‘Hypoallergenic’ items sold at Superdrug and Boots fail allergy test

theguardian.com:

More than a third of personal care products, such as shampoos and body washes, marketed as hypoallergenic at Boots and Superdrug have been found to contain common skin allergens, research shows.

As a large proportion of the population have sensitive skin or allergies, products are increasingly using the term “hypoallergenic” to advertise goods. But the British Association of Dermatologists said there needed to be more regulation as some brands were stretching the “terms to their limit” and could not match these claims.

Personal care products included in the studies were shampoos, conditioners, skin care products, cosmetics, wet wipes, deodorants, shaving foams and body washes.

Researchers from Wrexham Maelor hospital and Glan Clwyd hospital in Wales reviewed products marked as hypoallergenic for the presence of allergens in the British Society for Cutaneous Allergy (BSCA) baseline series.

This series is the list of common allergens that are routinely tested during patch testing to identify someone with potential contact allergies – a type of allergic reaction caused by direct or indirect skin contact with something in a person’s environment.

A total of 208 products were included in the review; 47 (23%) were products that are rinsed off during use and 161 (77%) were products that are absorbed by the skin. At least one substance from the BSCA baseline series was an ingredient in 79 (38%) of these products. Of these, 54 (26%) had one potential allergen, 21 (10%) had two and four (2%) had three potential allergens from the series.

Dr Siwaporn Hiranput of Wrexham Maelor hospital, a member of the team behind the findings, said the research, which will be presented at the British Association of Dermatologists’ annual meeting,