NQO1 and Pruritus: However, topical application to the skin has not been associated with allergic reactions; on the contrary, as assessed by recent studies, it has been shown to alleviate symptoms of pruritus in a murine model of allergic contact dermatitis [58], and data from clinical studies have also confirmed that it protects against epidermal stress reactions, through the upregulation of the stress-responsive gene NQO1 [59], a fact that further supports its anti-aging potential.