Skin allergies are very common, but a skin allergy to water is rare, although what is not widely known is that water can be a trigger for milder skin conditions like rosacea and eczema too
A UK woman, Katie Dell from North Wales, was reported this week to be one of the 35 people in the world to have the rare skin allergy aquagenic urticaria, which is a severe allergic skin reaction to water.
Even crying makes Katie’s skin react, as does rain, showers and even her own sweat. Katie has to give up her work as a dance teacher as her sweat causes her skin to react.
This rare water allergy can be triggered by a number of things, but the most common triggers are high or low water temperature or chemicals in tap water.
[quote]Even though it’s rare to have such a severe allergy as aquagenic urticaria, sensitive skin conditions such a rosacea or eczema can also be either triggered or made worse by water.[/quote]
It’s a common mistake for people with rosacea to frequently splash or wash their face with cold water to try and calm it down. I n fact the cold water can make the redness worse.
In addition very sensitive skin is more prone to reactions to the chemicals present on all tap water.
The best way to avoid water allergies if you have a sensitive skin condition or are prone to skin allergies is to use a water-free cleanser for sensitive skin such as KALME Water-Free Cream Cleanser, to clean your skin instead of water to help reduce skin flare ups and reduce skin sensitivity.
