Allergen
Formaldehyde
Among the top 20 contact allergens on published lists, formaldehyde was the American Contact Dermatitis Society‘s Allergen of the Year in 2015 and is found in many, many things that we use every day, including:
- Laundry products
- House cleaning products (furniture polishing, surface disinfecting, floor cleaning, etc.)
- Medicinal ointments and creams; some dental disinfectants; some medical devices like orthopedic casts; lab preparations and preservatives, and embalming fluids
- Cosmetics…lots of them. Formaldehyde is a popular preservative in everything from shampoos to soaps and body washes, makeup, moisturizers, bubble bath, antiperspirants, nail polish…even mouth washes.
- Dishwashing products
- Lots of materials used in building, from wood products to paints and painting-related products, to adhesives.
- Fabrics and papers, which are frequently treated with formaldehyde to make them more durable, such as to resist damage from chlorine, water, grease, or perspiration; to prevent mould or moths, shrinkage, wrinkling, static, or cling, etc.
- Burning natural gas, kerosene, wood, charcoal, coal, and cigarettes also releases formaldehyde…and for very sensitive people, this alone (or even a bottle of formaldehyde left open in a room) can cause a skin reaction.
For cosmetics, look out for not just “formaldehyde” in the ingredients list of your products, but also diazolidinyl urea, 2-bromo-2nitropropane-1,3-diol, Quaternium-15, and imidazolidinyl urea. Opt for laundry detergents without allergens, and choose clothing made of natural, organic fabrics that are uncolored and un-treated. And practice avoidance as much as you can (it may take some extra effort to ask manufacturers, but it’s worth it).
If you have a history of sensitive skin, don’t guess: random trial and error can cause more damage. Ask your dermatologist about a patch test.
To shop our selection of hypoallergenic products, visit vmvhypoallergenics.com. Need help? Ask us in the comments section below, or for more privacy (such as when asking us to customize recommendations for you based on your patch test results) contact us by email, or drop us a private message on Facebook.
For more:
On the prevalence of skin allergies, see Skin Allergies Are More Common Than Ever and One In Four Is Allergic to Common Skin Care And Cosmetic Ingredients.
To learn more about the VH-Rating System and hypoallergenicity, click here.
Main 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 patch test results, combined), plus other studies. Remember, we are all individuals — just because an ingredient is not on the most common allergen lists does not mean you cannot be sensitive to it, or that it will not become an allergen. These references, being based on so many patch test results, are a good basis but it is always best to get a patch test yourself.
2. W Uter et al. The European Baseline Series in 10 European Countries, 2005/2006–Results of the European Surveillance System on Contact Allergies (ESSCA). Contact Dermatitis 61 (1), 31-38.7 2009
3. Wetter, DA et al. Results of patch testing to personal care product allergens in a standard series and a supplemental cosmetic series: An analysis of 945 patients from the Mayo Clinic Contact Dermatitis Group, 2000-2007. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2010 Nov;63(5):789-98.
4. Verallo-Rowell VM. The validated hypoallergenic cosmetics rating system: its 30-year evolution and effect on the prevalence of cosmetic reactions. Dermatitis 2011 Apr; 22(2):80-97
5. Ruby Pawankar et al. World Health Organization. White Book on Allergy 2011-2012 Executive Summary.
6. Misery L et al. Sensitive skin in the American population: prevalence, clinical data, and role of the dermatologist. Int J Dermatol. 2011 Aug;50(8):961-7.
7. Warshaw EM1, Maibach HI, Taylor JS, Sasseville D, DeKoven JG, Zirwas MJ, Fransway AF, Mathias CG, Zug KA, DeLeo VA, Fowler JF Jr, Marks JG, Pratt MD, Storrs FJ, Belsito DV. North American contact dermatitis group patch test results: 2011-2012.Dermatitis. 2015 Jan-Feb;26(1):49-59.
8. Warshaw, E et al. Allergic patch test reactions associated with cosmetics: Retrospective analysis of cross-sectional data from the North American Contact Dermatitis Group, 2001-2004. J AmAcadDermatol 2009;60:23-38.
9. Foliaki S et al. Antibiotic use in infancy and symptoms of asthma, rhinoconjunctivitis, and eczema in children 6 and 7 years old: International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood Phase III. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2009 Nov;124(5):982-9.
10. Kei EF et al. Role of the gut microbiota in defining human health. Expert Rev Anti Infect Ther. 2010 Apr; 8(4): 435–454.
11. Thavagnanam S et al. A meta-analysis of the association between Caesarean section and childhood asthma. Clin Exp Allergy. 2008;38(4):629–633.
12. Marks JG, Belsito DV, DeLeo VA, et al. North American Contact Dermatitis Group patch-test results, 1998 to 2000. Am J Contact Dermat. 2003;14(2):59-62.
13. Warshaw EM, Belsito DV, Taylor JS, et al. North American Contact Dermatitis Group patch test results: 2009 to 2010. Dermatitis. 2013;24(2):50-99.
Want more great information on contact dermatitis? Check out the American Contact Dermatitis Society, Dermnet New Zealand, and your country’s contact dermatitis association.
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