If you’re like me, you’ve probably made many purchases over the years of “nickel free earrings” and/or “hypoallergenic earrings” with the hope and belief that you could wear them safely. In my case, this gamble never worked out. Earrings with those labels still left my ears inflamed and irritated and eventually I gave up completely. The issue is that the labels "nickel free" and "hypoallergenic" don’t tell the whole story. The term hypoallergenic earrings has been discussed more in depth here.
Nickel is known to be a very reactive metal, and it is one of the most common causes of contact allergies, or contact dermatitis. So, while it is important to find earrings and jewelry that are nickel free, the absence of nickel alone is not enough to make a pair of earrings safe. Surgical steel, stainless steel, brass, even gold earrings, are all alloys that are often labeled nickel free. Alloys are materials that are made up of 2 or more metals. These alloys can contain zinc, copper, molybdenum, chromium or other metals, all of which are highly reactive that may cause a metal allergy or contact dermatitis. Not only that, but the electrochemical process of alloying metals can in and of itself cause allergic reactions.
What you should be looking for is nonallergenic earrings or biocompatible earrings. Nonallergenic means "not causing an allergic reaction." Biocompatible earrings are earrings that are designed to coexist with the human body without causing a reaction. These labels are so much better than “hypoallergenic earrings” or “nickel free earrings” because those terms leave so much room for interpretation. Think of it like food, just because a food says “gluten free” does not mean it is healthy for you, especially if you are allergic to something else like peanuts. Or a bag of potato chips that says “30% less fat” doesn’t mean that you will feel good if you eat it.
At the moment, Tini Lux is the only site that offers nonallergenic earrings and biocompatible earrings in timeless, high-end styles. Our earrings are not just nickel free, they are made with titanium and niobium, materials that do not cause metal allergies. It was so important to us that we create totally nonallergenic earrings that people can trust and feel safe purchasing and enjoy wearing.
