This year, I spent one of the hottest weeks of the New York City summer unable to shower. For two of those days, my back was almost completely covered in surgical sticky tape that was reinforcing ...

Patch testing describes a procedure to help identify what ingredients might irritate a person’s skin. Many skin care products contain chemicals that can cause an allergic reaction when a person ...

Patch testing is currently used in clinical practice as the most important investigative and diagnostic method available for studying delayed contact hypersensitivity. It constitutes – together with a ...

It’s an all too common scenario: You’re excited to try your new skincare product, whether it’s an eye cream, serum, moisturizer, or body cream, and slather it all over, only to find yourself with a ...

Some food for thought: On average, women use 12 personal care products daily, which amounts to about 168 chemical ingredients, according to the Environmental Working Group (EWG). Splurging on a new ...

Allergies are common and can be triggered by anything from certain foods and chemicals to dust or pet dander. While some people discover their allergies only after an unexpected reaction, deliberately ...

Using a new skin care product without testing it first can potentially cause allergic contact dermatitis, an inflammatory skin condition in which the immune system overreacts to an ingredient in the ...

The excitement of trying a new skincare product can quickly turn into disappointment when redness, itching, or irritation appears hours later. Whether it’s a promising eye cream, revolutionary serum, ...

Is there a role for patch testing in atopic dermatitis? What is the best approach to treatment-resistant cases? —Ann M. Roberson, DO, Quincy, Ill. There are two scenarios to consider: First, many ...

In our study, the patients with the best clinical outcomes were the ones who had strong or extreme reactions on patch testing. In contrast, only 2 of 4 patients with questionable or weak patch-test ...

If you regularly read skin care stories, you’ve probably come across the often-touted advice to patch test new products before trying them. (It’s certainly a suggestion SELF has made more than once!) ...