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. 2025 Feb 11;21(1):9.
doi: 10.1186/s13223-025-00954-7.

Moisturizer induced contact anaphylaxis

Bronte Jeffrey  1   2 , Logan Gardner  3   4 , Michelle Le  5 , Julie Frost  5 , Ming Wei Lin  5   6   7   8
Affiliations

Moisturizer induced contact anaphylaxis

Bronte Jeffrey et al. Allergy Asthma Clin Immunol. .

Abstract

Background: Contact allergens typically trigger localised reactions, but systemic Type I hypersensitivity from skin contact reactions are rare.

Case presentation: We present the case of a 69-year-old non-atopic male who developed anaphylaxis following the application of moisturizer to an area of chemical burns. Skin testing showed a strong positive result to moisturizer. Whilst not all ingredients were available for testing, phenoxyethanol was thought to be the likely culprit agent based on literature review and a weakly positive skin test result.

Conclusion: Products such as moisturizers can rarely trigger anaphylaxis, especially when applied to damaged skin which may favor systemic absorption. This case highlights the need for careful consideration of cosmetic application when discerning culprit allergens.

Keywords: Allergy; Anaphylaxis; Contact; Hypersensitivity; Urticaria.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declarations. Ethics and consent to publish: Patient consent was received for case report and inclusion of visual elements. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Table 1
Table 1
Ingredients in Redwin Moisturizer and QV moisturizer. Grey – shared ingredients. Orange – implicated ingredient. Blue – different ingredients
Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Skin prick test demonstrating wheal from implicated moisturizer
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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