Women still having allergic reactions to Victoria’s Secret bras

Check out this comment posted on one of my “boob blogs” just yesterday:

My 13 year old daughter purchased a VS bra. Three weeks ago with her own money — $40. About that time she started getting welts/hives periodically across her back and chest and up her neck. Couldn’t figure it out. Went to the allergist. Nothing positive. Tonight she was getting dressed. Within 2 minutes I watched these long red welts covering her. She’s the one that said I think it’s the bra. She took it off and 20 minutes later they were gone. So happy to find this posting. She has no receipt or tags but I personally am going to try to get a refund.

The really frustrating thing, beyond the fact that this was a 13-year-old girl, is that whatever is causing these allergic reactions (formaldehyde is the leading suspect), Victoria’s Secret still isn’t slowing down with sales of these harmful products. They’re still making their products, still selling them, and still not (at the very least!!) putting a warning label on their product to alert those who are sensitive to formaldehyde that this product contains trace amounts.

True, most women don’t react to trace amounts of formaldehyde. But many do. Go through the “boob blogs” on this website, and read all the personal stories of horrific, agonizing rashes and welts triggered by Victoria’s Secret bras specifically. The stories aren’t coming in about other brands…. just Victoria’s Secret.

Of course the simplest answer would be to stop having their product manufactured in China, where consumer safety is a joke, or simply demand that all fabric used to create the bras must be COMPLETELY formaldehyde free — no trace amounts, no nothin’.

Should you find yourself tempted by Victoria’s Secret’s lovely products (which is the really sad part — all the women who are allergic to their bras love the product and none have reported finding an acceptable substitute), check the label. If it’s made in China, don’t buy it. Period.

No matter how sexy and slinky it is, no matter how good it makes you look… there is nothing sexy or slinky about huge red welts all over your breasts and rough patches all over your nipples. There is nothing sexy or slinky about squirming around at work or school trying not to scratch yourself as if your chest is covered in poison oak. And, there is nothing sexy or slinky about being consumed with anxiety because you think you may have some weird form of breast cancer or some other mysterious disease because no matter what you do, the itching and welts won’t go away.

Until you take the Victoria’s Secret bra off.

14 Comments

  1. Vanessa Landry

    I still have two of my vs bras. They both make me itch and takes days for rash to go away. I even called vs a few years back and informed them. The manager acted like she didn’t know what I was talking about but advised me to change the bras I had just purchased on line. I did so and still had the same problem but never got rid of them . Ever since they started selling “Pink” their products haven’t been the same. I was just talking to my aunt in CT about the bra incident and that’s what she told me regarding the lawsuits. Didn’t know it went this far all these years. What now? Their lawyers are not accepting anymore cases.

    • I agree. VS became cheap and juvenile ever since Pink arrived. They started catering to teenagers with their daddy’s credit cards at the mall instead of grownups.
      As for the lawsuit, there was one, but VS managed to prevail. You can google it and read the results. As far as I know, there isn’t any lawsuit currently. I am just hoping to pressure them (and other clothing manufacturers) not to use fabric that is infused with trace amounts of chemicals that they are fully aware some people react to.

  2. Vivian

    I too purchased vs bras. Was out with the family and felt like I couldn’t breath and line my boobs had needles sticking them and itchy. When I got home they were covered in a with rash. I thought it was some horrible disease. Went to the doctor who told me it was a reaction the the bra. Prescribed a super cortisone and it took 2 weeks. I returned all the bras but when I told the. Why at vs. they acted like they never heard of it. Tonight my 17 yr old daughter complained that every time she wears the va bras he has welts and it burns and itches, its terrible it only happens with vs bras.

    • Hello Vivian,
      So sorry to hear that you and your daughter are suffering. The problem with VS bras isn’t actually the bra, per se, it’s the fabric. And I believe there are many others suffering from contact allergies to chemicals in fabric, but it’s hard to narrow down. With VS bras, it is easier, because those of us who wear VS bras often wear that line of bras exclusively, so there’s no “needle in a haystack” to search for. It’s the bra!
      That is awesome that your doctor recognized what your problem was – most doctors are completely unaware that this problem exists, and their patients suffer with worry, wondering what sort of weird disease they have.
      The good news is that if you stop wearing the bras, the rash goes away and you will heal. The bad news is… you have to find another line of bras, and that’s a bummer, because VS bras are the best… until you can’t wear them anymore because they cause relentless misery.
      Also, VS employees feign ignorance of this issue because the official VS position is that the problem doesn’t exist, and the hundreds – thousands? – of women who are allergic to their products are simply delusional.
      So frustrating.

    • Ms. Vee

      Yes, Formaldehyde is the issue. they have had lawsuits against them because the same happened to me. Each time I wore one of VS bras, I would itch under my breast. When I looked it up, all these articles came up about the lawsuits but since then, its been soon many, they closed the option to file a suit against them now. I returned all my bras which was probably about 3 and got $30. They acted as though they didn’t know what I was talking about too. They know. It’s just hush hush because you can’t file suit anymore. Why do they give you credit after so many years. I returned every last one of my bras from them and some were as old as ten years and got credit ($10) I read that one of their factories was overseas somewhere near a Formaldehyde plant. The gases were getting on the fabrics. I don’t know what they are doing now. The quality of their undergarments has gone down so I never purchase anymore from them. Yes, It’s a bummer but why die from them being slick! and dishonest.

      • Hello Ms. Vee,
        WOW!!! I have never heard any of this information. Could you PLEASE give me links to the stories about the lawsuits and the formaldehyde plant? The only lawsuit links I was ever able to find indicated the lawsuit had been dropped, and I’ve NEVER heard about the formaldehyde plant, which would explain a lot!!
        That is really new information!

  3. Deanna

    I just came across this blog because I googled vs bra allergic. I’ve worn the vs very sexy bras for years – scratching away- thinking there was something wrong with me – maybe eczema? But finally I cut open a bra because no matter how often I washed it, it smelled a little funny. I wondered if it had mold or something crazy. Then that weird oily gel oozed out and I got to googling. Thanks for letting me know I’m not crazy!! – just suckered by the limited.

  4. Shannon T

    So what is everyone replacing vs bras with??? Anyone else have a problem when bra is off as well? How long for itching to calm down.

  5. Sarah

    It’s 2021 and a bra I bought late last year in 2020 is causing the same severe welting itchy rash and this is a Victoria’s Secret bra. Oddly enough this one is made in Sri Lanka and not in Vietnam like all my others. Could it be they have formaldehyde in them still??? Putting it in a bag to be tested. This is a tshirt line one. Wireless. OMG ITS AWFUL. Happened to me twice now. Had stopped wearing it then wore it again and it’s awful.

    • I have been unable to determine what exactly is in the fabric of VS products. But SOMETHING is there, and it causes misery for those of us who are allergic to it. Sadly, VS doesn’t care about us because we are relatively small in number. The ONLY course of action is to avoid the product entirely, just as those who have peanut allergies must avoid anything containing peanuts. The good news is that as long as you don’t wear the bras, you won’t have any more issues. Also, please see your doctor to have your condition diagnosed.

      I would be really interested to know what your test results are. Please keep in touch!

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