Contact Dermatitis Prevention

The best approach to preventing contact dermatitis is avoiding the substance that causes you skin rashes or other reactions.

Prevention at Home

Once you and your doctor has identified what substances or activities caused your initial outbreak, it’s important to avoid those substances in the future. If you know there’s something to which you are allergic, make sure to read all labels on cosmetics, lotions, soaps, and other products that will regularly come in contact with your skin.

To prevent contact dermatitis, some people may need to switch to dye- and perfume-free soaps, detergents, and other household products.

Prevention at Work

Often, however, avoidance is impossible in workplace environments. Protective gear—gloves, shirts, a mask, etc.—are necessary to reduce the chance of contact with the allergen. This could include:

• Using non-latex protective gloves
• Wearing long sleeve shirts
• Using good ventilation
• Using barrier creams or skin cleansers
• Good personal hygiene
• Properly storing chemicals
• Using disposable paper towels

If you cannot avoid substances that irritate your skin, washing the affected area immediately with warm water and mild soap can help contain your skin’s reaction.