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Updated: Dec 20, 2025
Contact Hypersensitivity as a Murine Model of Allergic Contact Dermatitis
Published on: September 26, 2022
Contact haptens in emollients marketed in two European countries (Poland and Spain)
K Kunkiel1, M Sojewska1, W Feleszko1
1Department of Pediatric Respiratory Diseases and Allergy, The Medical University of Warsaw, Żwirki i Wigury 63A, PL-02-091 Warsaw, Poland.
Insights
Most emollients for atopic dermatitis (AD) contain potential haptens, which can cause contact dermatitis. Educating patients and improving cosmetic formulations are crucial for managing this common childhood skin condition.
Area of Science:
- Dermatology and Toxicology
- Cosmetic Science
Background:
- Atopic dermatitis (AD) affects 20% of children globally, characterized by eczema and impaired skin barrier.
- Emollients are foundational AD therapy, but their application may trigger contact dermatitis due to sensitizing ingredients.
Discussion:
- A systematic review of "Atopic skin care" emollients in Poland and Spain revealed a high prevalence of haptens.
- Phenoxyethanol, tocopherol, tocopheryl acetate, and undefined parfum were common haptens found in these products.
Key Insights:
- A significant majority of analyzed emollients contained at least one potential contact allergen.
- Only a small fraction of products (17.5% in Poland, 14.8% in Spain) were found to be completely free of haptens.
Outlook:
- Enhanced patient education on allergenic cosmetic ingredients is necessary.
- Increased collaboration between researchers and cosmetic manufacturers is recommended to develop safer emollient formulations for atopic skin.
Introduction And Objectives:
Atopic dermatitis (AD) is the most common skin disease among pediatric patients, which affects up to 20% of children worldwide. Characterized by pruritus and eczema, it is also associated with improper skin barrier function and allergen sensitization. Here, we aimed to assess the presence of haptens in emollients marketed in two European countries: in Poland and Spain, as, firstly, these products are considered to be AD's basic therapy, and, secondly, frequent application of potent sensitizers on atopic skin may result in contact dermatitis.
Materials And Methods:
We systematically searched for moisturizers explicitly described as "Atopic skin care" products in the most frequently visited online pharmacies in Poland and Spain. Subsequently, we created a database of all products and compared their composition with 139 contact haptens listed in the European Baseline Series (EBS), Fragrance and Cosmetic Series.
Results:
As of December 2018, our list comprised 159 and 111 emollients available on the Polish and Spanish markets, respectively. There were no ingredients listed in 28 (17.5%) products in Poland and 24 (21.6%) in Spain. Only 23 (17.5%) and 13 (14.8%) products were hapten free. The pattern of most common haptens was similar in both countries, including phenoxyethanol, tocopherol and tocopheryl acetate, undefined parfum in Poland and tocopherol, phenoxyethanol, tocopheryl acetate and undefined parfum in Spain.
Conclusions:
This study shows that a vast majority of products taken into consideration contain at least one potential contact hapten. These findings indicate a need for patient education about potentially allergenic ingredients and stronger cooperation between academia and cosmetic manufacturers.
