Alergeno del año...alcohol benzilico...

Chris Mowad, MD, FAAD

For all the contact dermatitis patch testing enthusiasts out there, this hot topic is about the Allergen of the Year 2026: benzyl alcohol (Dermatitis. 2026. 37(1): 4-12). This allergen is frequently found in personal care products, topical medicaments, and industrial products. It functions as a preservative, fragrance, or solvent. It can also be found in adhesives, cleaning agents, and construction and flooring materials. Benzyl alcohol is an emerging allergen. It is not on most standard trays, including the FDA-approved series, and therefore this allergen can be missed.

Allergic contact dermatitis to benzyl alcohol has been reported at rates ranging from 0.21-0.5% in several studies. Numerous case reports have documented the type IV reactions to benzyl alcohol in personal care products, paints, hearing aid molds, and medicated creams. Non-immunologic contact urticaria has also been seen with exposure to this allergen though this is less commonly reported. 

Sensitization rates of benzyl alcohol are low. However, usage is expected to continue to increase, so it is considered an emerging allergen that we should consider adding to our patch testing series. Relevance is also frequently high, ranging from 87.6-93.3% in the most recent NACDG cycle papers. Those allergic to benzyl alcohol may also have cross- and co-reactivity to other allergens such as Balsam of Peru, benzyl cinnamate, benzyl parabens, benzoic acid, fragrance, and sodium benzoate.

There is currently no consensus on the best concentration for patch testing and several concentrations and vehicles are being used. Given the expected continual rise in usage of this allergen, the observed sensitization, and the reported high relevance attributed to allergy to benzyl alcohol, this is an allergen to watch and to consider adding to your testing panels.