Contact Dermatitis Due to Cosmetics

Abstract

Allergic contact dermatitis from cosmetics is very common, with perfume components, preservatives, hair dyes, but currently also acrylates and methacrylates in nail products as the main culprits. Any other cosmetic ingredient can be involved though, and the literature regarding new cosmetic allergens is on the rise. Beside the baseline and cosmetic series, patch tests with the personal products used, and if possible, all the ingredients that are present in them, should be performed. These tests do not necessarily allow the identification of the culprit allergen, which may be due to unsuitable test concentrations or vehicles, especially since nano- or micro-encapsulated ingredients are increasingly used in cosmetic products, thus enhancing skin penetration. In addition, commercially available patch-test preparations do not always contain the responsible sensitizing culprits.