What jewelry turns your skin green and How to avoid it?

Almost all of us have experienced it. Buy your ideal ring, necklace, earrings, or bracelet and wear it all day, only to find your skin turns green one day. After the initial shock, you wonder why jewelry turns your skin green. Luckily, we have an answer and tips on avoiding it turning green.

Copper is a naturally occurring element on Earth but must be refined into the metal to make products such as jewelry, kitchenware, and electrical wiring. It has a high value due to its good electrical conductivity. When exposed to other chemicals or external elements (especially oxygen), copper reacts and causes a surface color change.

The most common chemical reaction for copper is oxidation. When the copper comes into contact with air, the copper surface turns black. The color also turns emerald green if the copper comes into contact with saltwater. It is very similar to long-term skin contact.

The natural acidity of human sweat and other chemicals used on the skin (such as soaps, lotions, and cosmetics) can react with copper. This reaction causes patina to form on the copper's surface and transfers the color to the skin. But this reaction varies from person to person, and some people may not experience the discoloration.

Because of the acidic pH, people who wear copper jewelry may find that the underlying skin turns green after wearing them. It is a normal reaction that occurs with any copper in contact with the skin for a long time, and it will return to normal after you stop wearing copper jewelry and will not cause health hazards.

On the other hand, copper is not always the culprit. Any fashion jewelry that is not pure gold or platinum should avoid, as the metal in the alloy has a high chance of containing copper.

Some people mistakenly believe that green skin means they are allergic to copper, but this is not the case. It's important to note that this is an oxidative reaction, not a skin reaction. It's the physical residue left on your skin after the copper has oxidized. "

What should I do if my jewelry turns my skin green?

Here are a few tips to keep your jewelry from turning your skin green:

1. Clear nail polish the part of the jewelry that touches the skin. It can form a barrier between jewelry and skin. However, this method requires repetition and may not work for people with highly acidic skin or using acidic skincare products. For a long-term barrier, it's best to apply a layer of wax to the inside of the bracelet.

2. Regularly remove excess lotion, sweat and dirt from jewelry to keep jewelry dry.

3. When wearing jewelry, the face should be kept dry.

4. Remove jewelry before contact with water. Do not swim, wash your hands, or bathe with jewelry on. Water will speed up metal oxidation and turn your jewelry green. Saltwater is incredibly corrosive to metal jewelry.

5. Do not apply skin cream, perfume, and soap on fingers wearing jewelry. Remove jewelry every morning when you need to wash your hands or do skincare. Acids in some detergents and beauty products can oxidize jewelry and accelerate metal corrosion.

6. Replace rings with earrings. Choose jewelry that is less susceptible to wear and tear. We use our hands so much every day that our rings often meet a lot of aggressive hand sanitizers, moisturizers, and hand sanitizers. Earrings are less susceptible to corrosion because they have less exposure to the chemicals above.

7. Avoid metal jewelry and opt for gold, silver, or beaded jewelry.