Patch testing in suspected cosmetic-induced facial dermatosis: A tertiary care hospital-based prospective, observational study

• Author Details:   
• Kallolinee Samal
• Liza Mohaptra
• Nibedita Dixit
• Smaranika Satapathy
• Anita Subudhi
• Dinesh Ranjan Panda ^*

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Introduction:  Patch testing is a valuable tool for determining the culprit allergens—chemical combinations of different ingredients, and confirming the existence of an allergy. Studies on patch testing using cosmetic and standard battery series are scarce in the Indian subcontinent. In this study, we attempt to investigate the frequent allergens in cosmetics that cause cosmetic facial dermatitis.
Aim and Scope: A prospective, observational study was conducted at a tertiary care hospital.
Material and Methods: All patients with a possible clinical diagnosis of cosmetic-induced contact facial dermatitis were subjected to a patch test with 52 allergens from the Indian cosmetic series and Indian standard battery series and their personal cosmetic products on the upper back area. Patients were followed up after 48 and 72 hours to read the patch test findings.
The patch test reaction was noted per the International Contact Dermatitis Research Group Scoring System.
Results:  A total of 97 patients with an average age of 26 years were included in the research.
Female: male ratio was 3.3:1. The most common clinical presentation was itching (88.7%), followed by erythema (63.9%). The whole face was the most common site (49.5%), and face cream was the most common allergic cosmetic (24.7%). The most common patch chemicals identified in the present study were paraphenyline diamine (17.5%) followed by thiomersal (13.4%). Patch test positive for at least one allergic chemical was found in 79% of the study participants.
Conclusion: This study adds to the evidence pool of suspected allergens and the likelihood of allergic contact dermatitis due to cosmetics. Hence, this evidence can be used by clinicians to manage their cases better.

Keywords: Patch test, Cosmetic facial dermatoses, contact facial dermatitis, cosmetic dermatitis, cosmetic series, Indian standard battery series.