Sometimes, it is possible that the use of cosmetics on a daily basis can cause some kind of allergic reaction on your skin, which can be mild or more severe. Although such cases are not too common, especially if you buy products from reliable shops and manufacturers, all cosmetics and beauty products available in the supermarkets contain ingredients that, by themselves or in combination with others, may cause minor skin allergies or reactions. In that case, it is recommended that you go to the doctor or your trusted pharmacy in order to treat the symptoms as soon as possible.
In this article we will look at the most common allergens that can be found in the skincare products.
Cosmetic contact dermatitis
Nowadays Contact dermatitis is a common dermatological problem. The most common symptoms for this type of adverse reaction are redness, swelling and itching. Although these rashes are not contagious and are just an allergic reaction of the body, they can be a bit annoying for those suffering.
In this situation, it is best to detect the cause of the reaction as soon as possible, in order to avoid the substance or the product that causes the adverse effect on the patient’s skin.
The most common test to detect the product/substance causing the problem is the patch test.
Common allergens: fragrances, preservatives and hair dyes
Hygienic and hydrating skin care products are usually the ones that produce the most reactions, as well as cosmetics, ointments and hair dyes. Fragrances, preservatives and hair dyes tend to be the most frequent cause of cosmetic allergies. These can lead, as mentioned above, to what is commonly known as dermatitis. Let’s now take a look at the most common allergens and the products containing them:
Fragrances
Fragrances are included in the manufacturing process of many products (shampoos, lotions…) for their odorous properties, and are one of the most frequent causes of contact allergy. European regulation obliges manufacturers to declare certain fragrances on their product labels.
Preservatives
Preservatives are all those substances added to many products to prevent their biological degradation. Some of these, such as the parabens or the ormaldehyde releasers, are the most commonly used.
Hair dyes
Hair dyes and other products commonly used in hairdressing salons may contain p-phenylenediamine (among others), an agent that is used as part of the dye and has a high sensitivity-raising capacity.
Problems when identifying allergens
The most common problem we encounter when we want to know if a product contains allergenic ingredients is that not all of them are mandatory to be included in the ingredient list. In fact, if the product contains one of the components that must be declared, but it is only present in a very small quantity, it is not legally necessary to specify it.
Do dermal fillers contain allergens?
In the case of dermal fillers, the vast majority of them are approved by the Food and Drug Administration of the USA (the FDA) and are therefore considered completely safe. As well, dermal fillers contain a very few number of ingredients in the formulation (from 2 to 5) and some of these ingredients are even produced by our own body (i.e. hyaluronic acid).
So the chances of getting a reaction after an injection are low, but never zero. In the next publications we discuss allergies caused by injectables in more details. Stay tuned!