Why Stainless Steel Jewelry Turns Skin Green

There is something about stainless steel because today, people choose them instead of jewelry made of precious metals. Stainless steel jewelry was always in fashion, but it has recently become more popular than silver and platinum. Also, countless designs are possible in stainless steel jewelry. Thanks to its resistance to scratches and bumps, it is a harder and ideal metal for everyday use. And besides being affordable, these stainless steel beauties can offer multiple outfit options. If properly maintained, it never rusts or loses its color and shine. Another positive point in stainless steel jewelry is that their appearance lasts longer, and no matter what happens, whether you moisten it with water or add chemicals, it always remains unchanged.

The reason behind skin turning green:-

Despite its popularity, lots of people often complain about a green mark in their skin after wearing stainless steel jewelry. It has something to do with the quality of the jewelry you purchase, or your skin is allergic to steel. But the prime reason for turning skin green is because the acids in your skin react with metal alloy and form a salt composition. This is the green glow that stays on your skin. The duration of heat and humidity will also accelerate this reaction.

This green patch, by itself, is not a skin allergy – because skin allergies often result in redness, swelling, and itching. This green tinge left in your skin will go off by itself if you remove your jewelry from time to time.

How to avoid your skin from turning green?

Although the reaction between skin and jewelry does not happen to everyone, it can happen. No matter how pure or expensive the jewelry is, a reaction can still occur. It just depends on the person. There is no way to know how the stainless steel jewelry reacts unless you try wearing it for quite some time.

The major concern of women is how to remove the green mark of jewelry from their bodies. Usually, the marks happen on the visible part of the body, for instance, on your neck, fingers, or ears. Hence, it doesn’t look very comfortable if you are out somewhere since anyone can easily notice it. Here are some practical and doable ways to avoid such marks:-

Keep your skin dry

It is recommended to keep stainless steel jewelry away from the gym, steam baths, swimming pools, or other places with high humidity and situations that cause excessive sweating.

Use a good layer of protective moisturizer. The better the barrier between your skin and the metal, the less likely you will get jewelry reactions. Also, leave lotions and other body products for a few minutes to absorb your skin before wearing rings. Cleaning and cosmetic products have chemicals that cause oxidation and accelerate the wear and tear of your jewelry.

Coat with nail polish

If you want to prevent the jewels from keeping their skin green, the most natural solution is to cover the ornaments with a layer of transparent enamel (nail polish). This creates a barrier between the skin and the metal, preventing the chemical reaction.

Rings are often coated with a thin layer of rhodium before being shipped from the factory. However, this coating fades when you wear the ring for a long time. You can take your ring to the jeweler, and they dip the ring in a new layer, which makes the ring new. It would be best if you regularly cleaned your stainless steel jewelry to remove dirt, liquids, lotions, or soap particles that may stick to jewelry and cause oxidation in the skin. When the dirt particles come into contact with absorbent surfaces such as skin or clothing, it adheres and forms a black or greenish spot.

Don’t but cheap jewelry

The metals that usually cause the most prominent problem are steel and silver, which are also among the cheapest jewelry metals. Cheap jewelry is mixed with cheap alloys like copper and nickel, which cause skin discoloration. Investing in cheap jewelry can never be fruitful as it won’t last long and cost you with unwanted skin marks.

Always buy hypoallergenic stainless steel jewels as it causes fewer reactions in people with sensitive skin. It is a modern-day problem that many jewelers sell fake chains, rings, earrings, and silver earrings. Stainless steel is much cheaper than more expensive metals like gold, but fake imitations of jewelry are sold in the market. You can check stainless steel jewelry wholesale stores for 100% authentic jewelry.

Final view

Imagine someone who loves to accessorize but couldn’t wear jewelry because your skin turns green. It can be a big issue for jewelry lovers. It depends on the chemical composition and how your body reacts to certain jewelry metals. If you are particularly inclined to jewelry, but it colors your skin green. The first thing you can do is wash your skin; most of the time, these marks smoothly go off by washing. But if not, then follow the tips as mentioned earlier to remove such skin marks.

Also, don’t be careless and visit a dermatologist if you are facing skin irritation, swelling, or red spots after wearing jewelry as it may be a severe allergic reaction that you may not know about.