Mayo Clinic study reveals the 10 most common substances that irritate the skin. In the study Mayo Clinic studied several substances and ranked them on the basis of how often they caused contact dermatitis on the test subjects.
Though this study used contact dermatitis as basis it’s still useful for acne victims. Contact dermatitis results in swollen, reddened and itchy skin. Basically it’s an inflammatory reaction. Anything that irritates and inflames the skin can also aggravate your acne.
According to the Mayo Clinic study the 10 most common skin irritants are:
- Nickel (nickel sulfate hexahydrate) — metal frequently encountered in jewelry and clasps or buttons on clothing
- Gold (gold sodium thiosulfate) — Yes, the precious metal women love : )
- Balsam of Peru (myroxylon pereirae) — a fragrance used in perfumes and skin lotions, derived from tree resin
- Thimerosal — a mercury compound used in local antiseptics and in vaccines
- Neomycin sulfate — a topical antibiotic common in first aid creams and ointments, also found occasionally in cosmetics, deodorant, soap and pet food
- Fragrance mix — a group of the eight most common fragrance allergens found in foods, cosmetic products, insecticides, antiseptics, soaps, perfumes and dental products
- Formaldehyde — a preservative with multiple uses, e.g., in paper products, paints, medications, household cleaners, cosmetic products and fabric finishes
- Cobalt chloride — metal found in medical products; hair dye; antiperspirant; objects plated in metal such as snaps, buttons or tools; and in cobalt blue pigment
- Bacitracin — a topical antibiotic
- Quaternium 15 — preservative found in cosmetic products such as self-tanners, shampoo, nail polish and sunscreen or in industrial products such as polishes, paints and waxes
Source: http://www.mayoclinic.org/news2006-rst/3268.html
As an acne victim you would do well to avoid exposing the acne prone areas of your skin to these substances.
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