Contact allergy to chloroacetamide in an "anti-wrinkle serum"

Cosmetic contact sensitivity in patients with melasma: results of a pilot study

Background. Some of the patients with melasma perhaps have pigmented cosmetic dermatitis. However, cosmetic contact sensitivity in melasma remains poorly studied particularly in the Indian context. Objectives. To study cosmetic contact sensitivity in patients with melasma. Materials and Methods. 67 (F : M = 55 : 12) consecutive patients with melasma between 19 and 49 years of age were patch tested sequentially during January-December, 2012, with Indian Cosmetic and Fragrance Series, Indian Sunscreen Series, p-phenylenediamine, and patient's own cosmetic products. Results. 52 (78%) patients were in the age group of 20-40 years. The duration of melasma varied from 1 month to 20 years. Centrofacial, malar, and mandibular patterns were observed in 48 (72%), 18 (27%), and 1 (1%) patients, respectively. Indian Cosmetics and Fragrance Series elicited positive reactions in 29 (43.3%) patients. Cetrimide was the most common contact sensitizers eliciting positivity in 15 (52%) patients, followed by gallate mix in 9 (31%) patients and thiomersal in 7 (24%) patients. Only 2 of the 42 patients showed positive reaction from their own cosmetics while the other 5 patients had irritant reaction. Indian Sunscreen Series did not elicit any positive reaction. Conclusion. Cosmetics contact sensitivity appears as an important cause of melasma not associated with pregnancy, lactation, or hormone therapy.

Contact allergy to cosmetics: causative ingredients

Of 1781 patients with contact dermatitis seen during a period of 6 years (1981-1986), 75 (4.2%) had allergy to cosmetic products. The face was most frequently affected. In many cases, the dermatitis was limited to the eyelids (18.7%) or the face (40.0%). Skin care products (moisturizing and cleansing cream/lotion/milk) accounted for more than half (52.3%), followed by nail cosmetics (8.0%), shaving preparations (8.0%) and deodorants (6.8%). The ingredients most often responsible were fragrances (45.1%), followed by the preservative Kathon CG (11.0%) and the emulsifier oleamidopropyl dimethylamine (9.8%). In 14 patients (18.7%), patch tests with the responsible cosmetic product were negative. In them, the diagnosis was made by use tests and/or repeated open application tests. Compulsory declaration of ingredients on cosmetic product labels in the EEC, analagous to the USA situation, would be of great benefit both to patients and to physicians.