a traditionally popular ingredient to help manage atopic and contact dermatitis and other skin problems). There have been some reports of contact dermatitis and contact urticaria to oats and oatmeal, but if you, in particular, aren’t […]
CACTUS EXTRACT: Allergen or Not An Allergen?
Not An Allergen Cactus Extract While cactus spines can certainly be painful and produce an acute inflammatory reaction, and while there do not seem to be many clinical studies yet on the benefits of cactus extracts for skin, it is currently not a top contact allergen. A heads up: cactus extracts are relatively new in cosmetics […]
XYLAZINE (“TRANQ”): Allergen or Not An Allergen?
Not An Allergen, but dangerous Xylazine (“Tranq”) Unless a majority of medical professionals and *multiple* clinical studies endorse it, you shouldn’t use a medicine made for animals. Xylazine is a veterinary tranquilizer making headlines as the “zombie drug” for its tendency to cause black, festering wounds in humans, sometimes severe enough to require limb amputation. […]
APPAREL, ATHLETIC & SPORTS: EXERCISE, GYM, YOGA CLOTHING: Allergen or Not An Allergen?
Allergen Athletic or Sports Apparel Workout clothes won’t be in published lists of top contact allergens and they wouldn’t be in a standard patch test tray (a bit more on this below) but most sporting clothes are made up of lots of top contact allergens. Scroll to the bottom to learn how you can work […]
ONION: Allergen or Not An Allergen?
Not An Allergen Onion It’ll make you cry but probably not because of what it’s doing to your skin. While there are reports of onions causing IgE-mediated food allergy, T cell-mediated skin allergy (contact dermatitis) to onions is rare and they are not on published lists of top contact allergens. If you have prick, scratch, […]
OAKMOSS: Allergen or Not An Allergen?
Allergen Oakmoss This woody, earthy fragrance from tree lichen is a favorite in men’s cologne and skincare, is part of Fragrance Mix in standard patch test trays, and is definitely a published top contact allergen. Moss is generally a contact allergen, too, but oakmoss (Evernia prunastri) is actually a lichen (a fungus-algae hybrid that grows […]
PARAFFIN WAX: Allergen or Not An Allergen?
Not An Allergen Paraffin Wax We’re talking cosmetic grade, lab-tested paraffin wax, of course, to ensure that it is hygienic and appropriate for use on the skin, but paraffin wax is really not a top contact allergen. So much so that, like mineral oil and petrolatum, paraffin wax is a favorite among dermatologists as a […]
INSECTICIDE, PESTICIDE, BUG SPRAY: Allergen or Not An Allergen?
Allergen Insecticide, Pesticide, Bug Spray These products wouldn’t necessarily be listed as such on published allergen lists or appear like this on patch test trays, but lots of their ingredients would! Common allergens found in insecticides, pesticides, and bug spray include: balsam of Peru, benzophenones, formaldehyde, fragrance, isothiazolinone, pyrethrin, permethrin (avoid if you patch tested […]
SPICES & HERBS: Allergen or Not An Allergen?
Allergen Spices and Herbs Spices and herbs add flavor and brightness and complexity and yumminess to our lives. But, as with plants and flowers, so many are top contact allergens (and top photo-contact allergens — they can react with light to cause skin darkening) that, as a group, spices and herbs would be considered allergens. […]