It is popular to use food-based ingredients in cosmetic products. However, several studies have indicated that food allergy may be developed through skin exposure to foods.
Young children develop tolerance to foods when they are introduced to them, which typically occurs during the first two years of their life. This tolerance protects against sensitization via the skin. If you are exposed to a food via the skin before oral tolerance has been established, you risk developing food allergy. Children whose skin barrier is not intact, as seen in atopic dermatitis (infantile eczema), is especially vulnerable.
The market was mapped, partly by use of the database behind the app ”Kemiluppen” from the Danish Consumer Council THINK Chemicals, and partly by searches in webshops. The aim was to identify cosmetic products with ingredients based on foods that typically cause food allergy.
Based on the mapping, it was decided to focus on analysis of proteins from milk, almond and soy. A number of products were purchased in Danish stores and web-shops, and in webshops in the rest of the EU and out-side the EU. The purchased products were either aimed at children or at specific skin types.
Overall, it was found that the analysis method ELISA can be used to determine the presence of milk protein, almond protein and soy protein in cosmetic products, when the proteins is present in a sufficient quantity.
It was not possible to set limits on the quantity of food protein, under which young children cannot be sensitized.