AllergyCertfied is an international allergy label. It has been founded because there was a need for exactly that; an international label that consumers all over the world can look for when they want to minimize the risk of getting skin allergy. Because we work with health, we have decided to not only check for allergens, but all impurities, carcinogens and endocrine disrupting chemicals.
Skin allergy (or contact dermatitis as your doctor would call it) is one of the most common chronic diseases and whether you live in Denmark, Belgium, England, Singapore or New York, there will be ingredients in your cosmetic products, skincare products, shampoos, detergents, glasses, clothes, toys the possibilities are endless, that you can have an allergic reaction to or can expose you to endocrine disrupting or carcinogenic chemicals.
When you see a product with the AllergyCertified label, it means that we have reviewed and assessed all substances in the product to ensure that there is the least possible risk of allergies. Contact allergy is concentration dependent, so the substance’s concentration, exposure and also the substance’s degree of purity are always important parameters in relation to the risk assessment we carry out. In some cases, such as nickel, it is known for example that even people with a nickel allergy can tolerate the products whose concentration is below 1ppm (parts per million). For substances such as perfume, where there is no safe concentration for people who have developed a perfume allergy, the substance must NOT be in the product, not even as an impurity.
The substance Cocamidopropyl betaine is an example of a substance that can cause allergies, studies show that the allergy is caused by the two impurities DMAPA and Aminoamide, and AllergyCertified therefore requires only Cocamidopropyl betaine, where the substance contains a maximum of 0.3 ppm Aminoamide and 15 ppm DMAPA (the concentrations where it is assessed as safe for allergy sufferers) may be used in the certified products.Although the products with this certification are rated down to the minimum concentration, there may be rare cases where a consumer reacts to a chemical that is not normally known to be allergenic in the concentration used. In this case, we would like to hear from you so that we can record your reaction and help you find what is in the products that you are reacting to.
The AllergyCertified logo is easy to decode for the consumer. Read more about the visual identity of AllergyCertifiedhere.
Here are just a few of the typical questions we get
What is skin allergy?
Skin allergy also called contact dermatitisis an allergy that you can get when you are in direct skin contact with allergens. The allergens can be chemical ingredients such as perfume, formaldehyde and methylisothiazolinone (preservatives) and ppd (hair colour and black henna tattoos).
Are allergies hereditary?
Everyone can get skin allergy, this kind of allergy mainly depends on what you get exposed to rather that what you inherit. The more you or your children are exposed to the allergens the bigger a risk. Some years ago skin allergy was only observed in adults, but new studies show that children are starting to get this allergy and the age is getting lower and lower.
Why do I get skin allergy?
There are two kinds of skin allergy. One is an irritative response. This is often seen on hands and comes after to much exposure to water, soap and oil where the skin barrier is broken and the skin reacts with eczema. This can be helped by preventing skin contact by using gloves.
The other reaction is called allergic contact dermatitis and comes after exposure to allergens. The bigger exposure the bigger a risk. Unfortunately we can not predict who get skin allergy, but the most common pattern is that people react after they have been exposed to the same chemical for several years. Some products such as deodorants and leave on products give a bigger exposure than rinse off products such as shampoo, soap ect.
Can I prevent getting skin allergy?
Yes, you can prevent getting skin allergy by avoiding products that contain allergens. You can find a list of the most common allergens on this website. If you want to use perfume you can avoid getting the perfume on your skin and instead spinkle it on your shirt were there is no skin contact.
You can also look for products, which have been AllergyCertified. These products have been carefully asessed by a toxicologist who examines every ingredient for allergens before the products are allowed to use our logo.If you have a specific allergy and want us to help you find AllergyCertified products without this you can contact us by email.
Unfortunately its not possible to give guaranties when it comes to skin allergy. Even though products with this certification are assessed to not cause an allergic reaction, there will be rare cases where a consumer will react to a chemical which is normally not known as being allergenic. In this case we will like to hear from you so that we can registre your reaction and help you find out what it is in the products you react to.
