Contact Dermatitis 2022 Mar 1. Epub 2022 Mar 1.
Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Antwerp (UZA) and Research group Immunology, INFLA-MED Centre of Excellence, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium.
This review aims to provide a clinically useful update regarding the role of formaldehyde (FA) and its five main releasers (FRs) quaternium-15, diazolidinyl urea, DMDM hydantoin, imidazolidinyl urea, and 2-bromo-2-nitropropane-1,3-diol (bronopol) in contact allergy and allergic contact dermatitis. These ubiquitous preservatives are still often present, and sometimes undeclared, in cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, household detergents, and chemical (industrial) products. In Europe, the use of free FA and quaternium-15 in cosmetics is forbidden and contact allergy rates have been found to be stable to decreasing. Read More