Can pollen make the skin around my eyes itchy?

Is it your eyes or the skin around them?

Pollen can trigger allergic conjunctivitis, an allergic reaction affecting the eyes. Redness, watering and itching fit that pattern, particularly alongside sneezing or a runny or blocked nose. Hay fever symptoms can last for weeks or months while exposure continues.13

Contact dermatitis means skin inflammation caused by something irritating the skin or triggering a contact allergy. Clues include an itchy rash, swelling, dryness, cracking, burning or stinging. Itching can begin before a visible rash, and an allergic reaction can take time to appear. A rash that comes and goes can reflect occasional contact with its trigger.4

The thin, delicate skin around the eyes is particularly vulnerable. Check facial cleanser, makeup, makeup remover and creams, but also shampoo running over your eyelids. Nail products and tiny metal particles can reach the area from your fingers when you touch or rub your eyes. Products do not have to be sold as eye care to cause an eyelid rash, so the packaging category is a poor alibi.24

How can I reduce pollen exposure?

• Check the pollen forecast and limit outdoor time when levels are high.
• Wear wraparound sunglasses to help keep pollen out of your eyes.
• Avoid touching your eyes outdoors, and wash your hands before touching them indoors.
• Keep windows closed during pollen season and avoid drying clothes outside, where they can collect pollen.

How should I cleanse my face after being outside on a high pollen day?

1. 1Wash your hands before touching the area around your eyes.
2. 2Shower to remove pollen from your skin and hair, and change out of your outdoor clothes.
3. 3For sensitive facial skin, use a cleanser without soap and avoid scrubbing or rubbing.
4. 4Use a moisturiser that does not irritate your skin, and stop using any product you suspect is causing the rash.

Changing clothes helps remove pollen brought in from outdoors, rather than giving it a permanent indoor address. Removing pollen does not require repeatedly washing your face: excessive washing can cause dryness, and dry skin is more easily irritated. Keep shampoo and conditioner from running over your face if either seems to trigger symptoms.235

Why does my skin react to products during allergy season?

Skin test sensitivity to airborne allergens, including pollen, can change with the season in people with respiratory allergies. But a product reaction during pollen season is not automatically a pollen reaction. Irritant contact dermatitis does not require an allergy, and several mild irritants can add up, including friction and environmental exposure.56

Eczema disrupts the skin barrier, allowing external factors to penetrate more easily and making skin more sensitive to products. Eyelids are especially sensitive, so a product tolerated elsewhere can still irritate them. If a product seems responsible, stop using it and watch whether the rash clears. Choose products labelled fragrance free if fragrance is a suspected trigger; unscented products can still contain fragrance.25

What can help, and when should I see a doctor?

For hay fever symptoms, a pharmacist can advise on treatments such as antihistamine drops or tablets. Some antihistamines cause sleepiness, so ask about options that do not cause drowsiness if needed. Take existing allergy medicines as prescribed. See a doctor if symptoms worsen or do not improve with pharmacy treatment. If an eyelid rash keeps returning and you cannot identify the trigger, a dermatologist can help; patch testing can identify a contact allergy.1235