Glove-Related Contact Dermatitis and How to Prevent It

If you work with your hands, a good pair of safety gloves is vital. But if you have sensitive skin, those same gloves could increase your risks of developing Glove-Related Contact Dermatitis, which causes dry, itchy and even painful patches of skin on your hands. This happens because of the materials and chemicals that are often used to make the gloves, and can be solved with a pair of gloves specially designed for sensitive skin.

Glove use can cause contact dermatitis in some people

In this guide, we'll go over the essentials of glove related contact dermatitis and talk about some of our favourite skin-kind safety gloves. They're made to avoid skin irritation, while also helping you safely get the job done. 

What Does This Guide Cover?

• What Is Dermatitis?
• Why Can Gloves Cause Dermatitis?
• Expert Recommendations:
  • Want to Make Any Gloves Suitable for Sensitive Skin?
  • Best Overall Gloves for Sensitive Skin
  • Best Cut-Resistant Gloves for Sensitive Skin
  • Best Precision Work Gloves for Sensitive Skin
  • Best Chemical-Resistant Gloves for Sensitive Skin
  • Best Wet Grip Gloves for Sensitive Skin
  • Best Winter Gloves for Sensitive Skin
  • Best Disposable Gloves for Sensitive Skin
• What Else Can You Do to Help Your Hands?

What Is Contact Dermatitis?

Dermatitis is something of a catch-all term for the irritation and inflammation of the skin, and includes common conditions such as eczema. Dermatitis is typically classified according to one of two categories. The first being irritant contact dermatitis which manifests itself as dry, itchy skin and is caused by irritant chemicals, and the other being allergic contact dermatitis, which manifests itself as an itchy rash or blisters.

How Do Gloves Cause Dermatitis?

Wearing gloves can cause dermatitis because accelerators, latex, certain chemicals and solvents, are often used in the manufacturing of gloves. They aren't used in all gloves, and there's no guarantee that every glove will cause dermatitis or irritation. However, if you do have sensitive skin, wearing a pair of the gloves recommended below instead of standard safety gloves can help reduce the chance of skin reactions.

Want to make Any Gloves Suitable for Sensitive skin?

Raynaud's Disease Silver Liner Gloves

Skin-Kind Liner for any Gloves...

Before we get into work gloves, we want to mention these fantastic liner gloves made with a combination of silver thread and cotton. They're super soft and antimicrobial, to help you avoid skin reactions and irritation. With a really thin design, they're perfect as liner gloves under an pair of thicker and more protective gloves.

Why We Love Them...

✔ Silver material is extremely skin kind and excellent for heat retention
✔ Extremely flexible to maintain natural dexterity of your hands
✔ Also available in a fingerless model for added dexterity and sensitivity

Best Overall Gloves for Sensitive Skin

Uvex 60040 Phynomic Lite Breathable Safety Gloves

Why We Love Them...

✔ Approved to tackle dermatitis by the proDerm institute
✔ Palms and fingertips coated in aqua-polymer for fantastic grip
✔ Breathable build maintains airflow, promoting healthy skin

Suitable For...

✔ Ideal for precision tasks and protecting against mechanical risks
✔ Jobs such as assembly, installation, driving and warehousing
✔ All-day use with lightweight build that reduces hand fatigue

Not The Best For...

✘ Wet weather work (see our solution)
✘ Jobs that need high-level cut resistance (see our solution)

Customer Verdict: "Had contact dermatitis on my hands from other gloves. It was a nightmare, sensitive and cracked hands bleeding every day. Hand lotions didn’t help, I tried everything. I wear gloves every day at work so my skin didn’t have time to heal. Now I wear this gloves and my hands are healthy, healed. I am very happy with this product, it is lightweight, comfortable, would definitely recommend!" Hajnalka ★★★★★

Best Cut-Resistant Gloves for Sensitive Skin

Tegera Ejendals 8844 Ultra-Thin Cut-Resistant Work Gloves

Why We Love Them...

✔ Highest possible level E cut-resistance, ideal for most dangerous work
✔ Oeko-Tex certified for skin kindness and free from steel or glass to reduce irritation
✔ PU coating provides a good level of grip in wet and lightly oily weather
✔ Thin and extremely flexible design is ideal for high-dexterity work

Suitable For...

✔ High cut risk tasks such as engineering and aerospace
✔ Slightly wet and oily working conditions
✔ High precision jobs

Not The Best For...

✘ Working in extreme cold  (see our solution)
✘ Working with chemicals (see our solution)

Best Precision Gloves for Sensitive Skin

MaxiFlex Elite Palm-Coated Handling Gloves with Knitwrist 34-274

Why We Love Them...

✔ Micro-cup finish using GRIPTech for the safest grip
✔ Super-thin nitrile design is flexible and tactile
✔ Accredited by the Skin Health Alliance as skin-safe

Suitable For...

✔ Fine handling and intricate jobs that need dexterity
✔ Work indoors, or in dry and warm environments
✔ Logistics, warehousing and general handling

Not The Best For...

✘ Working in extreme cold (see our solution)
✘ Jobs that need high-level cut resistance (see our solution)

We Spoke to MaxiFlex, Who Said: "Weighing in at only 14 grams, the MaxiFlex Elite are some of our lightest and thinnest gloves, made for jobs where extreme dexterity is needed. On top of this, they're dermatologically accredited and pre-washed prior to packaging, so we can guarantee that they're 'skin-friendly'."

Customer Verdict: "Am very pleased with them. I work in retail, (supermarket replenishment and remote shopping) and these gloves are ideal...ticking both boxes for protection and dexterity." Steve ★★★★★

Best Chemical-Resistant Gloves for Sensitive Skin

Polyco Polygen Plus 35cm Long Fully Coated PVC Gauntlet Gloves P13

Why We Love Them...

✔ Comprehensive protection from chemicals and mechanical risks
✔ Latex- and accelerator-free build to help avoid skin irritation
✔ Tightly-woven fingers retain dexterity despite gauntlet design

Suitable For...

✔ Heavy duty work involving chemicals or solvents 
✔ Industrial cleaning using corrosive materials
✔ Protection for the wrists and lower forearms as well as hands

Not The Best For...

✘ More precise lab or medical work (see our solution)
✘ Jobs that need high-level cut resistance (see our solution)

We Spoke to Polyco, Who Said: "The Polygen Plus Gloves are made from Polyvinyl Chloride, a manmade material that is free from latex and accelerators that could cause skin irritation. They're great for working with chemicals, with fantastic resistance to acids, alkalis, oils and greases. The soft cotton liner makes them really comfortable, too."

Best Wet Grip Gloves for Sensitive Skin

Uvex 60060 Phynomic Wet Grip Gloves

Why We Love Them...

✔ Approved to help prevent dermatitis by the proDerm institute
✔ Water-resistant aqua polymer coating for grip in wet conditions
✔ Really high abrasion and tear resistance for fantastic protection

Suitable For...

✔ Precise or technical work in wet conditions 
✔ Industries like maintenance and utilities that can get damp
✔ Protecting your hands during wide range of mechanical jobs

Not The Best For...

✘ Working with chemicals (see our solution)
✘ Jobs that need high-level cut resistance (see our solution)

Customer Verdict: "Am very pleased with them. I work in retail, (supermarket replenishment and remote shopping) and these gloves are ideal...ticking both boxes for protection and dexterity." Steve ★★★★★

Our Best Winter Gloves for Sensitive Skin

MaxiDry Zero Thermal Waterproof Gloves 56-451

Why We Love Them...

✔ Water- and oil-proof liner keeps your hands dry and clean
✔ Independently accredited as 'skin safe' by the Skin Health Alliance
✔ Thermal resistance down to -10°C up to 100°C for extreme versatility

Suitable For...

✔ Giving you an excellent grip in cold, wet and oily environments
✔ Working with a range of mechanical risks, including heat
✔ Working outdoors in cold/wet conditions

Not The Best For...

✘ Extra-fine handling and precision work (see our solution)
✘ Jobs that need high-level cut resistance (see our solution)

MaxiDry Says: The MaxiDry Zero Gloves have been designed with extremes in mind. Resistance to the cold, water, oil, heat and a medium-to-high level of mechanical resistance against abrasion, tears, cuts and punctures make the gloves extremely versatile.

Customer Verdict: "I used these gloves whilst working along side a river handling wet tools in near freezing conditions. Good grip, the gloves remained water proof and kept my hands warm. I found the gloves to be a very good fit." Keith ★★★★★

Best Disposable Gloves for Sensitive Skin

Nitrex NGN06 Accelerator-Free Nitrile Examination Gloves

Why We Love Them...

✔ Accelerator, sulphur and powder free to help prevent skin reactions
✔ Super-thin and flexible, offering sensitivity and dexterity near bare hands
✔ Ambidextrous design and strong nitrile build for versatility and protection

Great For...

✔ The most precise work, where you really need to be able to feel what you're doing
✔ General clinical use in surgeries, hospitals, dentist clinics and more
✔ Work where cross-contamination risks need to be minimised

Not The Best For...

✘ Mechanical work, where more protection is needed (See our solution)
✘ Extra protection dealing with chemicals (See our solution)

We Spoke with Nitrex, Who Said: "The NGN06 are made with a longer production process than most nitrile gloves, that cleans off harsh production chemicals to ensure minimal skin reactions. They're also incredibly versatile, so if you're looking for all-purpose disposable gloves for sensitive skin, these are the gloves for you."

Customer Verdict: "I bought these gloves because I have contact dermatitis. The gloves are worn for emergency ambulance duties for long periods and the new accelerator free gloves seem excellent and there is improvement after just a few days" Thomas ★★★★★

What Else Can You Do to Help Your Hands?

Gloves In a Bottle 

We're glove specialists and we know that sometimes just pair of gloves won't be enough. Our final product is a cream made to treat irritable skin, even when you're not wearing dermatitis gloves. Gloves in a Bottle is a shielding lotion that's designed to protect your hands "like an invisible pair of gloves".

It's made for those with serious skin conditions and has been proven to help improve irritable and dry hands in just one month. When used together with a pair of skin-kind safety gloves, you can give your hands resolute, round-the-clock dermatological support.