Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsAllergicIrritantIngredientsTimelineWhen to See a ProviderTreatmentPrevention
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Table of Contents
Allergic
Irritant
Ingredients
Timeline
When to See a Provider
Treatment
Prevention
Anallergic reactionto face cream or another skincare product may cause anitchy red rashand other symptoms like peeling or swelling. When skincare products cause more subtle symptoms like dryness,pimple-like bumps, and uneven skin tone, it may be due to irritation rather than an allergy.
Allergic reactions and skin irritation may occur due to certain product ingredients such as fragrances, preservatives, and dyes. Red, itchy skin irritation is calleddermatitis.
This article covers skincare product ingredients that commonly cause irritation or allergic reactions, symptoms to watch for, and how to respond to severe reactions.
Michael H / Getty Images
Allergic Contact Dermatitis
Someone who has a reaction to a skincare product may say they are allergic to it. That may be true in some cases, but not all.
Allergic contact dermatitis is a true allergy—in other words, your immune system reacts to a product ingredient as if it is actually harmful to your body and releases proteins to help fight it.
Symptoms
Allergic contact dermatitis is not as common as irritant contact dermatitis. If you are allergic to a product, you may have one or more of the following symptoms:
In severe cases, an allergy may lead toanaphylaxis, a severe reaction that requires emergency medical treatment.
What’s Causing the Itchy Rash On Your Forehead?
Irritant Contact Dermatitis
Irritant contact dermatitisoccurs because an ingredient irritates the skin. Symptoms are limited to the area the product was applied to, and the reaction does not involve theimmune system.
Your face is the most common place to develop this mild, chronic type of contact dermatitis. It’s especially likely to crop up on the eyelids, cheeks, around the corners of the nose and mouth, and the chin.
Irritant contact dermatitis can result in:
It’s also possible to have mild irritant contact dermatitis without an itchy rash. For example, you may have skin that is slightly dry no matter how often you moisturize. Or, you may have a patch of rough, sandpaper-like skin that may or may not feel hot to the touch.
Long-term use of any product that contains low levels of an irritant can gradually strip away your skin’s outermost protective layer, thestratum corneum. Over time, this can leave your skin prone to dryness, redness, and irritation.
Mild irritant contact dermatitis may cause small red pimples that can easily be mistaken foracne. This is called an acneiform rash.
Signs and Symptoms of Contact Dermatitis
Ingredients That Cause Irritation or Allergies
There are thousands of ingredients used in skincare and cosmetic products. Although everyone’s skin is different, certain ingredients are more likely to cause reactions than others. Even ingredients labeled “all-natural” can cause dermatitis in some people.
Essential oils are potent plant extracts. Even though they are usually marketed as pure, that’s not always the case.In fact, according to one 2016 study, researchers found that most essential oils contain between 100 to 500 chemical components. In particular, they contain many terpenes, like limonene, linalool, and linayl acetate. These terpenes give plants their floral scent, but they are also linked to allergic contact dermatitis.
Essential oils are potent plant extracts. Even though they are usually marketed as pure, that’s not always the case.
In fact, according to one 2016 study, researchers found that most essential oils contain between 100 to 500 chemical components. In particular, they contain many terpenes, like limonene, linalool, and linayl acetate. These terpenes give plants their floral scent, but they are also linked to allergic contact dermatitis.
A single beauty product can contain hundreds of ingredients, and it only takes one to cause a problem. Common beauty products known to cause allergic reactions and irritant contact dermatitis in some people include:
If you start to notice unusual changes in your skin, make a list of all the beauty products you have used the past few days. It’s possible to suddenly develop a reaction to a product you have been using for years, so don’t just write down products that are new to you.
This information will be helpful for you and your healthcare provider as you try to find the cause of the reaction.
Some of the preservatives most likely to cause contact dermatitis areformaldehyde, isothiazolinone, methylisothiazolinone, and quaternium-15.
Timeline of Symptoms
Neither allergic reactions nor irritant contact dermatitis tend to appear the first time you use a product. You will likely start to have reactions after you have used a product one or more times.
Allergic reactions to face wash, creams, and other skincare products can be immediate, but they may not happen until some time after you used the product. Irritant contact dermatitis may also take between 24 to 48 hours to appear.
A reaction can last weeks even after you’ve stopped using the irritating products.How long it lasts depends on how severe it is and how you treat your skin after it occurs.
Once you develop an allergy to a substance, you will usually have that allergy for life. You will also usually have an allergic reaction every time you use a product you are allergic to. Likewise, once you develop irritant contact dermatitis, you will have symptoms every time the problematic product touches your skin.
Risk Factors for Contact Dermatitis
When to See a Healthcare Provider
If you’re having a mild reaction and you haven’t started any new products, try removing one product from your regimen at a time to see if your skin improves. Eliminating a product that contains fragrance or colorants is a great place to start. It may take two to four weeks before you notice a difference.
See your healthcare provider if you can’t manage your symptoms—even if your case is not severe.
You should also see a skin specialist (dermatologist) or allergy specialist (allergist) straightaway if you experience a severe or persistent reaction. They can perform apatch testto see if you are allergic to anything.
Patch tests involve exposure to 20 to 30 common allergens. They are added to patches and applied to the skin. After 48 hours, the patches are removed to check for reactions.
The skin is monitored for up to seven days to see if any reaction develops.
Contact Dermatitis: When Symptoms Start and Could End
Most cases of irritant contact dermatitis will go away on their own, provided you stop using the product that is bothering your skin. You may or may not need a topical medication to ease symptoms in the meantime.
Most allergic reactions will also abate on their own, though it will take longer and medication is typically necessary. Severe reactions require treatment to keep it from getting worse.
Treating Allergic Reactions
Treatment for allergic contact dermatitis depends on the severity of your reaction. If you are having a mild allergic reaction involving a small area of red, itchy skin, you can:
For larger or more severely affected areas, your healthcare provider may recommend:
Although your skin symptoms may clear up after just a few days, it’s important to finish the full course prescribed to ensure the reaction has resolved.
If you have severe, chronic allergic dermatitis, your healthcare provider may recommend immunotherapy, a type of treatment that involves exposing you to small but gradually increasing amounts of an allergen to help your body develop a tolerance to it.
If you have an epinephrine injector (EpiPen or Auvi-Q) or epinephrine nasal spray (Neffy), use it immediately, whether or not you are certain you are experiencing an allergic reaction.After using the epinephrine, seek medical attention right away as the effects wear off within 20 minutes. And since anaphylaxis can return, you will need further treatment and observation.
If you have an epinephrine injector (EpiPen or Auvi-Q) or epinephrine nasal spray (Neffy), use it immediately, whether or not you are certain you are experiencing an allergic reaction.
After using the epinephrine, seek medical attention right away as the effects wear off within 20 minutes. And since anaphylaxis can return, you will need further treatment and observation.
If you have a severe allergic reaction, you will need hospitalization. Some of the treatments they may give you in the hospital include:
Treating Irritant Contact Dermatitis
While you wait for the reaction to pass, treat the affected area gently. Avoid scrubbing and using perfumed products to prevent irritating skin further. For symptom relief, try:
If your symptoms persist despite conservative treatment, you may also want to look at some of the other products you’re using. For example, consider at least temporarily changing to a milder shampoo and conditioner.Pause on using all products withpossibly irritating ingredients(e.g., acne creams or anti-aging serums).
How Contact Dermatitis Is Treated
You may also want to avoid products that contain fragrances or choose only products labeled as hypoallergenic.
Summary
If a skincare product causes itchy, red, and dry skin, it could be an allergic reaction to one of the ingredients. However, if the symptoms are mild, it might be due to irritation rather than allergy.
Skincare and other beauty products often contain hundreds ofingredients, many of which can slowly strip away your skin’s protective and moisturizing barriers. This causes irritant contact dermatitis. Symptoms may occur right away or take years of product use to develop.
If you think you’re having a reaction to a skincare product, stop using the product to see if it improves. If your symptoms continue, contact your healthcare provider.
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15 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Bains SN, Nash P, Fonacier L.Irritant contact dermatitis.Clin Rev in Allergy & Immunol. 2018;56(1):99-109. doi:10.1007/s12016-018-8713-0Owen JL, Vakharia PP, Silverberg JI.The role and diagnosis of allergic contact dermatitis in patients with atopic dermatitis.Am J Clin Dermatol. 2018;19(3):293–302. doi:10.1007/s40257-017-0340-7Uter W, Werfel T, White IR, Johansen JD.Contact allergy: A review of current problems from a clinical perspective.Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2018;15(6):1108. doi:10.3390/ijerph15061108Cheng J, Zug KA.Fragrance allergic contact dermatitis.Dermatitis. 2014;25(5):232-245. doi:10.1097/der.0000000000000067Deza G, Giménez-Arnau AM.Allergic contact dermatitis in preservatives.Curr Op in Allergy & Clin Immunol. 2017 Aug;17(4):263-268. doi:10.1097/aci.0000000000000373Fransen M, Overgaard LEK, Johansen JD, Thyssen JP.Contact allergy to lanolin: temporal changes in prevalence and association with atopic dermatitis.Contact Derm. 2017;78(1):70-75. doi:10.1111/cod.12872Sindle A, Martin K.Art of prevention: Essential oils - natural products are not necessarily safe.Int J Women’s Dermatol. 2021;7(3):304-308. doi:10.1016/j.ijwd.2020.10.013Zaragoza-Ninet V, Encinas RB, Vilata-Corell JJ, et al.Allergic contact dermatitis due to cosmetics: A clinical and epidemiological study in a tertiary hospital.ACTAS. 2016;107(4):329-336. doi:10.1016/j.adengl.2016.02.022National Library of Medicine.Contact dermatitis.Mount Sinai.Contact dermatitis.Brasch J, Becker D, Aberer W, et al.Guideline contact dermatitis: S1-Guidelines of the German Contact Allergy Group (DKG) of the German Dermatology Society (DDG), the Information Network of Dermatological Clinics (IVDK), the German Society for Allergology and Clinical Immunology (DGAKI), the Working Group for Occupational and Environmental Dermatology (ABD) of the DDG, the Medical Association of German Allergologists (AeDA), the Professional Association of German Dermatologists (BVDD) and the DDG.Allergo J Int. 2014 Jun;23(4):126–138. doi:10.1007/s40629-014-0013-5Yale Medicine.Allergic contact dermatitis.Guo BC, Wu KH, Chen CY, et al.Advancements in allergen immunotherapy for the treatment of atopic dermatitis.Int J Mol Sci. 2024;25(2):1316. doi:10.3390/ijms25021316Martin SF, Rustemeyer T, Thyssen JP.Recent advances in understanding and managing contact dermatitis.F1000Res. 2018 Jun;7(1):1-10. doi:10.12688/f1000research.13499.1American Academy of Dermatology Association.10 Reasons Your Face Is Red.Additional ReadingTan CH, Rasool S, Johnston GA.Contact dermatitis: Allergic and irritant.Clin Dermatol. 2014;32(1):116-124. doi:10.1016/j.clindermatol.2013.05.033Verhulst L, Goossens A.Cosmetic components causing contact urticaria: a review and update.Contact Dermatitis. 2016;75(6):333-344. doi:10.1111/cod.12679
15 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Bains SN, Nash P, Fonacier L.Irritant contact dermatitis.Clin Rev in Allergy & Immunol. 2018;56(1):99-109. doi:10.1007/s12016-018-8713-0Owen JL, Vakharia PP, Silverberg JI.The role and diagnosis of allergic contact dermatitis in patients with atopic dermatitis.Am J Clin Dermatol. 2018;19(3):293–302. doi:10.1007/s40257-017-0340-7Uter W, Werfel T, White IR, Johansen JD.Contact allergy: A review of current problems from a clinical perspective.Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2018;15(6):1108. doi:10.3390/ijerph15061108Cheng J, Zug KA.Fragrance allergic contact dermatitis.Dermatitis. 2014;25(5):232-245. doi:10.1097/der.0000000000000067Deza G, Giménez-Arnau AM.Allergic contact dermatitis in preservatives.Curr Op in Allergy & Clin Immunol. 2017 Aug;17(4):263-268. doi:10.1097/aci.0000000000000373Fransen M, Overgaard LEK, Johansen JD, Thyssen JP.Contact allergy to lanolin: temporal changes in prevalence and association with atopic dermatitis.Contact Derm. 2017;78(1):70-75. doi:10.1111/cod.12872Sindle A, Martin K.Art of prevention: Essential oils - natural products are not necessarily safe.Int J Women’s Dermatol. 2021;7(3):304-308. doi:10.1016/j.ijwd.2020.10.013Zaragoza-Ninet V, Encinas RB, Vilata-Corell JJ, et al.Allergic contact dermatitis due to cosmetics: A clinical and epidemiological study in a tertiary hospital.ACTAS. 2016;107(4):329-336. doi:10.1016/j.adengl.2016.02.022National Library of Medicine.Contact dermatitis.Mount Sinai.Contact dermatitis.Brasch J, Becker D, Aberer W, et al.Guideline contact dermatitis: S1-Guidelines of the German Contact Allergy Group (DKG) of the German Dermatology Society (DDG), the Information Network of Dermatological Clinics (IVDK), the German Society for Allergology and Clinical Immunology (DGAKI), the Working Group for Occupational and Environmental Dermatology (ABD) of the DDG, the Medical Association of German Allergologists (AeDA), the Professional Association of German Dermatologists (BVDD) and the DDG.Allergo J Int. 2014 Jun;23(4):126–138. doi:10.1007/s40629-014-0013-5Yale Medicine.Allergic contact dermatitis.Guo BC, Wu KH, Chen CY, et al.Advancements in allergen immunotherapy for the treatment of atopic dermatitis.Int J Mol Sci. 2024;25(2):1316. doi:10.3390/ijms25021316Martin SF, Rustemeyer T, Thyssen JP.Recent advances in understanding and managing contact dermatitis.F1000Res. 2018 Jun;7(1):1-10. doi:10.12688/f1000research.13499.1American Academy of Dermatology Association.10 Reasons Your Face Is Red.Additional ReadingTan CH, Rasool S, Johnston GA.Contact dermatitis: Allergic and irritant.Clin Dermatol. 2014;32(1):116-124. doi:10.1016/j.clindermatol.2013.05.033Verhulst L, Goossens A.Cosmetic components causing contact urticaria: a review and update.Contact Dermatitis. 2016;75(6):333-344. doi:10.1111/cod.12679
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Bains SN, Nash P, Fonacier L.Irritant contact dermatitis.Clin Rev in Allergy & Immunol. 2018;56(1):99-109. doi:10.1007/s12016-018-8713-0Owen JL, Vakharia PP, Silverberg JI.The role and diagnosis of allergic contact dermatitis in patients with atopic dermatitis.Am J Clin Dermatol. 2018;19(3):293–302. doi:10.1007/s40257-017-0340-7Uter W, Werfel T, White IR, Johansen JD.Contact allergy: A review of current problems from a clinical perspective.Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2018;15(6):1108. doi:10.3390/ijerph15061108Cheng J, Zug KA.Fragrance allergic contact dermatitis.Dermatitis. 2014;25(5):232-245. doi:10.1097/der.0000000000000067Deza G, Giménez-Arnau AM.Allergic contact dermatitis in preservatives.Curr Op in Allergy & Clin Immunol. 2017 Aug;17(4):263-268. doi:10.1097/aci.0000000000000373Fransen M, Overgaard LEK, Johansen JD, Thyssen JP.Contact allergy to lanolin: temporal changes in prevalence and association with atopic dermatitis.Contact Derm. 2017;78(1):70-75. doi:10.1111/cod.12872Sindle A, Martin K.Art of prevention: Essential oils - natural products are not necessarily safe.Int J Women’s Dermatol. 2021;7(3):304-308. doi:10.1016/j.ijwd.2020.10.013Zaragoza-Ninet V, Encinas RB, Vilata-Corell JJ, et al.Allergic contact dermatitis due to cosmetics: A clinical and epidemiological study in a tertiary hospital.ACTAS. 2016;107(4):329-336. doi:10.1016/j.adengl.2016.02.022National Library of Medicine.Contact dermatitis.Mount Sinai.Contact dermatitis.Brasch J, Becker D, Aberer W, et al.Guideline contact dermatitis: S1-Guidelines of the German Contact Allergy Group (DKG) of the German Dermatology Society (DDG), the Information Network of Dermatological Clinics (IVDK), the German Society for Allergology and Clinical Immunology (DGAKI), the Working Group for Occupational and Environmental Dermatology (ABD) of the DDG, the Medical Association of German Allergologists (AeDA), the Professional Association of German Dermatologists (BVDD) and the DDG.Allergo J Int. 2014 Jun;23(4):126–138. doi:10.1007/s40629-014-0013-5Yale Medicine.Allergic contact dermatitis.Guo BC, Wu KH, Chen CY, et al.Advancements in allergen immunotherapy for the treatment of atopic dermatitis.Int J Mol Sci. 2024;25(2):1316. doi:10.3390/ijms25021316Martin SF, Rustemeyer T, Thyssen JP.Recent advances in understanding and managing contact dermatitis.F1000Res. 2018 Jun;7(1):1-10. doi:10.12688/f1000research.13499.1American Academy of Dermatology Association.10 Reasons Your Face Is Red.
Bains SN, Nash P, Fonacier L.Irritant contact dermatitis.Clin Rev in Allergy & Immunol. 2018;56(1):99-109. doi:10.1007/s12016-018-8713-0
Owen JL, Vakharia PP, Silverberg JI.The role and diagnosis of allergic contact dermatitis in patients with atopic dermatitis.Am J Clin Dermatol. 2018;19(3):293–302. doi:10.1007/s40257-017-0340-7
Uter W, Werfel T, White IR, Johansen JD.Contact allergy: A review of current problems from a clinical perspective.Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2018;15(6):1108. doi:10.3390/ijerph15061108
Cheng J, Zug KA.Fragrance allergic contact dermatitis.Dermatitis. 2014;25(5):232-245. doi:10.1097/der.0000000000000067
Deza G, Giménez-Arnau AM.Allergic contact dermatitis in preservatives.Curr Op in Allergy & Clin Immunol. 2017 Aug;17(4):263-268. doi:10.1097/aci.0000000000000373
Fransen M, Overgaard LEK, Johansen JD, Thyssen JP.Contact allergy to lanolin: temporal changes in prevalence and association with atopic dermatitis.Contact Derm. 2017;78(1):70-75. doi:10.1111/cod.12872
Sindle A, Martin K.Art of prevention: Essential oils - natural products are not necessarily safe.Int J Women’s Dermatol. 2021;7(3):304-308. doi:10.1016/j.ijwd.2020.10.013
Zaragoza-Ninet V, Encinas RB, Vilata-Corell JJ, et al.Allergic contact dermatitis due to cosmetics: A clinical and epidemiological study in a tertiary hospital.ACTAS. 2016;107(4):329-336. doi:10.1016/j.adengl.2016.02.022
National Library of Medicine.Contact dermatitis.
Mount Sinai.Contact dermatitis.
Brasch J, Becker D, Aberer W, et al.Guideline contact dermatitis: S1-Guidelines of the German Contact Allergy Group (DKG) of the German Dermatology Society (DDG), the Information Network of Dermatological Clinics (IVDK), the German Society for Allergology and Clinical Immunology (DGAKI), the Working Group for Occupational and Environmental Dermatology (ABD) of the DDG, the Medical Association of German Allergologists (AeDA), the Professional Association of German Dermatologists (BVDD) and the DDG.Allergo J Int. 2014 Jun;23(4):126–138. doi:10.1007/s40629-014-0013-5
Yale Medicine.Allergic contact dermatitis.
Guo BC, Wu KH, Chen CY, et al.Advancements in allergen immunotherapy for the treatment of atopic dermatitis.Int J Mol Sci. 2024;25(2):1316. doi:10.3390/ijms25021316
Martin SF, Rustemeyer T, Thyssen JP.Recent advances in understanding and managing contact dermatitis.F1000Res. 2018 Jun;7(1):1-10. doi:10.12688/f1000research.13499.1
American Academy of Dermatology Association.10 Reasons Your Face Is Red.
Tan CH, Rasool S, Johnston GA.Contact dermatitis: Allergic and irritant.Clin Dermatol. 2014;32(1):116-124. doi:10.1016/j.clindermatol.2013.05.033Verhulst L, Goossens A.Cosmetic components causing contact urticaria: a review and update.Contact Dermatitis. 2016;75(6):333-344. doi:10.1111/cod.12679
Tan CH, Rasool S, Johnston GA.Contact dermatitis: Allergic and irritant.Clin Dermatol. 2014;32(1):116-124. doi:10.1016/j.clindermatol.2013.05.033
Verhulst L, Goossens A.Cosmetic components causing contact urticaria: a review and update.Contact Dermatitis. 2016;75(6):333-344. doi:10.1111/cod.12679
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