2 min read
It is not a regulated term. Here is what it usually stands in for, what causes reactions, and what a seller should be able to tell you.
Search fashion jewellery on any Indian marketplace and almost every listing says skin-friendly. It is worth knowing that the phrase means nothing in particular. There is no standard behind it, no test that certifies it, and no authority that checks it. It is a marketing word.
What actually causes reactions
Overwhelmingly, nickel. Contact allergy to nickel affects a substantial minority of people, women more often than men, and it is the reason cheap earrings make some earlobes itch, redden or weep. Lead and cadmium are separate concerns — they are toxicity issues rather than allergy ones, and they are restricted in jewellery in the EU and parts of the US.
Plated jewellery complicates this. A nickel-containing base metal under a gold surface is fine while the plating is intact and becomes a problem once it wears through — which is exactly where jewellery sits against skin most, at the earring post and the clasp.
The questions that get real answers
- What is the base metal? Brass, copper alloy and surgical stainless steel behave very differently
- Is it nickel-free, and is that tested or assumed?
- How thick is the plating, in microns? Under 0.5 is flash plating; 2.5 and up is meaningfully durable
- What are the earring posts made of? Often a different metal from the body of the piece
- Is there any test report, and from whom?
A seller who can answer those five questions is telling you something. A seller who only repeats "skin-friendly" is telling you nothing at all.
Where we stand
Our own marketplace listings carry the skin-friendly line, and on this site we have taken it off. Not because we think our pieces are a problem — we have had no complaints — but because we cannot yet show you a base metal, a plating thickness or a nickel test, and a claim you cannot evidence is not a claim, it is a hope.
We have asked our manufacturer for those figures. When they arrive, they will appear on every product page, whatever they say. Until then the product pages describe what is observable: the weight, the finish, and the absence of rough edges.
If you already know you react
- Look for surgical stainless steel or titanium posts specifically, not just a nickel-free body
- Take earrings out before sleeping and before showering
- Retire a piece once you can see base metal through the plating — that is when contact starts
- A clear barrier coat on the post is a stopgap, not a fix
This is general information, not medical advice. Persistent skin reactions are worth taking to a dermatologist, who can patch-test for nickel specifically.