Contact dermatitis and contact allergy are common
problems in the general population (1 – 3). In developed
countries the use of cosmetics and skin care products
has increased. In Sweden, the total sales increased by
more than 143% from 1986 to 2001 (Table I). During
recent decades we have become aware that cosmetics
and skin care products (products and ingredients) can
cause both allergic and irritant contact dermatitis
(4 – 7). In a recent population-based study it was
found that 51.4% of the women and 38.2% of the
men considered themselves to have sensitive skin and of
these 57% and 31.4%, respectively, had experienced side
effects from using cosmetics or skin care products (8).
In an attempt to exercise control of cosmetics and
skin care products and provide greater safety for
Swedish consumers, a control system was introduced in
1989 at the Medical Products Agency (MPA) (9). This
includes a voluntary adverse reaction reporting procedure
for cosmetics and skin care products (10).