Allergic Contact Dermatitis from Glycerin in a Moisturizing Cream

October 2003 in “ Contact dermatitis ”

P. W. Preston, Tracey M. Finch

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allergic contact dermatitis glycerin patch testing eczema

Studysummary Glycerin in hand cream can cause allergic skin reactions.

Our plain-language summary. Not medical advice or a treatment recommendation. Consult a qualified healthcare professional before changing treatment. Full disclaimer ·

A 29-year-old woman developed patchy eczema due to an allergic reaction to glycerin in her hand cream, confirmed by patch testing. Avoiding glycerin resolved her symptoms. This case highlighted that, although rare, glycerin could act as a contact allergen. Previous reports of glycerin-induced allergic contact dermatitis were limited, with only one author reporting two cases out of thousands tested.

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