NEWPORT BEACH, CALIF. – , according to dermatologist Jennifer H. Perryman, MD.
Here’s a closer look at the allergens highlighted by Dr. Perryman in a presentation at Skin Disease Education Foundation’s Women’s & Pediatric Dermatology Seminar:
Formaldehyde: It’s everywhere
“In general, formaldehyde is found on everyone in this room in two different places: preservatives in skin care products and in a lot of our clothing,” said Dr. Perryman, who practices in Greeley and Fort Collins, Colo.
The preservative is used in an even wider variety of products, including fluids used in industry (such as metalworking) and topical medications. But people are especially likely to encounter it in clothing – via formaldehyde textile resins – as well as in cosmetics, soaps, and lotions.
On the clothing front, Dr. Perryman said, formaldehyde textile resins have been used since the 1930s. They’re used to treat blends of synthetic and cotton fibers and bed sheets. Beware of “wrinkle resistant” and “permanent press” clothing (although not all have been treated with this resin). “Newer formaldehyde textile resins have less formaldehyde release, but they may be more expensive, and some industries may not use them,” she said.
Avoiding formaldehyde textile resins isn’t a simple matter.” You have to go out of your way to stay away from a polyester-cotton blend,” she said. “And don’t forget bedsheets,” she added, noting that the packaging on some sheets include information about cotton count, “but when you flip over the label it says it’s ‘50% cotton and 50% polyester or other.’ ”
Some patients will bring their own bedsheets to hotels so they don’t experience flares from hotel bedsheets, she added.
Other products can trigger this skin allergy. Beware, Dr. Perryman said, of formaldehyde exposure from paper, cardboard, cigarette smoke, processed wood products like plywood, foam housing and industrial insulation, embalming fluid and tissue fixatives, and some paints and adhesives.
What are the signs that someone may have a case of formaldehyde allergy? It may cause patchy generalized dermatitis, erythroderma, and nummular dermatitis. It may spare the hands, feet, and face because those parts of the body have less exposure to clothing, and it’s likely to especially affect body areas where clothing is tight. And for unknown reasons, this allergy is more common in the elderly, Dr. Perryman said.
Textile dye: Beware polyester
This allergy is mainly triggered by synthetic fabrics like polyester, rayon, and acetate, she noted. Darker colors are more allergenic. Clothes made of natural fibers such as cotton, silk, linen, and wool are alternatives. These are not dyed with these dyes, she said, adding that a reaction to wool will be from irritation, not from the dye.
Paraphenylenediamine: Keep an eye out for this dye ingredient
Paraphenylenediamine, which can trigger allergic reactions, is found in leather dye, fur dye, and some (but not all) hair dyes. Be aware that it can cross-react with other allergens like sulfonamide medications.