PLASTIC: Allergen or Not An Allergen?
Not An Allergen … but be cautious Plastic This is an interesting call. As a rule, plastics contain lots of allergens like dyes, acrylates, benzophenones, resorcinol monobenzoate, isocyanate (in polyurethane foam, glue, resins), etc. and plastics are everywhere — yet reports of reactions to plastic items are rare. There are some case studies of allergic […]
BUTTERFLY, CATERPILLAR, MOTH: Allergen or Not An Allergen?
Allergen Butterfly, Caterpillar, Moth These insects might not make it to a patch test tray but many of the things they come into contact with would — like flowers (their nectar is a primary food source) and plants. Plus, if you’re a butterfly enthusiast, chances are you’re spending time in gardens or other grassy, flower-filled […]
PEARL (Boba or Tapioca): Allergen or Not An Allergen?
Not An Allergen … but may cross react Pearl (Boba or Tapioca) Bubble tea (also called milk tea or milk boba tea) is a Taiwanese drink that has taken the world by storm. The signature “pearls” in the drink are made of tapioca which, when uncolored and unflavored, is not a top contact allergen. That […]
STEVIA: Allergen or Not An Allergen?
Not An Allergen … yet Stevia Anecdotal reports of reactions to stevia — contact or IgE-mediated — are so rare that it is not normally included in standard patch test trays. Being a flowering plant from the Asteraceae (compositae) family, however, it would not be surprising for this increasingly popular sweetener to become a top […]
FACIAL CLEANSING BRUSHES: Allergen or Not An Allergen?
Allergen … irritant & acnegen, too Facial Cleansing Brushes Popular for their surface exfoliation and deeper clean, facial cleansing brushes are not without risks to the skin. The gadgets themselves would not appear in published lists of top contact allergens but many of their materials would. Silicone bristles could be ok unless they’re rubberized silicone […]
DUST MITES: Allergen or Not An Allergen?
Allergen Dust Mites It’s not the bite of this arachnid that’s the main issue but its waste — more specifically, the membrane that surrounds the mite’s fecal pellets. The chitin in its hard exoskeleton is also an aeroallergen (airborne allergen). We come into contact with it when immature mites shed their exoskeletons. This means that […]
THIMEROSAL: Allergen or Not An Allergen?
Allergen Thimerosal Merthiolate, thiomersalatem, sodium ethylmercury salicylate — thimerosal. This organic mercury is a top contact allergen and had a long history of safety and efficacy as a preservative. But, due to concerns about exposure to mercury-containing ingredients, it is now less commonly found. Thimerosal used to be a staple antiseptic, antibacterial, and antifungal as […]
WATER: Allergen or Not An Allergen?
Not An Allergen … but (surprise!) an irritant! Water Water is life. We all need it to survive and it makes up a lot of our bodies. It’s also cleansing and healing … and not a top contact allergen. In fact, it’s used to rinse off allergens that we come into contact with. But, as […]
COMPOSITAE: Allergen or Not An Allergen?
Allergen Compositae Compositae mix is a common contact allergen that’s a regular feature in patch test trays. The Compositae or Asteraceae group (Aster is “star” in Greek and refers to the shape of the flowers) includes daisies, sunflowers, feverfew (chrysanthemum), and asters, plus chamomile, arnica, and over 20,000 other herbs, vegetables, and plants. Of particular concern […]