Why do nickel and cobalt allergy occur together?

Cobalt and nickel occur together in alloys and pigments, so sensitivity to both is common.

A metal allergen that frequently co-occurs with nickel sensitivity, largely because the two appear together in alloys and pigments.

Ingredients in this family (3)

This list is not complete. This family covers more materials than can be listed — an ingredient not shown here is not evidence that a product is safe for you.

CI 77346
COBALT
COBALT CHLORIDE

Commonly co-reacts with

Documented co-reactivity. Not everyone sensitised to one reacts to the others, but they are worth discussing with your clinician.

nickel

Evidence

Source:: European baseline series; Thyssen JP et al. Contact Dermatitis. 2011;65(3):125-37
Member list is:: partial — this family cannot be fully enumerated
What this does not establish:: Whether you personally react. Contact allergy is confirmed by patch testing, not by an ingredient list.
Last reviewed:: 2026-09-26

Information, not medical advice. A suspected contact allergy should be confirmed by a dermatologist through patch testing.