Hair products are a potential cause of allergic contact dermatitis. There are limited data on the allergen content of ethnic hair products.
Objective
To identify allergens unique to ethnic hair products (shampoos, conditioners, styling products) and provide a resource for low allergen hair care products for patients with ethnic hair types.
Methods
The top 100 best-selling shampoos, conditioners, and styling products for ethnic and nonethnic hair products were determined from 3 major online retailers (Walmart, Target, Walgreens). Allergen was defined as presence on the 2017 American Contact Dermatitis Society Core 80 allergen list.
Results
The 2017 American Contact Dermatitis Society Core 80 allergens were tabulated for ethnic and nonethnic shampoos, conditioners, and styling products. A list of low-allergen shampoos, conditioners, and styling products was identified. Fragrance was the most common allergen for ethnic shampoos, conditioners, and styling products. Other notable allergens included methylchloroisothiazolinone/methylisothiazolinone, formaldehyde releasers, cetyl steryl alcohol, tocopherol, decyl glucoside, sodium benzoate, and phenoxyethanol.
Conclusions
This study identifies important differences in allergens found in products marketed for ethnic hair compared with those marketed for nonethnic hair.
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