And the winner is....formaldehyde. Contact allergen of the year for 2015. Formaldehyde is an inexpensive biocidal preservative used in a wide range of products, such as tissue specimen and cadaveric preservation solutions, nail polish, Brazilian blowout treatments and wrinkle-free fabrics. Its historical importance stems from its effectiveness in preventing contamination of personal hygiene products (PHPs). Formaldehyde-releasing preservatives (FRPs) are among the leading contact allergens and are found in many PHPs, medications and household cleansers. Sources of FRPs include shampoos, body washes and hand soaps, lotions and creams, baby wipes, mascara, disinfectants, fabric softeners, topical wart remedies, adhesives and tissue specimen preservation solutions. According to the FDA Voluntary Cosmetic Registration Program database, about 20% of PHPs and cosmetics contain a FRP, with imidazolidinyl urea as the most common. Of interest, FRPs were developed to avoid formaldehyde-induced contact allergies assuming that the formaldehyde release level would not be sufficient from the releaser to cause a skin reaction. However, many FRPs have also been demonstrated to be contact allergens, some related to the release of formaldehyde, while others by their own chemical properties.
Posted on: Tue, 25 Nov 2014 03:02:14 +0000
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