Protection from irritants.

Contact dermatitis is a common skin disease in the workplace and at home. The theoretically optimal way to minimize this problem is to use skin protection products such as barrier creams and moisturizers. Numerous ingredients have been formulated into the skin protection products in the marketplace. However, the US Food and Drug Administration only issued 13 skin protectants for over-the-counter products. Definition, reasons, mechanism of action and duration, application methods as well as efficacy of using skin protection products are extensively reviewed in this article. We conclude that the use of skin protection products may help people to reduce the intensity of skin irritations caused by irritants at home and at the workplace. We should remind the public not to use them as a primary protection against high-risk substances such as corrosive agents. Additionally, careful selection of appropriate skin protection products in the specific situations/environments is suggested.