Product labels are meant to help you use a product wisely and safely and often include ingredient information. Identification of the ingredients in cosmetics, over-the-counter medicines, prescription drugs, and pesticides is required by law. Knowing where to look and how to read this information can help you avoid contact with substances that may cause your skin to react. Beware of products labeled as hypoallergenic, natural or organic. These labels are no guarantee that a product does not contain allergens and is safe for you to use if you have contact dermatitis.
Over-the-counter medicines and sunscreens must list active and inactive ingredients in a “DRUG FACTS” label. Be sure to check both the active and inactive ingredient lists to make sure that your allergen(s) is(are) not listed. Prescription drugs must also list active and inactive ingredients. You can find this information in the package insert and on patient information supplied with the drug. Your pharmacist can help you identify the drug’s active and inactive ingredients and help you avoid substances that cause your allergic reactions.
Cosmetics are products that cleanse, beautify or alter your appearance, such as makeup, body lotions and hand cleansers. By law, they must have ingredient information listed on the label. Ingredients are often listed in descending order, so that the first chemical in the list is present in the greatest concentration. But if ingredient amounts are less than 1%, these ingredients may be listed in any order.
Yes. At work, Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) contain information about ingredients, properties and hazards of products in the workplace. By law, MSDS must list any hazardous ingredient whose concentration is greater than 1%. Ideally, MSDS would list all product ingredients with chemical names. But because the laws vary by state, MSDS information can be incomplete and sometimes confusing. If you have questions or concerns about a product or chemical at work, talk to your employer or contact the product manufacturer.
If a product contains a pesticide, it must identify active and inactive (or inert) ingredients on the label. Therefore, products used in lawn and garden care or to control insects will have this information on the label. Products that contain disinfectants or antibacterial agents – such as most dishwashing soaps and hand soaps – must also list this information. For more information about product labels, you can visit the web sites of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (www.osha.gov), FDA (www.fda.gov) and Environmental Protection Agency (www.epa.gov).
The United States National Library of Medicine also has web sites with product content information at Haz-Map: Occupational Exposure to Hazardous Agents (nlm.nih.gov) and the Household Product Database (whatsinproducts.com/). Learning to read labels may seem challenging, but it can help you safely store and avoid products that contain your allergen both in your home and at work.