Jewelry is a wonderful way to express your personality and add a touch of sophistication to your outfit. However it can be bothersome when you find out some of your jewelry pieces can cause an allergic reaction on your skin, especially if you have sensitive skin.
Check out our 5 tips on how to help you choose nickel-free hypoallergenic jewelry : -
1. Avoid Wearing Nickel Jewelry
If you are someone with sensitive skin, one of the first things you should do is to avoid wearing any costume jewelry. This is because most costume jewelry is nickel jewelry, and is prone to cause an allergic reaction for many people.
The most obvious sign of a nickel reaction is when you notice the greenish or brown stains on your skin. This type of allergic reaction can be minor for wearing costume jewelry rings, but it can cause severe rashes in the form of bracelets and necklaces.
Wearing jewelry that contains nickel can be extremely harmful for newly pierced ears. While your ears are still recovering, it is not recommended to switch out the earrings for at least 2 to 3 months. If you wore costume earrings for women after getting your ears pierced, it can cause infection on your ears and these nickel earrings should be removed instantly.
You can learn more about hypoallergenic jewelry and nickel allergy here:
2. Conduct a Scratch Test on Yourself
Scratch tests are extremely helpful for people with sensitive skin allergies. However, conducting your own test at home may be sufficient for you to decide which jewelry metals to avoid.
For instance: before buying a stylish silver necklace, try wearing a sterling silver ring for a few days to check for any allergic reaction. This is because the skin on your neck is much more sensitive than your fingers and wrists. Therefore, if the sterling silver ring causes an allergic reaction on your finger, then you should consider avoiding any necklaces made of the same material.
There are a few more ways for you to determine the quality of sterling silver jewelry, you can learn more about them here:
3. Choose Hypoallergenic Jewelry Metals
For those with sensitive skin, it is best to opt for choosing hypoallergenic and nickel free jewelry metals instead. Hypoallergenic materials such as sterling silver and stainless steel are least likely to cause skin discomfort as compared to other jewelry materials.
Sterling silver consists of 92.5% pure silver and a small composition of copper alloy. However, it’s an excellent hypoallergenic jewelry to go for and is available in various jewelry designs like silver pendant necklaces and even silver earrings. You can read more about the health advantages of wearing sterling silver here:
Alternatively, you could choose non-metal jewelry instead, such as beaded jewelry. Choosing a metallic bead bracelet gives the illusion of wearing a metallic chain bracelet and is also a hypoallergenic jewelry too.
4. Check the Material for Jewelry Clasps Hooks
While a jewelry piece can be beautiful and made of quality jewelry materials, there are occasions when jewelry manufacturers would resort to clasps and hooks that are made of lower grade materials to reduce cost. Therefore, when you are buying jewelry (especially when you are shopping online) you should double check that the necklace and bracelet clasps hooks are made of hypoallergenic materials.
5. Take Care of Your Jewelry and Your Skin Regularly
Last but not least, you should clean your jewelry regularly. Hypoallergenic jewelry is safe and comfortable for your skin, but it is also important to take great care of them.
For instance, whenever you are about to wash your hands or even apply skin lotion on your skin, you should always remove your jewelry. Make sure your skin is dry before putting on your jewelry pieces. Exposing your jewelry to chemicals and moisture can lead them to tarnish.
The simplest way to clean your jewelry is with dish soap and warm water. Mix warm water with eco-friendly dish soap. To remove tarnish and dirt from your jewelry, gently rinse them with the warm soap mix and wipe dry. For more jewelry care tips, you can read this guide on how to clean sterling silver jewelry here:
If you’re tired of getting a green tint on your skin from wearing jewelry, here’s our guide on how to prevent jewelry from turning your skin green.
Having sensitive skin doesn’t mean you should give up accessorizing, it just means that you should be more careful when choosing jewelry. This is why going for nickel free hypoallergenic jewelry is the best way to free yourself from any allergic reaction and also still express your fashion style.
Follow and keep our five tips in mind to get the most of your jewelry wearing experience! For more beautiful hypoallergenic jewelry, browse Eleganzia Jewelry’s sterling silver jewelry collection today.
