A Cross-Sectional Study of Contact Allergens in Hotel Personal Care Products in Canada, the United States and Europe.

BACKGROUND

Personal care products (PCPs), such as shampoos, conditioners and body washes, can contain ingredients that may cause allergic contact dermatitis (ACD). Hotels commonly offer complimentary toiletries; however, there is limited data regarding the allergen content of these products.

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to identify allergens within PCPs that may cause ACD in hotels across Canada, the United States (US) and Europe.

METHODS

A cross-sectional analysis was conducted to identify American Contact Dermatitis Society (ACDS) core allergens listed in the ingredients of PCPs sampled from 90 hotels across Canada, the US and Europe. Hotels were stratified equally into luxury, mid-scale and budget-friendly categories.

RESULTS

Methylchloroisothiazolinone/methylisothiazolinone (MCI/MI) was found in 4.4% of hotel products in Europe, which is significantly lower than its prevalence in Canada (47.8%) and the US (40.0%) (p < 0.0001). In Canada and the US, DMDM hydantoin, a formaldehyde-releasing preservative, was detected in approximately one in seven products but was absent in the toiletries from European hotels (Canada vs. Europe: p = 0.01; US vs. Europe: p = 0.02).

CONCLUSION

A higher percentage of multiple ACDS core allergens were identified in complimentary hotel toiletries in Canada and the US than in Europe. This study underscores the importance of patient and clinician awareness of the potential risk of ACD resulting from exposure to hotel products.