5 Common Skin Allergens And Irritants
Posted on: 3 July 2019
Is your skin often dry, red, itchy, and maybe even a bit bumpy? Chances are, you are suffering from an allergy. Many people suffer from skin allergies without even realizing it. They figure their skin is just always rough and irritated — when really, this is a sign that something is wrong. The first step towards improving the condition of your skin is to figure out what you're allergic to so you can then avoid that allergen. Here are five allergens that are often to blame.
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate
This chemical is a common ingredient in soaps and body washes. It makes them lather up richly. If your skin seems to be drier or more irritated after you wash it, then consider switching to a sulfate-free soap or body wash, which will be free of this allergen.
Musk
Musk is one of the most common scents added to perfumes and highly scented lotions. It adds depth to the scent, but unfortunately, a lot of people are allergic to it. If you think you might be allergic to musk, try switching to lighter, fruitier scents for your scented items. They do not tend to be formulated with musk.
Lactic Acid
Lactic acid is a common ingredient in facial creams — especially medicated ones that are meant to relieve wrinkles and tighten skin. For many people, lactic acid does have the desired anti-wrinkle effect, but if you're allergic to it, you may just find that your skin is red and dry after applying these products.
Nickel
The problem may not be a formula you're applying to your skin, but something that you're wearing. Check whether the bracelets, earrings, and other jewelry you're wearing are made from nickel because a lot of cheap jewelry is. Switching to gold, silver, or platinum jewelry should soothe your irritation.
Latex
Some people who are allergic to latex experience serious symptoms like anaphylaxis. These people find out they're allergic to latex pretty easily. But if your symptoms are less serious, you may not realize what's going on. Pay attention to whether your skin irritation gets worse after you wear latex gloves or touch other items made from latex.
If you cannot figure out what is irritating your skin, consider taking an allergy skin test. Your allergy doctor can administer such a test, and the results should tell you what allergen or allergens you should avoid for improved skin.
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