Here is a partial list of products that contain latex.
If you know of anything that is missing from this list, please leave a comment with your suggestions.
- Adhesive tape
- Baby-bottle nipples
- Balloons
- Bandages
- Condoms
- Clothing (in some cases, especially if it has an elastic)
- Diapers
- Elastic bands
- Foot wear (e.g. cork beds)
- Pacifiers
- Pet toys
- Rubber gloves (especially medical)
- Sanitary pads
- Tire dust (especially residents living near a busy road)
- Under garments
- Self-Seal Envelopes
- Napkin Wraps
- Currency Wraps
- Protective Wrapping Materials
- Bandage Wraps
- Candy Wrappers
- Medical Packaging
- Luggage Tags
- Apparel Wraps
- Halloween Masks
- Flexible toys
- Halloween props & special effects
- Doll Bodies
- Architectural Restoration
- Manufactured Stone Veneer
- Ornamental Concrete / Statuary
- Wax Candle Making
- Plaster Statuary
Note that according to my research, synthetic latex, such as is found in latex-based house paints, is not known to cause allergic reactions(1). This is disputed by at least one person who has left a comment below.
Foot Notes
1: College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology
Internal Links
External Links
Self-Seal Envelopes
Napkin Wraps
Currency Wraps
Protective Wrapping Materials
Bandage Wraps
Candy Wrappers
Medical Packaging
Luggage Tags
Apparel Wraps
Halloween Masks
Flexible toys
Halloween props & special effects
Doll Bodies
Architectural Restoration
Manufactured Stone Veneer
Ornamental Concrete / Statuary
Wax Candle Making
Plaster Statuary
Napkin Wraps
Currency Wraps
Protective Wrapping Materials
Bandage Wraps
Candy Wrappers
Medical Packaging
Luggage Tags
Apparel Wraps
Halloween Masks
Flexible toys
Halloween props & special effects
Doll Bodies
Architectural Restoration
Manufactured Stone Veneer
Ornamental Concrete / Statuary
Wax Candle Making
Plaster Statuary
(Visited 55,209 times, 1 visits today)
{ 61 comments… read them below or add one }
I have found that there is latex in eye lash glue, which caused a very disfiguring reaction.
I managed to find a latex-free eyelash glue for sale in Superdrug, similar price to all the others – although I haven’t tested it out yet!
Does anyone know if blow up balls (not rubber) have latex in them?
Hello, I am re-posting my original question with clarifications:
Lisa (December 12, 2010 at 06:52)
-I have a confirmed level 2 latex allergy and try my best to avoid it at all costs; as every exposure to natural rubber and the related fruits (that I am also reacting to), worsens the condition.
-Now for my current problem: My doctor has recently put me on a gluten free diet… and I am reacting to some of the commercial gluten-free breads on the market. Some ingredient labels have Xanthan gum, Guar gum, Arabica gum, etc. Can anyone tell me if there is a list of latex related gums and/or additives that I now need to watch out for?
-Is there a website that would list the correlations between latex allergies and all known food additives?
I goto work and put on an apron with latex, rubs on to my clothing and then I come home cuddle to my son, who has an allergy, finds that he has a rash on his arms.
We would like to implore that all Clothing manufactures put labels on clothing saying that it might contain latex.
How do I go about this?
Hallo
I agree it will help if there it a lable on clothing to help people who suffer from latex allergy. What do you do with underware most of it contains latex and a lot of clothing is so thin that you can see throw . Its is a big frustration.
-I have a confirmed level 2 latex allergy and try my best to avoid it at all costs; as every exposure to natural rubber and the related fruits (that I am also reacting to), worsens the condition.
-Now for my current problem: My doctor has recently put me on a gluten free diet… and I am reacting to some of the commercial gluten-free breads on the market. Some ingredient labels have Xanthan gum, Guar gum, Arabica gum, etc. Can anyone tell me if there is a list of latex related gums and/or additives that I now need to watch out for?
-Is there a (latex-related) allergen-free GLUTEN ALTERNATIVE anywhere in the world? (…so I can bake my own bread.)
I’m wondering if gel nails may contain latex.
Since finding out I have a latex allergy, I have had a bad reaction to our garden hose, and laminate that I use at work. Also some shopping cart handles cause my hands to break out in tiny blisters and itch and burn.
I have been told the handles shouldn’t do that but it still happens if I don’t wear gloves. Any comments or help would be appreciated.
Thank you
Josia Greathouse
Hi
I just recently found out i have a latex allergy. I get the rash and shortness of breath etc. I work in a shop with latex balloons and i was wondering does anyone know if touching surfaces that have come in contact with latex can cause a reaction i need to know so i can talk to work about it but i dont want to test it!!!
thanks x
It depends on how sensitive you are.
Certainly if you are working in an environment where latex is used a lot, small particles are bound to build up on surfaces.
My job has recently decided to patsch a hole in thew wall of my office. After aabout 30min of the sanding of the sheetrock & joint compound, I started having similer reaction as when I get around latex. I had to leave work due to it, after comiing back to work I had to clean all of the sanding dust off my desk & stuff. 2 hrs into the cleaning I was taken to the ER for an allergic react. Come to find out sheetrock contains latex & joint compound cxontains 2 types of latex.
Latex hits me airborne also. Latex gloves should not be allowed at all. Too many people have latex allergies, and it doesn’t seem to bother them at the restaurants. I am also allergic to latex to the extreme, I cannot get any worse. Call ahead to restuarants, hotels, & friends of mine for just a evening out together. Keep all our shoes in boxes, both mine and my husbands. When I travel, I must take a blanket to sit on so the latex cushion won’t make me itch. I pack my own pillow, sheets, blankets for traveling. I cannot even go to a restaurant and eat if the place used latex gloves with powder. I do leave quickly. I also have cross sensivity to fruits and vegetables, they can give me a latex allergie-like potatoes, bananas, kiwi, peaches, plums, pineapple, blueberries & tomatoes. Just from touching the dry rubber throughout a day, I get internal burning, itching, all over like you would not believe. Alot of furniture at peoples houses we know, all of their furniture make me itch.
My clothes has to be all cotton or nylon clothes.
Did you know newspapers, the ink is actually latex print. Especially when they are wet! Your mouse pads, rubber mats under chairs, and all electrical cords and weatherstripping. I hope this helps someone. go to address: http://www.latexallergylinks.org/musc.html
or email me back for more quesions.
I am sorry to hear about you severe latex allergy. My child has the same air borne reaction and has developed allergies to almost all food on the latex list as well.He can not go in most stores or restaurants either. How did you learn which of your products in your house contained latex? I am trying to find out about the carpet backing in our living room and if our furniture contain natural latex? How did you find out about things like this? I have gotten rid of all the toys, throw rugs etc. that I am not sure about! Thank you for your help.
What do you use for furniture at home and do you react to your bed?
I was told by an employee at a carpet store that just about all rugs are backed with latex. While the backing isn’t stretchy, it holds the carpet fibers together at the base and provides a protective non slip barrier to the floor. I walked into a carpet store for the first time and was overwhelmed by the smell of latex. There were a few balloons nearby so I spent some time trying to get away from the balloons only to discover the whole warehouse was filled with airborne latex from the rolled carpets. No more carpet shopping for me. However, while at home or at other’s houses, very few carpets have caused me latex allergy symptoms.
latex gloves
In the comment to the food and latex…with so many americans having an allergy to latex, why don’t food preparers, dentists, doctors, and especially hospitals use hypoallergenic gloves? I do not understand? Yes, my doctors use them on me as they all know that I am allergic, but they do not allow balloons in hosptials because of latex allergies to them, then why are latex gloves still being used? Granted, you cannot get rid of all of the latex in the world, but this is a help to those of us that are allergic. Latex hits me airborne, as it probably does to many Americans, I just don’t understand why the gloves are allowed to be used.
Hi there, I understand where you are coming from. I believe the simple answer is the almighty dollar combined with the short-sighted administrators that make the budget choices. If only nitrile was cheaper!
latex products
I don’t have a question, just a comment. You mention that latex-based paints are not known to cause an allergic reaction. About 10 yrs ago, my place of work decided to paint the day care room. I walked into the room, hoping to help paint, in about 15 mintues I was having a hard time breathing, my face was itchy. I left the room and a little while later I was fine. I have also tried on shirts with spandex and found myself to be rather itchy. It really sucks. I keep allergy pills with me always, just in case, because you never know.
Latex and paint
Thanks for sharing your experience with paint.
It could be that you are allergic to the synthetic latex in paint, or it could have been something else in the paint. In any case, I have qualified the statement in the original article.
It could be that the source of that information meant dried paint, not liquid paint.
I have this same latex allergy. I am both allergic to synthetic and natural latex and latex related foods. I am suspicious that paint may contain some natural latex, but the MSDS doesn’t reveal trade secrets, and every paint is different. I have an anaphalactic reaction to any 1st hand or 2nd hand exposure to latex or similar rubber, whether contact with mucous membranes, inhaled, intraveinously, on or in food, and a slower reaction to skin contact. There seems to be a common belief, I call it a myth, that “synthetic” latex is somehow significantly different than “natural” latex rubber. I am proof, along with other people like me, that all latex products can cause allergies in sensitive people. Your research only proves how strongly the medical community believes that natural is different from synthetic. I hope this information will help to change your opinion. Thanks, Buddy.
Latex paint presumably contains some sort of latex, synthetic or natural. That may depend on the brand. Perhaps oil-based paints are latex-free.
I suggest you contact the manufacturer of any paint you may wish to use and ask them. Feel free to share further information to find on this website.
Thank you! I believe latex paint actually contains natural raw latex because it is probably less expensive. I am surprised to find out that tires and erasers contain latex. I already knew about band-aids (except clear), rubber bands (except for silly bands), some medical stuff, and rubber-backed rugs. Thanks for having this site for people like us!
Buddy.
I have just found out today that i have and allergy to dried latex paint.
CLOTHING
Hi i have had a severe latex allergy since i was born and viscose is a form of latex in clothing and also spandex and elastaine. Hope it helps 🙂
Viscose is most certainly not a form of Latex- it is chemically no different than woody plant or tree cells, just in a different crystalling structure (i.e. a different configuration of the carbohydrate struxcture than what appears in nature).
This is not to say that certain end users of Viscose, garment manufacturers, don’t post process their products or contaminate them with Latex- just that Viscose has nothing to do with Latex in and of itself. Viscose is more commonly referred to as Rayon, though the the term viscose has recently – like the past 20yrs- been used because consumers generally have a negative conotation of the word Rayon).
Thank you “Guest” for correcting the previous guest’s comment! I keep up to date with this website, and occasionally see such statements. As a latex allergy sufferer, I can sympathize with other sufferers that are trying to get some descent advice. For years, I found myself avoiding items that need not be avoided, and made myself miserable by missing out on certain aspects of life. May I suggest that all allergy sufferers get straight advice from a medical specialist?… or Chemists that work for the various manufacturing companies? I have found that if you call a manufacturing company and ask nicely, they will often times give you contact info for the Chemists that develop and/or purchase chemicals for the company. Be proactive; …and always carry your epi-pen! (as well as your medical bracelet)
Good luck and keep a positive attitude!
latex allergy
is there latex in craft foam?
Latex in baby diapers
My grandson is 2. Since he was about 3mos. old he has had a red bumpy rash all over his body plus large scaly itchy sores on the backs of his legs, arms and stomach. Nothing the baby allergist has done has even touched it. We are told they can’t do allergy testing until he is 3 years old. Could there possibly be latex in the outer layer of baby diapers?
Try cloth diapers
Try cloth diapers, without elastic (if such a thing exists, I don’t know much about diapers).
That will rule out latex, if any, and any other possible allergens in the diapers currently in use.
Presumably the babies allergist has looked into milk as the possible culprit?
My DD is 4 months and we recently bought her an inflatable bath whilst on holiday as we didn’t have a tub in the apartment. It was so useful that I continued using it when we got home. Around the same time she started to develop a red bumpy rash all over her body, her skin then became really dry and scaley, then sore and incredibly itchy. I did not put this down to the bath at all and was told she had suddenly developed ezcema. I have been piling on ezcema creams and been cutting diary out of my diet for 3 weeks now and saw no improvement until I removed the inflatable bath. 48hrs later and the spots are reducing in redness and the itching is subsiding. Last night she had the first descent nights sleep in 3 weeks, I am hoping her skin will make a full recovery too! Can I assume it is latex in the bath that has caused this reaction or could it be some other ingrediant, would like to know so we can avoid it in future as it really is miserable to deal with.
Thanks for sharing your story, Sarah.
From your description, the inflatable bath sounds like a combination of hot water in a flexible plastic. Also soap, and possibly some sort of printing or design on the surface of the plastic.
Keep that combination and it’s parts in mind. For example, inflatable beach balls may be of a similar type of plastic, which may cause a problem. On the other hand without hot water and soap (or one of these) it may not cause a problem.
Keep an eye out for symptoms and if your four month old develops a rash again, see if you can related it to anything in common with the inflatable bath.
Best of luck
Thanks for your advice!
I completely agree with Allergy Guy’s comment. My nephew had the same sort of problem and it was the inflatable bath causing it.
Hallo
Take your baby to someone that do Scio Therapy It works and is safe, thats how I found out about all my problems. a Skin irratation that I had for 3 years was solved. I know that the lady that treated me is busy treating a baby of 1 year with the same problem. Good Luck
[This is comment #4000 on this website! -Editor]
Huggies brand diapers are latex free. I have been assured by the manufacturer that all Kimberly Clark products contain no natural rubber latex.
Latex in Garbage Bags
Hello, my girlfriend and I were bagging a few things in “Enviro-Bag” 30 gallon trash bags, and after dealing with over 10 of them she began to develop a shortness of breath and a tightness in her chest. She has a rather severe latex allergy….. Is there latex in garbage bags or was that perhaps from all the hard work earlier that day?
I doubt it
I’m almost positive there is no latex in garbage bags.
More likely it was exposure to dust. This is a typical problem when going though piles of stuff that have been laying around for a bit. It can even be a problem with closed boxes if the contents were previously exposed to dust.
I just came here to say that YES you can have an alergic reaction to trash bags if you already have an alergic to different kinds of synthetic plastics.
http://www.topix.com/forum/health/allergy/TMLF1V2GSOI9VDAHQ
Food prepared by latex gloves
Hi, so I have a latex allergy. Recently found out that I cannot eat food prepared with latex gloves. When that happens, the results are about 48 hours later or so, I get sores in my mouth which have been misdiagnosed as canker sores and if not taken care of I get run down, my face will start swelling and the sore will get worse as well as my lips slowly blowing up.
I started asking places I ate at if they used them and they said no but I got another reaction. This time it was all the same except it was happening faster and this time I had the worst sore throat and it felt like a sinus infection.
So my question is, if this keeps happening even though I’ve been asking, are the symptoms going to be life threatening?
Thanks
Latex gloves and food
Your problem with a latex allergy and food preparation sounds like a real drag.
I can’t honestly tell you if the symptoms could be life-threatening. It is not possible to give such advice over the internet for one thing, and I am not a doctor for another.
What I can tell you is that life-threatening or not, you need to avoid such situations, because it is certainly having a big negative impact on your life.
Ask to see the gloves yourself before eating anywhere. Then you can make your own decision.
You might just have to stop eating out for a while. Sometimes people see a reduced sensitivity when they eliminate all contact with a specific allergen.
I have Type 1 allergy which is very severe and Latex gloves used in a kitchen cleaning or for preparation can cause a life threatening reaction. For people that have an allergy to Latex I advise do not eat at those restaurants that use them. I call ahead and when I get there I speak with the manager and look physically at the box of gloves. I know it takes awhile to go through the process, but I could actually die.
Food prepared by latex gloves
Yes unfortunately it will get worse over time. I have the same problem. If I eat anything now that comes in contact with Latex I will know it right away. My tongue gets tingly and my throat gets scratchy. I ask the hostess if they have latex gloves and most of the time when they say yes we leave. There is one place that we go to that we have to call a day in advance to tell them we are coming and they will prepare our food without latex gloves. I think that people like us need to do something to make it a law that latex gloves not be used in food services. I hope this helps.
Every exposure to natural
Every exposure to natural rubber latex can cause you allergy to worsen. Avoidance is the only way to keep this under control. I’ve had the allergy for 11 years now and after being homebound for a very long time, I am not working and avoiding and getting along much better. I don’t even take meds daily to prevent the allergy from flairing up.
And yes, they can become life-threatening. My worse reaction was after eating food where the restaurant used latex gloves in the salad preparation – I anaphylaxed and ended up in ICU. If I wouldn’t have had an Epi-pen, I’m sure I wouldn’t be here now.
Yes reactions tend to get worse with each exposure…be very careful..it can become life threatening quickly
I have the problem that every time I eat at a place that uses latex gloves, I get really bad abdominal cramps and the runs something crazy. I can’t even eat at Jimmy Johns around here because they do prep work with gloves on, and I react even if they do the actual sandwich making without gloves.
This is a reply to Mich. You have reactions like I do as well and I am a Type 1 which is severe. Please make sure you see an allergist and carry antihistamines and Epi-Pens on you at all times.
Hi, I have a LATEX and a mercapto mix allergy. Mercapto mix….that is the accelerator they use to help nitrile ( the replacement that is LATEX-FREE) set-up in the manufacturing process!! No kidding. I had a “patch-test” done at the allergist and it came up….I got Sore Feet once my feet start to sweet. STrange.
products containing latex
Do things like plastic cups and plastic plates( for eating out of) contain any latex?
What about vinyl…does it contain latex?
Does any of Dr. Scholls products for the feet contain Latex?
I have purchased several of Dr. Scholls products and they do not say if the product contains Latex. What about the Gellin inserts and the 16 hour foot insoles? The foot insoles have a cloth on the top, but what kind of product in on the bottom? Is it latex or rubber. I have an allergy to Latex especially when the Latex is wet and touches my body. I have to wear a Medic Alert braclet to inform people that I have an allergy. Some one may try to help me and may kill me or put me in distress.
the bottoms of my feet have been itching like crazy! i’m starting to think it’s the Dr. Scholl’s pads—i AM allergic to latex and I’ll bet these contain it! i’m getting rid of them now! i’ve tried everything. lotions, cortisone cream, everything. it’s gotta be these pads
My daughter has a severe anaphylactic reaction to ANY latex exposure and we have discovered that mostly all shoes contain latex in some form. Whether it is the insole, the outsole, or the glue used to hold the uppers onto the sole, they are pretty much ALL latex. We have discovered that crocs croslite material is latex free and does not cause a reaction in her. Thankfully, Crocs now makes shoes in many styles. Just be careful to buy ones that are completely croslite material and you should be fine like my daughter is. Good luck.
latex allergy
What is a latex free alternative for wetsuits. I have found inconsistant information about neoprene. I’ve read it is safe, then the next article I see writes it isn’t!!! Is synthetic latex or synthetic rubber safe or not?
Hi There,
I have a severe latex allergy; yet have had no trouble with my Neoprene wetsuit… which I use quite often. What you have to look out for are the edgings, zipper liners, cords and zipper pulls. If these are also synthetic, then you have a “go”. Happy diving!
Neoprene works for me, but I have to be careful not to get one that has the rubber strips inside that keep it from riding up… those break me out.
latex mattresses
Can you please tell me if the latex in mattresses is likely to cause an allergic reaction?
I can’t give you a
I can’t give you a definitive answer on this one, but I can suggest that if you have a mild $allergy$, you will probably be OK if you don’t have direct contact with the mattress. On the other hand, the mattress is likely to release latex dust over time, which could be a problem.
If you already have a latex mattress, I suggest you get $allergy-proof-bedding$ to contain any latex dust. This also helps with $dust$ and mite control – a common $allergen$.
Do you have a laxes mattress now?
I did not know I was allergic to latex. I bought a latex mattress (expensive one). After a few weeks of sleeping on it, I started getting mild rashes, very itchy…. I did not know what caused it, so I tried changing my soap, my shampoo, my detergent… etc… After a week, I was covered in hives, purple ears and super itchy. out of luck, someone mentioned to me, it might be my mattress. I started sleeping in my daughter’s bed and it went away….
I am currently debating whether I should change my mattress or buy a mattress cover. Quite frankly, I don’t want to risk it and go through that terrible pause again!!!!
mattresses cover
The latex in my mattress caused me to break out in hives.I would go to bed with no hives and wake up every morning with hives and I also have facial swelling with a more severe reaction.I purchased an allergen barrier cover that zips around the mattress and now I have been fine.The cover was only $30,much cheaper than having to buy a new mattress.
Hallo Can you tell me where you bought the matresscover? Thank You
I bought one at Walmart. I would suggest buying a better quality one though because it made a crinkly noise every time I moved and it drove me crazy. I finally just bought a non-latex mattress.