In the manufacturing process, chemical additives are used to create a usable product from the latex. In many cases, it is these chemical additives that produce the allergic reaction, particularly the Type IV reactions. The now-banned hypoallergenic claim usually referred to a glove's low level of chemical additives. While these gloves may have been effective in protection from contact dermatitis, no latex glove is safe for those patients that are already sensitized. Much has been made about the powder used in the manufacturing process.
Powder eases the donning of the gloves and prevents the glove surfaces from sticking together.
In the midst of this debate over the sensitization process, some advocacy groups have called for the ban of powdered latex gloves. In certain states a number of hospitals have weaned themselves completely off powdered gloves. While there is a trend toward more powder free or low powder gloves, the higher cost of powder free and synthetic alternatives has slowed down the wholesale conversion process. Thus, potential problems exist from the proteins found naturally in latex, from the chemical additives used in creating a usable product from the latex, and from the donning powder found in most gloves. The price for latex gloves has dropped precipitously in recent years.