ALLERGIC CONTACT-DERMATITIS FROM EUXYL K 400 IN MOIST TOILET PAPER

A 40-year-old man developed a dermatitis of the perianal region and 3 fingers of the right hand after using topical ointments against hemorr hoids and moist toilet paper for years. Parch testing proved the trigg er of this allergic contact dermatitis. Positive test results appeared io the moist toiler paper and its preservative Euxyl K 400. The lesio ns improved rapidly after topical treatment with glucocorticosteroid o intment and avoiding the allergen. This report describes the problems of preserving cosmetics and toilet-articles: preservatives should have a good biocide quality and a low sensitizing potency. Euxyl K 400 mat ches most points of this assumption, and it replaces more and more the isothiazolinones (e.g. Kathon CG) in cosmetics. Nevertheless, in the last years contact dermatitis to this biocide is seen more often. This is exemplary for the fact that substances with an even low sensitizat ion capacity might frequently lead ro allergic reactions if the consum er is heavily exposed.