Allergic reactions

Allergic reactions are not the same thing as what happens when your skin is irritated. Almost anything can illicit an allergic reaction. On the skin, an allergic reaction to a sub­stance can look nearly identical to an irritant reaction, but when it comes to what is going on beneath the surface of your skin it is a completely different reaction. How can you tell the difference when your skin is reacting because it is being irritated versus an allergic reaction? Generally, an allergic response includes persistent redness, itching, and some amount of swelling, causing skin to look more distended. For more information please see the chapter on Solutions for Allergy Prone Skin.