Industrial solvents are inexpensive organic liquids commonly used to dissolve organic materials in several occupational settings. Exposure to them can cause health problems in acute or chronic term based on dose, route, and source, including skin effects, often after exposure to mixtures of several solvents with a varying degree of purity. Acute skin effects include subjective symptoms (burning, stinging, tingling), acute irritant contact dermatitis (erythema, edema, lichenification), and immunologic and non-immunologic contact urticaria. Diagnosis is based on open tests with gas-chromatographically pure ethanol (“as is”) or, when data are lacking, with graded concentrations and a large control group to avoid false positive reactions. Exposure to trichloroethylene has been associated with flushing, whitening, erythrodermia, and erythema multiforme. Chronic skin effects include chronic irritant contact dermatitis (dryness, scaling, fissures), scleroderma, and chemical burns. Allergic contact dermatitis by solvents is rarely reported and caused by turpentine, D-limonene, dioxane, and alcohols, for which patch testing is difficult due to their high irritant properties. Preventive measures include reduced exposure, appropriate selection, protective gloves, and barrier creams.