Fragrances and preservatives are the two most relevant allergens to cosmetics, being the most common cause of allergic contact dermatitis (ACD). New cosmetic products, with new ingredients, come onto the market all the time, and include personal care products, hair and nail care, sunscreens and perfumes. The average woman uses twelve per day, for men it is estimated to be six, and of these, skin care products are responsible for most of the ACD, followed by hair and then nail care products.
People who suffer from mild adverse reactions to cosmetics tend not to seek medical help, so the true figure is unknown, but currently it is estimated that less than 1% of the population have cosmetic allergy, prevalence of which doubled between 1990-1998. Pooled data of seven studies involving over 30,000 patients showed that almost 10% of positive reactions were due to cosmetic allergens, and the majority of those with ACD are women aged 20-55.
One study showed that 34% of patients would have been missed if they were tested only with the North American Contact Dermatitis Group, and yet another study showed that one third of its tested group reacted only to a personal product and no other allergen. This means that until a number of cosmetic allergens are added to the patch testing series, and until the tests use a specialised cosmetic series including the patient’s own cosmetics, a third of patients are going to be missed.
Once these and other concerns are taken into account, the source of the ACD can be identified and removed from the patient’s environment, counselling is provided and information on safe to use personal care products.
Source: Skin Therapy Letter
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