ELASTICS IN UNDERWEAR/SOCKS/CLOTHING: Allergen or Not An Allergen?
Allergen. Clothing contact dermatitis can occur due to several allergens, including dyes and mordants (chemicals related to metals that are present in some fabrics to help colorants bind better)…and elastics. Dryness, redness, itching, darkening on the waistline from underwear elastics is very common, as are skin problems under the bra area and on the ankles […]
PETROLATUM, PETROLEUM JELLY: Allergen or Not An Allergen?
Not An Allergen. While some people prefer not to use petroleum jelly for various reasons, it is very safe on the skin and a standard among dermatologists, especially for occlusive care of barrier-damaged skin or to protect skin and scalps from contact with possible irritants. Petrolatum is also not on published lists of the most common […]
GREEN TEA: Allergen or Not An Allergen?
Not An Allergen. This is a bit of a tricky one because, for categorization, many patch test results lump green tea in with “botanicals” and all botanicals are listed as optional cross-reactors to fragrance. Green tea has no reports of cross reaction with fragrance. What many doctors do is manually remove green tea from the list. […]
ROSE: Allergen or Not An Allergen?
Allergen No matter how organic, many flowers and their fragrant oils are allergens. Rose absolute (Bulgarian) is popular in perfumes and essential oils; personal care products like skincare, nail polish, deodorants, hair styling products, but also, perhaps less obviously, in ointments and medications; and as a flavoring in lots of foods, beverages, and toothpaste. If you’ve […]
COFFEE (FRESH): Allergen Or Not An Allergen?
Not An Allergen. Coffee: Coffee is not on published allergen lists. But avoid instant coffees (“just add water”), as some do contain allergens. Fresh, and as an ingredient in skin care, coffee is a great source of antioxidants and is not on common allergen lists. If you think you might have contact dermatitis, ask your […]
BRASS: Allergen or Not An Allergen?
Not An Allergen. If it also contains nickel or other allergen-metals, that’s a different story, but unlike many metals, brass, in its original form (with copper, zinc, sometimes tin) is not (currently) on the published list of the most common allergens. If it contains nickel, cobalt, or chromium (the most common metal allergens), however, it […]
RUBBER FLIP-FLOPS: Allergen or Not An Allergen?
Allergen. Rubber flip-flops, slippers, shoes…rubber is one of the top allergens and can also cause problems in rubberized plastic. If you think you might have contact dermatitis, ask your dermatologist for a patch test. References: Regularly published reports on the most common allergens by the North American Contact Dermatitis Group and European Surveillance System on Contact Allergies (based on over 28,000 […]
JEANS: Allergen Or Not An Allergen?
Allergen Blue Jeans Blue jeans are a surprisingly common cause of contact dermatitis (and worse). The allergens are the indigo, blue colorants and/or other dyes as well as the “mordants” (chemicals related to metal) used to help the colorant bind to the fabric. The jeans’ cotton fabric isn’t necessarily a culprit, although, with all the chemicals, bleaches, and preservatives […]
WHITE CERAMIC CUP: Allergen or Not An Allergen?
Not An Allergen. While some mugs can have rubberized plastic handles which can cause contact dermatitis, or metal parts with nickel, a plain white ceramic cup is not an allergen. Cobalt is a strong allergen and is present in pottery clay, which can cause contact dermatitis in pottery workers who handle and form the raw materials (in Management of […]