REVIEW article
Front. Public Health
Sec. Environmental Health and Exposome
Volume 13 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2025.1642873
A review of pharmaceutical and personal care products and atopic dermatitis based on epidemiological and basic research findings
Provisionally accepted
- 1Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, China
- 2Puer Kunhong Biotechnology Company, Yunnan, China
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Pharmaceutical and personal care products (PPCPs) are emerging pollutants that have been found to be related to allergic diseases. Currently, a large amount of research focused on the association between PPCPs and atopic dermatitis (AD), but there has been no evaluation of existing evidence on this topic. Here, we reviewed epidemiological and toxicological studies from 2014 to 2024, with a focus on common PPCPs such as antibiotics, phthalates, p-hydroxybenzoic acid, etc. We found that most PPCPs are positively correlated with the onset of AD, with particular attention paid to exposure during pregnancy and infancy. This reminds AD patients to be cautious when taking medication and choosing nursing products. Animal studies have shown that the pathogenesis of PPCPs may be mediated by dysbiosis, immune imbalance and oxidative stress. Despite inconsistent results in existing research, PPCPs are confirmed to be unfavorable drivers of AD occurrence and progression. Clarifying their potential link with AD is critical for informing subsequent policy and regulatory decisions.
Keywords: Pharmaceutical and personal care products, emerging contaminants, atopic dermatitis, Immunotoxicity, Risk factors, Health hazards
Received: 07 Jun 2025; Accepted: 28 Aug 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Xie, Jiang, Hu, Ding, Yu and Ye. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Xiaoqing Ye, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, China
Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.