When your skin comes in contact with chemicals and becomes inflamed, this is known as contact dermatitis. The chemical may cause an irritant or an allergic response in the skin. The resulting inflammation causes a red, itchy rash that is not contagious. There are many chemicals that can cause contact dermatitis – those in skin care products such as soaps, lotions, shampoos, make-up, certain metals used in jewelry, or chemicals in plants such as grass, weeds, poison ivy or poison oak. Sometimes allergy patch testing, done in office, will be needed to assist us in finding the exact cause. Once we determine what chemical or product is causing your rash, further avoidance of this, along with the help of topical steroids and/or anti-inflammatories should help clear the problem effectively over a few weeks.