How to Tell If You’re Allergic to Your Laundry Detergent
Clothes so fresh and so clean — but so itchy? Here’s why.
There’s no better feeling than jumping into bed with freshly washed sheets… and nothing worse than waking up eight hours later covered in a rash. If this sounds familiar, there is a chance a laundry detergent allergy is the culprit that’s making your skin irritated. Sure, detergent can help make our brights brighter, but the often high concentration of chemicals in the stuff—capable of removing the stubborn stains we get from god-knows-where—can sometimes do more harm than good.
One common concern caused by detergent is its ability to trigger adverse skin reactions and conditions like contact dermatitis, the result of direct exposure to an allergen or irritant. Add in the fact that most formulas are infused with the coveted fresh-laundry aroma: As nice as it may smell, fragrances can be highly sensitizing.
Here, allergists and dermatologists come clean about detergents, the common allergens they contain, how they can mess with the skin, and what you can do to avoid it all.
Meet the experts:
Tania Elliott, MD, is an allergist in New York City
Sherwin R. Hariri, MD, is a board-certified adult and pediatric allergist
Marie Leger, MD, PhD, is a board-certified dermatologist in New York City at Entiere Dermatology and an assistant clinical professor at Mount Sinai
Purvi Parik, MD, is a board-certified allergist with Allergy & Asthma Network in New York City
Jella S. Mercado-Garcia, MD, FPDS, MHA is the chairperson of Fatima University Medical Center Antipolo’s department of dermatology in Rizal.
In this story:
How can detergent negatively affect skin?
How can I determine detergent’s the culprit?
What should I do if I’m allergic to detergent?
How can detergent negatively affect skin?
Even after an extra rinse and spin cycle, ingredients in your detergent can still linger in fabric fibers. Many products contain harsh chemicals (like 1,4-dioxane, a potential carcinogen), preservatives, and artificial fragrances and dyes, all of which can aggravate the skin. According to board-certified dermatologist Jella Garcia, MD of the Fatima University Medical Center Antipolo, “Allergic reactions from detergents usually stem from the additives of fragrance, preservatives, as well as surfactants like sodium lauryl sulfate.” She also cautions against essential oils in detergents, which can also be allergens.
Because of this, people “can develop allergic contact dermatitis or irritant contact dermatitis, when the skin develops a hypersensitivity to certain body products, the scents in them, or any preservatives or other inactive ingredients in those products,” says Sherwin R. Hariri, MD, a board-certified adult and pediatric allergist. “Laundry detergent allergies can manifest as red itchy rashes on the skin, and could even trigger asthmatic reactions,” Dr. Garcia adds.
How can I determine detergent’s the culprit?
When you have an allergic reaction, to help decipher what’s caused it, consider the food and drinks you’ve been consuming and the skin-care products you’ve been applying, especially if you recently deviated from your usual routine in any way. (Did you try a new cuisine or add a different cream to your nighttime ritual?)
Once you’ve ruled those factors out of the equation, Dr. Elliott says you should consider the location of the affected area. For instance, “if the rash is present on one side of your face and you’re a side sleeper, detergent could be the cause,” she explains, adding that detergents are also a common cause of hand dermatitis. “You should also ask yourself whether you’ve recently switched detergents and if you only get rashes when you sleep in hotel rooms, as commercial-grade detergents are notorious for causing facial dermatitis.”
One caveat Dr. Elliott does note, however, is that you can develop a contact allergy to an ingredient at any given time, so you shouldn’t rule out the one you’ve been using for a while, either. “When patients come to see me with new rashes around the neck and other areas covered by clothing, it’s a common sign of allergic or irritant contact dermatitis is caused by a detergent,” says Marie Leger, MD Ph.D., a board-certified dermatologist in New York City at Entiere Dermatology and an assistant clinical professor at Mount Sinai. She adds, “Usually it’s scaly, itchy, and often localized to particular body parts.” To narrow down exactly which ingredient is causing the problem, “see an allergist and be evaluated for contact dermatitis by patch testing, which is a test for each individual ingredient in a product,” says Dr. Hariri.
What should I do if I’m allergic to detergent?
If you have a red flakey rash or hives, “stop using your detergent and see an allergist to confirm the cause,” says Purvi Parik, MD, a board-certified allergist with Allergy & Asthma Network in New York City, who adds she would also switch to a dye-free and allergen-free detergent.
For a locally-available detergent, Dr. Garcia recommends Cycles Mild Laundry Detergent, which is free from dyes, SLS, and other unnecessary ingredients. On the other hand, Dr. Parik adds to “stop using fabric softener,” a common cause of rashes. If you have tried all of this and the reaction persists, “consult a dermatologist,” says Dr. Leger. “Lots of other rashes—including eczema and allergies to other things like clothing dyes—can mimic a reaction to your laundry detergent.”
