Understanding and recognizing contact dermatitis is a vital tool in any healthcare provider’s armamentarium. Making the correct diagnosis will not only lead to the appropriate treatment of your patient but also save the healthcare system excessive, unnecessary costs. Contact dermatitis is an eczematous reaction that encompasses two major forms: irritant and allergic. While clinical appearance can often be indistinguishable, the pathophysiology, etiology, and history are often very different. Irritant contact dermatitis (ICD) can be thought of as a direct toxic effect on the skin by an irritant while allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) is a hypersensitivity reaction to an allergen.