There is not any higher feeling than jumping into bed with freshly washed sheets… and nothing worse than waking up eight hours later covered in a rash. If this sounds familiar, there may be a likelihood a laundry detergent allergy is the offender that is making your skin irritated. Sure, detergent will help make our brights brighter, but the usually high concentration of chemicals within the stuff — able to removing the stubborn stains we get from god-knows-where — can sometimes do more harm than good.

One common concern attributable to detergent is its ability to trigger antagonistic skin reactions and conditions like contact dermatitis, the results of direct exposure to an allergen or irritant. Add within the indisputable fact that most formulas are infused with the coveted fresh-laundry aroma: As nice as it could smell, fragrances may be highly sensitizing.

Here, allergists and dermatologists come clean about detergents, the common allergens they contain, how they’ll mess with the skin, and what you possibly can do to avoid all of it.

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• Tania ElliottMD, is an allergist in Latest York City
• Sherwin R. SilkMD, is a board-certified adult and pediatric allergist
• Marie LegerMD Ph.D., is a board-certified dermatologist in Latest York City at Entiere Dermatology and an assistant clinical professor at Mount Sinai
• Purvi ParikMD, is a board-certified allergist with Allergy & Asthma Network in Latest York City

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• How can detergent negatively affect skin?
• How can I determine detergent’s the culprit?
• What should I do if I’m allergic to detergent?

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Even after an additional rinse and spin cycle, ingredients in your detergent can still linger in fabric fibers. Many products contain harsh chemicals (like 1,4-dioxanea potential carcinogen), preservatives, and artificial fragrances and dyes, all of which may aggravate the skin. “There are lots of potential allergens in laundry detergents,” says Marie LegerMD, Ph.D., a board-certified dermatologist in Latest York City at Entiere Dermatology and an assistant clinical professor at Mount Sinai. “Methylchloroisothiazolinone (MI) is a common allergen in the USA and a typical preservative utilized in laundry detergents — its use will not be as strictly regulated in the USA because it is in Europe and elsewhere, which has led to something of an epidemic of allergies to this recently.” Having numerous suds may mean stains are washed away, but those bubbles are the results of surfactants, which may cause allergic skin rashes. “One common surfactant, sodium dodecyl sulphate, is probably going still present on clothing after machine washing,” says Dr. Leger.

For this reason, people “can develop allergic contact dermatitis or irritant contact dermatitis, when the skin develops a hypersensitivity to certain body products, the scents in them, or any preservatives or other inactive ingredients in those products,” says Sherwin R. Hariri, MD, a board-certified adult and pediatric allergist.

When you will have an allergic response, to assist decipher what’s caused it, consider the food and drinks you have been consuming and the skin-care products you have been applying, especially in the event you recently deviated out of your usual routine in any way. (Did you are attempting a recent cuisine or add a special cream to your nighttime ritual?)