Contact dermatitis of the eyelids.

A series of White women seen in a dermatological private practice were investigated for causes of dermatitis of the eyelids. Patch tests were done with test substances of known allergenicity used as ingredients of vehicles of cosmetics and medicaments and also with substances which could be conveyed to the eyelids by the fingertips from distant sites. Patients were also patch-tested and usage tests were done with cosmetics currently used on the face, nails and hair. The commonest cause of the contact allergic dermatitis of the eyelids was a variety of facial creams.