A new study show that skin allergy is not only affecting the children’s skin, but also their quality of life.

If you ask me, no child should have to fight neither the direct effects nor the side effects of skin allergy. The main reason for getting skin allergy is that you have been exposed to the wrong (as in bad) chemicals. Unfortunately, more children are getting skin allergy at a younger age.

In a large Danish study conducted for nine years 2.594 children with eczema, were tested positive for skin allergy. The study showed that fragrance, metal and rubber chemicals were the most frequent allergens. The study has just been explored further in order to examine how the children are dealing with their allergy, how severe the condition is and if their skin allergy has any effect on their quality of life.

Four out of five of the children had outbreaks of eczema at least once a year. 31 % had eczema all the time. And it sadly showed that the children’s skin allergy was affecting their quality of life.  A chronic and persistent eczema was the strongest risk factor for severely impaired quality of life. Age didn’t seem to have an influence, but there was a big difference in gender with girls being the most effected when it came to quality of life.

The study concluded that children with skin allergy should be carefully treated and guided, in order to minimize the disease burden and to avoid the skin allergy becoming chronic. This can be problematic though. Having a skin allergy can be quite difficult to deal with. More than 46 % of patients with skin allergy find it very difficult to read the ingredients list on their skin care products and thus avoid the allergens they are reacting to.

In my opinion this is not surprising. Let me give you a few examples: if you are allergic to the preservative formaldehyde then you need to avoid not only formaldehyde but also formaldehyde donors and there are quite a lot of them, all with different names. If you have a severe allergy to nickel it is not only your jewels you need to examine carefully, you can also risk reacting to some of your makeup such as mascara because it most likely contains nickel.

One of the reasons I have founded AllergyCertified is to make it easier for consumers to choose skin friendly products no matter if you live in Copenhagen, Barcelona, New York or Mexico City. I am always ready to answer your questions regarding a product or an ingredient. So please do not hesitate to contact me. If five minute of my time can save your child from getting skin allergy it is definitely worth it.