BEEF TALLOW: Allergen or Not An Allergen?

Not An Allergen … but can cause reactions Beef Tallow Proteins tend to not be standard inclusions in patch test trays or published lists of top contact allergens but reactions when handling meat and other proteins, for those sensitive to them, can occur. Read more on possible allergic reactions to beef here. Beef tallow became trendy […]

GOLF: Allergen or Not An Allergen?

Allergen Golf It’s certainly got its fans but make no mistake, golfing has many, many top contact allergens and other things that can cause skin problems. This isn’t to say that you shouldn’t play it — just make sure to be guided by your patch test (and follow other best practices; see below). Some of […]

MOUTHWASH: Allergen or Not An Allergen?

Allergen Mouthwash “Mouthwash” isn’t something you’d see on your patch test but many ingredients popular in lots of mouthwashes are top contact allergens, including: Some mouthwashes also contain fluoride which, while not a top contact allergen, can be highly irritating or toxic at specific concentrations and there are many ways it can negatively affect skin. […]

CONTACT LENSES: Allergen or Not An Allergen?

Allergen Contact Lenses In terms of skin contact allergy, reactions to contact lenses are fairly low but contact lenses (and the contact lens solutions necessary for their care) do tend to contain some top contact allergens. We’d suggest extra caution if you’re considering colored contact lenses and/or if you’ve patch tested positive to certain substances […]

MAKEUP SPONGE, BLENDER: Allergen or Not An Allergen?

Allergen Makeup Sponge, Blender While some makeup sponges and blenders may be better or worse, depending on your specific patch test results, most contain at least some top contact allergens. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t use any of them. It means that you should be guided by your patch test results and be prepared to […]

CAPRYLIC ACID: Allergen or Not An Allergen?

Not An Allergen Caprylic Acid Yet another impressive, well-studied coconut oil derivative, this medium-chain fatty acid is (along with lauric acid and capric acid), is one of the three main fatty acids found in coconut oil. Caprylic acid is also known as octanoic acid and has several benefits, especially as a broad-spectrum antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory. […]

SALMON SPERM: Allergen or Not An Allergen?

Not An Allergen Salmon Sperm So far, salmon sperm — really, the polydeoxyribonucleotides (PDRNs) derived from it — is not a top common allergen. Some clinical studies seem to show that PDRNs are effective in wound healing, skin rejuvenation, anti-inflammation, hyperpigmentation, and increasing collagen, among other benefits. Polynucleotide injections and facials are not yet FDA-approved […]

COTTON ROUNDS, PADS: Allergen or Not An Allergen?

Not An Allergen Cotton Rounds, Pads White, pure cotton rounds or pads should be relatively free of allergens, especially if they are made from organic cotton (which means, among other things: no pesticides). It starts getting riskier if your applicators are: If you can find white cotton pads that are also free of chlorine and […]

RAZOR: Allergen or Not An Allergen?

Allergen Razor While “razor” isn’t something you’ll see on your patch test results, there’s a pretty good chance you might see nickel, which has been the number one contact allergen for decades. Nickel was also the 2008 Allergen of the Year of the American Contact Dermatitis Society and is tough to avoid completely because almost all metals have […]