'Maskne': Why your face is breaking out under your mask and how to stop it

By Sandee LaMotte, CNN

Updated 1629 GMT (0029 HKT) June 25, 2020

You've heard of peanut and pollen allergies, and shampoos that make your skin break out in hives. But almost anything in your environment can be an allergen, says Dr. Matthew Zirwas, a contact dermatitis expert at Ohio State's Wexner Medical Center -- "whether it's something that's very synthetic or man-made... or it's something totally natural like a botanical extract." <br />Click through the gallery to see 10 things you didn't know you could be allergic to.
Photos: 10 things you didn't know you could be allergic to
You've heard of peanut and pollen allergies, and shampoos that make your skin break out in hives. But almost anything in your environment can be an allergen, says Dr. Matthew Zirwas, a contact dermatitis expert at Ohio State's Wexner Medical Center -- "whether it's something that's very synthetic or man-made... or it's something totally natural like a botanical extract."
Click through the gallery to see 10 things you didn't know you could be allergic to.
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<strong>Cleansing wipes</strong><br /><br />A few years ago, Zirwas and his colleagues noticed an influx of patients with rashes on their private parts and mothers with rashes on their hands. A bit of research revealed more companies were using a chemical preservative called methylisothiazolinone, or MI, to replace preservatives such as paraben and formaldehyde in pre-moistened personal hygiene wipes and baby wipes. While MI has been around for decades, putting it into widespread use brought the allergy to chemists' attention.<br /><br />"There's this science behind trying to predict which chemicals people will become allergic to," Zirwas says. "A lot of it is guesswork."
Photos: 10 things you didn't know you could be allergic to
Cleansing wipes

A few years ago, Zirwas and his colleagues noticed an influx of patients with rashes on their private parts and mothers with rashes on their hands. A bit of research revealed more companies were using a chemical preservative called methylisothiazolinone, or MI, to replace preservatives such as paraben and formaldehyde in pre-moistened personal hygiene wipes and baby wipes. While MI has been around for decades, putting it into widespread use brought the allergy to chemists' attention.

"There's this science behind trying to predict which chemicals people will become allergic to," Zirwas says. "A lot of it is guesswork."
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<strong>The lotion you've used forever</strong><br /><br />You've used it every day for the last 10 years, yet suddenly you're seeing red bumps whenever you apply your favorite cream. It happens, Zirwas says. If you're genetically susceptible to be allergic to a certain chemical, you're playing the lottery every time you use a product that contains it. <br /><br />"You can use something for years and years and years with no problem at all," he says. But "once you're allergic to it, you'll stay allergic your whole life."
Photos: 10 things you didn't know you could be allergic to
The lotion you've used forever

You've used it every day for the last 10 years, yet suddenly you're seeing red bumps whenever you apply your favorite cream. It happens, Zirwas says. If you're genetically susceptible to be allergic to a certain chemical, you're playing the lottery every time you use a product that contains it.

"You can use something for years and years and years with no problem at all," he says. But "once you're allergic to it, you'll stay allergic your whole life."
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