Allergic Contact Dermatitis Associated With Men’s Personal Care Products: A Review of Allergens

Personal care product usage is becoming increasingly prevalent among men due to evolving attitudes surrounding appearance, aging, and masculinity. Given the specific characteristics of male skin compared with female skin and varying product use between males and females, the occurrence of allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) due to men's personal care products needs to be better characterized. The purpose of this review was to identify specific product types and ingredients causing ACD in males. PubMed search was conducted from conception to present day using keywords pertaining to male personal care product use. Case reports, case series, and case-control studies reporting a diagnosis of ACD due to a personal care product ingredient were analyzed. Products resulting in ACD included aftershave, cologne, deodorant, hair dye, hair gel, hair loss preparation, hand cleanser, lip balm, moisturizer, shampoo, and sunscreen. Although >90 allergens resulting in ACD were identified, the 5 most common allergens included para-phenylenediamine, minoxidil, musk ambrette, methylisothiazolinone, and cocamidopropyl betaine. Following this review, clinicians should be better able to recognize men's personal care products that commonly result in ACD, as well as specific allergens present across multiple product types. Doing so will lead to improved diagnosis and treatment of ACD due to personal care product usage in men and, in doing so, guide both clinical practice and future investigation in this area.