How Allergies Affect Your Skin: What To Look For And What You Can Do

Written By Jennifer Raskin / Reviewed By Ray Spotts

Have you ever noticed your skin turn itchy, red, bumpy, or even scaly? That’s the result of a skin allergy. It happens as a result of your body deeming something as an allergen. Your immune system goes into overdrive and sends out antibodies which can trigger swelling or a rash.

There are a few main types of skin allergies. Contact dermatitis is common when your skin comes into contract with something new that irritates it such as a new soap, lotion, or sunscreen. It can also happen with jewelry or even pollen in the air. Even the sun can trigger photoallergic reactions from things you ordinarily wear like perfume, shaving lotion, or a daily sunscreen.

Usually, a reaction doesn’t happen instantly with skin allergies. It might be hours or days before you have a reaction and the symptoms could plague you for two to four weeks. Hives and eczema are other skin allergies. Hives tend to come from insect bites, foods, or medications while eczema is a chronic condition that tends to take hold in childhood.

What Could Be Causing Your Skin Allergy?

With nearly 4,000 possible allergens, it might be difficult to figure out what’s causing your skin to react. Among the most common are:

Nickel

Nickel is found in jewelry and accessories. It’s even in your clothes in the form of zippers and hooks on your lingerie.

Fragrances

Perfumes with synthetic ingredients can set off a skin allergy. So too can lotions and other products that smell nice. Even your air freshener!

Preservatives And Metals In Your Products

Household cleaners, cosmetics, sunscreens, hair dyes, and antiperspirants also have irritants in them that can cause your skin to become red and irritated.

Latex

Many people have a reaction to this rubber in disposable gloves, balloons, baby bottles, and condoms. If you have a skin rash on your hands and use latex gloves, you may want to switch to another material to see if the latex was the culprit.

Preventing And Treating Skin Allergies

If you know what caused your outbreak, you can then avoid the allergen that has been causing your skin troubles. But if it’s still a mystery, you should schedule an appointment with your doctor to find out what it could be.

Should you encounter your allergen, always wash the area immediately with soap and water. Most of the time, allergic skin reactions will abate on their own. In the meantime, you can get more comfortable by using a cool compress on the impacted area, applying hydrocortisone creams or calamine lotions, soaking in a bath of milk or oatmeal, and wearing loose-fitting clothing.

In most cases, skin allergies are merely annoying and uncomfortable. Very rarely do they lead to life-threatening symptoms like trouble breathing or wheezing. In an emergency, call 911 right away, but for symptoms of itching, rash, and redness, call your doctor to schedule an appointment to see what you might be allergic to so you can keep your skin calm and clear.

Looking for 100% chemical-free, all-natural nourishing face and body oils? Check out Earth & Elm Nourishing Face Oil and Earth & Elm Nourishing Body Oil. Subscribe to our Trusted Health Club newsletter for more information about natural living tips, natural health, oral health and skincare. If you are looking for more health resources check out the Trusted Health Resources list. 

Written By:

Jennifer Raskin is a freelance writer, wife and mom that loves cold weather despite her location in Florida, cooking, reading, watching ‘80s movies, weight-lifting, and wine tasting.

Reviewed By:

Founder Ray Spotts has a passion for all things natural and has made a life study of nature as it relates to health and well-being. Ray became a forerunner bringing products to market that are extraordinarily effective and free from potentially harmful chemicals and additives. For this reason Ray formed Trusted Health Products, a company you can trust for clean, effective, and healthy products. Ray is an organic gardener, likes fishing, hiking, and teaching and mentoring people to start new businesses. You can get his book for free, “How To Succeed In Business Based On God’s Word,” at www.rayspotts.com.