Adverse effects of cosmetics and toiletries: a retrospective study in the general population

Synopsis Of 1609 individuals who were interviewed and asked whether they had experienced adverse reactions to cosmetics or toiletry products in the preceding 5 years, 196 (12.2%) claimed to have experienced some such reaction. Females ( n = 124) mostly attributed their complaints to soap (41%), facial creams (33%), deodorant (25%), shampoo (16%) and eye shadow (11%). Men ( n = 72) complained about adverse effects from soap (49%), aftershave (22%), deodorant (19%) and shower foam (12%). Both in women and in men, most reactions were localized on the face (60% resp. 33%), followed by the hands (19% resp. 21%) and the axillae (18% resp. 14%). The majority of patients could solve the problem by stopping the use of the suspected product and purchasing a different brand. Nevertheless, medical consultation was sought by more than 30% of all patients. Presumably, the majority of all adverse effects were caused by irritation; contact allergic reactions are infrequent.