Many things around your household can irritate skin.
Soap
A lot of hand washing with soap and water strips the skin of its natural oils. This can cause “dishpan hands.” At first, your skin may look dry and chapped. But if it lasts a long time and is not treated, your skin can crack and bleed.
Dishwashing soap, bubble bath, and body washes might also have this effect.
Fabric dryer sheets
Fabric softener and dryer sheets can cause itchy, irritant reactions.
“You see rashes in places that are covered by clothing and relative sparing where the clothing is not,” says Amy Newburger, MD, a dermatologist in private practice in Scarsdale, NY, author of Looking Good at Any Age, and spokesperson for the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD). “That’s a big giveaway.”
Donald V. Belsito, MD, clinical professor of medicine at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, recommends sticking with fragrance-free liquid fabric softeners to fight static cling.
Clothing
Clothing, especially rough fabrics like wool, can cause problems if you have a skin condition called atopic dermatitis. It’s the most common form of eczema. The AAD estimates that 10% to 20% of children and 1% to 3% of adults get atopic dermatitis.
If you think your clothing fabric is causing itching, irritation, or a rash, Belsito suggests wearing clothes made of cotton and cotton poly fabrics.
Heat
Hot weather – especially during summer months – can make skin problems related to sweating flare up. You might notice redness or chafing in certain areas, like the underarms, belly folds, and groin, Belsito says.
Latex
Some people are very sensitive to latex, a natural rubber found in everything from gloves to condoms. If you are sensitive to latex, you may get welts under a bra strap or elastic waistband. Also, some people who are allergic to latex may have reactions to some tropical fruits such as avocados, bananas, and kiwis. That’s because the fruits have proteins that are like those in latex. It’s called “latex-fruit syndrome.”
Fragrances
Fragrance allergies are really common, Newburger says. But there are about 5,000 fragrances that use many different combinations, so it may be tricky to find out the offending chemical. Some people might develop a skin rash or hives from musk, while others react to vanilla scents.
Facial creams
The skin on your face, with its deep pores, is easily affected, Newburger says. So it makes sense to take extra care with your creams and skin care products if you have stinging or burning when you put it on. These products may include wrinkle creams, cleansers, and skin peels.
Check the labels for some common irritants such as ascorbic acid, paraben preservatives, and alpha-hydroxy acids such as glycolic acid, malic acid, and lactic acid.
Plants
Poison ivy, poison oak, and poison sumac are three of the most common causes of allergic contact dermatitis in the U.S. They all contain an oil called urushiol, which triggers an allergic reaction, usually an itchy rash.
A mild reaction might last 5 to 12 days. A more serious reaction can last 30 days or even longer. Most people don’t come into contact with poison ivy, oak, or sumac on purpose. But you need to learn how to spot them to avoid contact.
Food
Food allergies can cause skin reactions from hives to rashes. But you don’t have to eat the foods – even handling them can irritate your skin. If you happen to have cuts or cracks on your hands – even tiny ones you can’t see – handling acidic foods or spices can be irritating.
Something that might surprise you: Lime juice on the skin can react with sunlight and cause severe blistering burns. You might see this in the summer months when people are mixing up margaritas with lime on the beach, Belsito says.
Nickel
Nickel can be found in costume jewelry, watchbands, zippers, and other everyday items. Newburger says if you have serious allergies, it’s possible to even have reactions to vitamins and the hardware used to repair a broken limb.
Sunscreen
Of course, doctors recommend you use sunscreen to protect your skin from harmful UVA and UVB radiation. But certain chemicals in sunscreens can cause a rash or allergic reaction. The most common reactions happen with sunscreens that have PABA-based chemicals. So you may want to find a PABA-free alternative if you get an allergy.
Credit: webmd.com
