Benzophenones, chemical ultraviolet light absorbers with uses ranging from sunscreens to filters for color photography, are the American Contact Dermatitis Society's 2014 contact allergen of the year.
Benzophenone-3 (BP-3) is a compound that is incorporated into cosmetics and other personal hygiene products for its sunscreening effects. BP-3 is a known cause of photocontact and allergic contact dermatitis. In this study, 231 personal care products (114 from the United States and 117 from China) were examined to determine how often BP-3 was present and in what concentrations. The products fell into seven categories: toothpastes, hair care, body washes, hand soaps, sanitation, skin lotions and face creams, and makeup.
More than 80% (188) of the products contained BP-3, most frequently, skin lotions and makeup. These were also the products that had the highest concentrations. Toothpastes and sanitary products had the lowest frequency and sma…
Reviewing Author
DisclosuresConsultant / Advisory board Astellas Pharmaceuticals
EquityVaxin
Grant / Research support NIH; NIH/NCI; Veteran’s Administration; Ferndale Laboratories; Kyowa Hakko Kirin Pharma, Inc.
Editorial boards Cancer Prevention Research; Photodermatology, Photoimmunology, & Photomedicine; UpToDate; eMedicine; Journal of Dermatological Sciences; JAMA Dermatology
Leadership positions in professional societies American Academy of Dermatology (Vice Chair, Committee on Science and Research); Photomedicine Society (Board of Directors)
DisclosuresConsultant / Advisory board Astellas Pharmaceuticals
EquityVaxin
Grant / Research support NIH; NIH/NCI; Veteran’s Administration; Ferndale Laboratories; Kyowa Hakko Kirin Pharma, Inc.
Editorial boards Cancer Prevention Research; Photodermatology, Photoimmunology, & Photomedicine; UpToDate; eMedicine; Journal of Dermatological Sciences; JAMA Dermatology
Leadership positions in professional societies American Academy of Dermatology (Vice Chair, Committee on Science and Research); Photomedicine Society (Board of Directors)