MUSHROOM: Allergen or Not An Allergen?

Not An Allergen Mushroom Shiitake flagellate dermatitis is a thing but the distinctive rash of streaks that look like whip lashes (hence the name) only happens when those who are sensitive to shiitake mushrooms eat it raw or lightly cooked (reactions are not known to occur when they are ingested well cooked, above 145°C (293°F). […]

LAB SAFETY GEAR: Allergen or Not An Allergen?

Allergen Lab Safety Gear You won’t see goggles, masks, face shields, or gloves on a patch test but they do tend to have enough top contact allergens to warrant caution. Important: you could be exposed to strong chemicals or other risks in a lab setting so do not forego the safety equipment. Some top contact […]

CARBA MIX (Rubber, Rubberized Handles): Allergen or Not An Allergen?

Allergen Carba Mix Carba chemicals are rubber accelerators. They are needed to make natural rubber latex suitable for manufacturing many rubber products and to make the vulcanization of rubber go faster. You can find carba mix in most rubber and rubberized things, including: travel mug handles; rubberized grips on weights, rackets and other gym or […]

BENZOYL PEROXIDE: Allergen or Not An Allergen?

Not An Allergen Benzoyl Peroxide This popular anti-acne medication is not on published lists of top contact allergens and there are relatively few case reports of allergic contact dermatitis to it. Benzoyl peroxide can be an irritant, however (why so many people find products containing it drying). Update: Benzoic acid is a derivative of benzoyl […]

BLUE, DISPERSE BLUE DYES: Allergen or Not An Allergen?

Allergen Disperse Blue Dyes These dyes are top contact allergens, and big ones. The American Contact Dermatitis Society named Disperse Blue Dyes Contact Allergen of the Year in 2000. You’ll tend to see these pop up on your patch test results as disperse blue 106 and disperse blue 124. Note that textile allergens are not in […]

BASKET: Allergen or Not An Allergen?

Not An Allergen Basket There are some caveats for sure, but generally speaking there are few to no top contact allergens in a simple basket with natural, untreated, and uncolored fibers that is woven by hand. Some of the top contact allergens to watch out for: Items with shine as that could suggest a resin […]

FLAVORING: Allergen or Not An Allergen?

Allergen Flavoring While there are some natural extracts like ginger root that are not top contact allergens, many flavors (natural or not) found in foods, beverages, and oral care products are. These include mint, eucalyptus, lemon, orange, Balsam of Peru — this last allergen has several components and cross reactants that should be avoided, too, […]

FOOD COLORING: Allergen or Not An Allergen?

Allergen Food Coloring While some foods that naturally have a beautiful coloring (like the purple yam ube or yellow turmeric) might be ok, many colorants added to foods are dyes and dyes are top contact allergens. For the most part, food and skin allergies are not the same. They involve different cells and systems — […]

PLASTIC: Allergen or Not An Allergen?

Not An Allergen … but be cautious Plastic This is an interesting call. As a rule, plastics contain lots of allergens like dyes, acrylates, benzophenones, resorcinol monobenzoate, isocyanate (in polyurethane foam, glue, resins), etc. and plastics are everywhere — yet reports of reactions to plastic items are rare. There are some case studies of allergic […]