Contact dermatitis from fatty alcohols

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the frequency of sensitization to fatty alcohols in a group of patients with suspected cosmetic or medicament contact dermatitis. From May 1992 to September 1995, we patch tested a series of 5 fatty alcohols on 146 patients. These included 108 females and 38 males aged from 13 to 72 years (mean age 42.5). These patients, who had previously been tested with the GIRDCA standard series, were selected because their clinical lesions or histories indicated topical preparations as the possible source of their contact dermatitis. High-grade fatty alcohols (> 99% pure) were used for testing. 34 patients (23.2%), 25 female and 9 male aged from 14 to 72 years, showed a positive patch test to fatty alcohols, 33 of them to oleyl alcohol. A total of 39 reactions were detected with 5 patients showing more than 1 positive reaction. Our results show that sensitization to oleyl alcohol is not rare in patients with contact dermatitis due to cosmetics or topical medicaments.

Contact dermatitis caused by fatty alcohols: may polyethoxylation of the fatty alcohols influence their sensitizing potential?

“…Lauryl, myristyl, oleyl, cetyl and stearyl alcohols are the fatty alcohols most frequently used as thickeners in cosmetic products. A previous study in a large number of patients with contact dermatitis showed positive reactions to these fatty alcohols in 23.2% of patients (2). Most of them reacted to oleyl alcohol, whereas myristyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol gave only sporadic reactions.…”

An epidemic of allergic contact dermatitis due to epilating products

“…Lauryl alcohol (syn: 1‐dodecanol) is a fatty alcohol (C 12 H 26 O) widely used as an emulsion stabilizer, surfactant, skin‐conditioning and viscosity increasing agent. In a comparative study testing several fatty alcohols including lauryl alcohol, the latter remained negative (14). This could be due to the high quality of the substances used (since impurities in fatty alcohols have been reported to be the actual sensitizers) or a too low a patch test concentration, i.e.…”

Scientific Opinion on the evaluation of the substances currently on the list in the annex to Commission Directive 96/3/EC as acceptable previous cargoes for edible fats and oils - Part II of III

“…Decyl alcohol has been reported to be an irritant (Robinson, 2002). Cetyl alcohol is a wellrecognized contact allergen (Blondeel et al, 1978;Tosti et al, 1996;Oiso et al, 2003;Aakhus and Warshaw, 2011). Myristyl alcohol has been reported as a contact allergen both in medicaments and metal working fluid (Edman and Möller, 1986;Pecegueiro et al, 1987;Tosti et al, 1996;Geier et al, 2006).…”

“…Myristyl alcohol has been reported as a contact allergen both in medicaments and metal working fluid (Edman and Möller, 1986;Pecegueiro et al, 1987;Tosti et al, 1996;Geier et al, 2006). Stearyl alcohol is reported to be a very weak contact allergen (Tosti et al, 1996;Yesudian and King, 2001;Thormann et al, 2009). One study reports cetylic alcohol to be a contact allergen (Le Coz et al, 1998).…”

“…Cetyl alcohol is a wellrecognized contact allergen (Blondeel et al, 1978;Tosti et al, 1996;Oiso et al, 2003;Aakhus and Warshaw, 2011). in cosmetic products (Andersen and Broesby-Olsen, 2006) and metal-working fluids (Tosti et al, 1996;Geier et al, 2006). Stearyl alcohol is reported to be a very weak contact allergen (Tosti et al, 1996;Yesudian and King, 2001;Thormann et al, 2009).…”