Photo of irritant contact dermatitis likely due to soap residue trapped tightly against the skin
Previous Next 4 of 7 Irritant contact dermatitis

Common signs and symptoms of irritant contact dermatitis include:

  • Red rash or bumps, usually limited to the exposed area
  • Burning, stinging or itching, which may be severe
  • Dry, red patches, which may resemble a burn

Irritant contact dermatitis develops when your skin comes into contact with an irritating substance. Some people react to strong irritants after just one exposure. Others may develop a skin reaction after repeated contact with even mild irritants. Common irritants include solvents, bleach, soap and cosmetics.

Get the latest health advice from Mayo Clinic delivered to your inbox.

Sign up for free, and stay up-to-date on research advancements, health tips and current health topics, like COVID-19, plus expert advice on managing your health.

To provide you with the most relevant and helpful information and to understand which information is beneficial, we may combine your e-mail and website usage information with other information we have about you. If you are a Mayo Clinic Patient, this could include Protected Health Information (PHI). If we combine this information with your PHI, we will treat all of that information as PHI, and will only use or disclose that information as set forth in our notice of privacy practices. You may opt-out of e-mail communications at any time by clicking on the Unsubscribe link in the e-mail.

See more Multimedia Aug. 12, 2020