It's long been known that skin allergies are linked to cosmetics. Hundreds of studies each year add new information about the safety of cosmetic ingredients. Therefore, new usage rules and restrictions are constantly emerging. So, the question arises: what are some common allergens in cosmetic formulations? It's important to remember that cosmetic regulations restrict the use of certain ingredients, requiring warnings and precautions to be included on the label. Here are three of the most common allergens compiled by makeup manufacturers:
Cosmetic Formulation Allergen 1: Fragrances and Flavors
This is the most common allergen and the leading cause of cosmetic-induced allergic contact dermatitis. Fragrances can be natural or chemically synthesized. In the EU, there are 26 fragrance allergens that must be listed on the product label when their concentration in leave-on products (such as creams and perfumes) exceeds 0.001% or in rinse-off products (shampoos and shower gels) exceeds 0.01%.
Among these ingredients, the most common allergens include geraniol, cinnamic aldehyde, hydroxycitronellal, cinnamic alcohol, eugenol, isoeugenol, amyl cinnamic aldehyde, linalool, and oakmoss.
However, approximately 3,000 substances are used in fragrance compounds, many of which are unknown, and others may be prohibited. Therefore, people prone to allergies are advised to use hypoallergenic or fragrance-free cosmetics.
Cosmetic Formulation Allergen 2: Preservatives
These active ingredients kill microorganisms that contaminate cosmetics; they can also react with the skin, promoting contact dermatitis. The types of preservatives and the dermatitis they cause change over time. A few years ago, formaldehyde and parabens were the leading preservatives causing allergies. However, newer preservatives in today's cosmetic formulations can also cause photosensitivity problems.
Currently, the most common preservatives causing allergies are methyldibromoglutaronitrile (banned in Europe for use in leave-on products since 2008), formaldehyde, and formaldehyde-releasing ingredients such as quaternium-15, diazolidinyl urea, imidazolidinyl urea, isothiazolinones, and iodopropynyl butylcarbamate. Compared to all these notorious preservatives, parabens have a relatively lower allergy rate.
Today, cosmetic manufacturers are trying to improve their products, minimizing the amount of preservatives used, using specially designed containers to prevent contamination, and choosing safer preservatives—remember, there is no completely safe preservative in the world.
Cosmetic Allergen #3: Dyes
Most colorants, including those in hair dyes, are potent sensitizers. Paraphenylenediamine (PPD) is the most well-known and widely used colorant, and therefore the one most likely to cause allergies in consumers. Cross-sensitivity reactions also exist between different colorants. Laws strictly limit the concentration of these ingredients and mandate warnings on the labels of these products.
There are many other cosmetic allergens.
Besides these three main categories of allergens, many other ingredients are also sensitizing substances. However, their lower allergy rates are mainly due to their less frequent use and lower sensitizing properties.
Nail products (nail polish and artificial nails) contain toluene sulfonamide formaldehyde resin, nitrocellulose, and other resins, not to mention acrylates, the main component of artificial nails. It is worth noting that approximately 80% of allergies occur in areas far from the application site.
As for sunscreen, its sensitization rate is relatively low, but the frequency of sunscreen use increases the risk of allergies. The most common allergens in sunscreen are benzophenones (oxybenzone and avobenzone).
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