CAR: Allergen or Not An Allergen?
Allergen Car Yet another thing that won’t fit on your patch test but yet another thing that’s riddled with top contact allergens! Knowing what they are — and, crucially, using your patch test results as a guide — can spare your skin a lot of problems. Some top contact allergens that are in common cars: […]
LAB SAFETY GEAR: Allergen or Not An Allergen?
Allergen Lab Safety Gear You won’t see goggles, masks, face shields, or gloves on a patch test but they do tend to have enough top contact allergens to warrant caution. Important: you could be exposed to strong chemicals or other risks in a lab setting so do not forego the safety equipment. Some top contact […]
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 […]
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, […]
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 […]
XYLITOL: Allergen or Not An Allergen?
Not An Allergen Xylitol This natural sugar can be found in many fruits, vegetables, and other plants. Because has around 40% fewer calories and has a lower glycemic index than sugar, and because it is well proven to improve dental health, xylitol is often used as a sugar substitute in some candies, baked goods, breath […]
CEMENT (Not Dried): Allergen or Not An Allergen?
Allergen Cement, Concrete Occupational contact dermatitis is common among construction workers, especially those who handle wet cement due to the presence of both top contact allergens such as potassium dichromate and corrosive irritants like lime. In fact, contact with cement is the most common cause of contact dermatitis in construction workers. Construction workers sensitive to […]
HYDROQUINONE: Allergen or Not An Allergen?
Not An Allergen … but be cautious Hydroquinone This popular skin bleaching cream is neither on published contact allergen lists nor a standard inclusion in patch test trays. But there are reasons to be wary. Hydroquinone is known to cause irritant contact dermatitis (especially in concentrations of 4% and above), so much so that many […]