Avoiding contact with a suspected irritant altogether is by far the best form of prevention. When you can't completely avoid contact, you should at least use protective clothing, such as gloves, aprons, and so forth, whenever possible. Rather than purchasing the familiar cotton-lined latex gloves, you would do better to purchase an individual pair of thick vinyl outer gloves as well as several pairs of pure cotton undergloves. Although this may seem somewhat inconvenient, it is far better for the skin. For one thing, vinyl is less allergenic than latex. For another, since it is virtually impossible to adequately clean the cotton linings of the ordinary combination gloves, you may actually experience irritation from the perspiration and dirt buildup that develops inside them after several uses. It is a simple matter, however, to launder the cotton linings if you wear separate cotton undergloves. You can purchase vinyl and cotton gloves at surgical supply stores, or you may order them directly from specialty companies such as Allerderm Laboratories, Box 931, Mill Valley, California 94942. If you use the gloves for extended periods of time, you should change the cotton undergloves frequently about every twenty minutes to reduce the likelihood of irritation from perspiration buildup.

Barrier creams are another method of reducing direct contact with irritants. They are not nearly as protective as gloves, but many of these products are capable of providing a high measure of protection for up to four hours, even against certain acids and corrosives. Examples of effective barrier creams include Wonder Glove, Dermaffin, and Dermashield. For optimal protection, however, I advise the use of barrier creams in addition to protective gloves. Since dry skin and chapping generally make skin more susceptible to irritations of all kinds, I also suggest that you liberally apply an all-purpose, fragrance-free moisturizer containing both occlusive and humectant ingredients such as Curel routinely after you wash or shower. And for persons with exceptionally dry skin, I generally recommend Lac-Hydrin lotion, a potent, prescription-only moisturizer that contains lactic acid.

Several other commonsense measures to reduce unnecessary irritation include avoiding hot water, employing tongs to handle wet laundry, switching to disposable diapers, using a brush to wash dishes, or, better still, purchasing an automatic dishwasher. Direct handling of raw meat and poultry as well as raw vegetables, particularly tomatoes, potatoes, and citrus fruits, should be avoided as much as possible. In addition, to minimize having your hands in water continuously all day, try to arrange your wet-work chores so they are all done at one time during the day. In other words, collect all the dishes from several courses and wash them together rather than a few at a time throughout the meal. As a group, household chores can take such a toll on your skin, particularly the hands, that housework-related irritant contact dermatitis is often called "housewife's eczema" or "housewife's hands."

Using mild, synthetic detergent cleansers rather than true soaps, abrasive cleansers, or deodorant soaps for routine cleansing can also reduce the likelihood of irritation. You should look for liquid or bar cleansers that are labeled for sensitive skin. Preferably, these should also be fragrance-free and hypoaliergenic (for example, there is Oil of Olay Sensitive Skin Bath Bar). Finally, avoid abrasive scrub brushes, polyester sponges, or even washcloths since they tend to overly rub and abrade the skin, making irritation more likely.