Allergic contact dermatitis from vitamins: A systematic review

Abstract

Background and Aims Vitamins are bioactive compounds naturally found in many different types of food and required by the human body for many biological functions and enzymatic activities. Due to their antioxidant properties, certain vitamin derivatives have been synthesized for inclusion in many cosmetics, thus leading to an increasing incidence of allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) cases. Therefore, the present review may be helpful to provide an insight into the sensitizing role of at least certain vitamins and may also offer possible patch test alternatives for definitive diagnosis. Methods This study was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta‐Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Literature search regarding ACD cases to vitamins was performed using the Medline, PubMed, Scopus, EMBASE, and Google Scholar databases from January 1940 up to June 2021. Results A total of 4494 articles matched the keywords used for the researched. Records removed before screening included 15 duplicate articles and 3429 not eligible articles (e.g., not written in English, studies on animals, not relevant to the topic). A total of 1050 articles underwent the screening phase and 258 were therefore excluded as they were not primary studies. Subsequentially, 792 articles were considered eligible for the review and 688 of them were finally excluded as they did not report the outcome of interest. Therefore, 104 articles were definitely included in the present review. Conclusion ACD to vitamins is still probably an underestimated issue in cosmetology, as many vitamins are considered “natural” and therefore “safe” ingredients. On the contrary, according to current literature, almost all vitamins contained in topical products are able to induce allergic reactions, with the exception of vitamin B2 and vitamin B9. Patch tests are not standardized, thus leading to difficulties in diagnosis.

Establishment of Reference Range for Serum Concentration of Vitamin A and Vitamin E in Southern Sichuan Area of China

“…As an essential nutrient for maintaining normal metabolism and function of the body, fat‐soluble vitamins play an important role in growth, development, immune regulation, and other aspects [ 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 ].…”

α-Tocopherol: New Perspectives and Challenges for Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Target

“…However, topical application of VE can rarely cause contact dermatitis, erythema multiforme, and xanthomatous reaction 83,92) . Tocopheryl acetate showed a positive patch test in several cases; the culprit agent was an oxide product of TA that might be originated from inappropriate storge 83,93) . Also, α-Toc linoleate was reported to induce epidemic outbreak of allergic popular and follicular contact dermatitis possibly due to the oxidation or contaminant of α-Toc linoleate under the storage 86,94) .…”

“…Therefore, the emulsifier-free nanoparticle seemed still nice representative, though the delivery efficiency of α-Toc was lower than with the reference emulsion 99) . In terms of the problematic issue of synthetic VE, (all-rac) -α-Toc seemed induce dermatitis more frequently than natural origin, and higher concentration of VE in its pure oils can enhance the risk of them causing allergic contact dermatitis 93) . The improvement of the product would contribute to the responsible consumption and production of SDGs 12 7) .…”

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“… 25 The use of VAP for cosmetic/dermacosmetic purposes is quite common. 26 − 28 A recent use for VAP is its use in wound healing. 29…”

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