Everyday products that might be causing skin irritation

28th December 2018

Everyday products that might be causing skin irritation

Even if you’re an adult, you could still have an undiagnosed allergy. Maybe your skin flares up, and you aren’t sure why. You might not know it, but there are several surprising products that could be causing it.

Sometimes, finding the trigger that’s causing your dermatitis or eczema is challenging. In this part of our continuing series, we have some more lesser-known triggers that just might be causing you trouble.

Hand sanitizer

While this product is useful when there’s no sign of soap in sight, hand sanitizer can, unfortunately, cause irritation. Ingredients such as alcohol can cause sensitive skin to become inflamed, break into hives, or trigger existing skin problems like dermatitis or eczema.

To solve this, why not try alcohol-free hand sanitizer instead?

Plasters

Have you ever put a plaster over a cut only to find that your injury was worse afterwards? It could be infected, or you might just have an allergy to plasters. The sticky adhesive on plasters contains glues such as methacrylates and epoxy diacrylates.

Unfortunately, these glues – much like the ingredients in hand sanitizer – can cause your skin to become inflamed, itchy, and sore. Luckily there is an easy solution for when you need a plaster – anti-allergy plasters. You can buy them in most supermarkets and drugstores.

Sweeteners

If you like to add sweetener to your morning coffee, you might want to rethink doing so. Sweeteners, such as Stevia, can trigger allergies. As the sweetener is derived from a plant, this means it may come into contact with allergens such as pollen. By consuming sweeteners, you could be exposing yourself to triggers.

We highly recommend getting tested for allergies no matter what your age. Knowing what to avoid is important and can make your life that much more comfortable.

If you think you might be suffering from allergies or contact dermatitis, why not order one of our home testing kits today? Find out once and for all what’s causing your skin irritation. Request an allergy test from us or visit our website.

Are cosmetics affecting your allergy?

12th September 2018

Are cosmetics affecting your allergy?

Whether you’ve been diagnosed with an allergy or not, finding cosmetics that don’t leave your skin an oily or dry, angry, rash-covered mess can be complicated. It can affect your entire day and ruin a good night’s sleep. They are one of many items that make living life with an allergy hard. It’s not as easy as putting down the makeup, as irritants are in everything from soaps to baby wipes.

Everyone is different

Unfortunately, even gentle ‘hypoallergenic’ products can leave your skin red and itchy, or you eyes swollen. So many new products hit the shelves each year that it can be difficult keeping up with what is and isn’t right for your skin. The fact is, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to what you should use. However, some ingredients will benefit you more than others.

If you think you’re reacting to a product, the first step is to eliminate as many products from your routine as possible and start to re-introduce them by patch testing.

What is a patch test?

If you aren’t familiar, this simple test can be carried out at home. All you have to do is apply a small amount of product to a ‘patch’ of your body (such as the inside of your elbow) and after a few hours, look for any signs of irritation. If your skin reacts, you’ll notice some itching or swelling in the area you applied the product too. Patch testing can help you identify which chemicals are causing your skin to react.

Irritant vs allergy

If the patch test leaves your skin looking angry, it could be either an irritant or an allergy. An allergy is likely to affect your skin several hours or days after being applied. This delayed reaction is known as allergic contact dermatitis. An irritant causes a response in less time, sometimes even immediately, which is known as irritant contact dermatitis.

Chemicals

Next time you want to try a new product, be wary of the ingredients. Even cosmetics that claim they are unscented may contain fragrances to mask the plain or chemical smell. Opt for fragrance-free toiletries instead and make a list of the ingredients you already know can irritate your skin. They may sound similar, but unscented products can also contain alcohol, parabens, and preservatives which are common irritants.

Plant extracts

Be wary of products that also contain plant extracts. You might believe them to be ‘natural’ and therefore less irritable, but that isn’t the case. While plant-based products are a fantastic alternative to perfumed cosmetics, plants may also be an irritant or allergen to your skin.

Although toiletries and bathing products for children aren’t usually as harsh on the skin, you may want to have your child tested for allergies too; if your child suffers from eczema, there is a greater risk of allergy.

If you’re unsure what’s causing your skin to itch and swell, book a test with one of our consultants today to limit your exposure to irritants.