Why you should avoid synthetic fragrance and perfume if you have sensitive skin
Fragrance and perfume is found everywhere - it’s the silent toxin that most people underlook. It’s the main cause of contact dermatitis and other variety of health concerns. If you have sensitive skin, your skin most likely reacts to fragrance chemicals. Find out how you can find real fragrance-free skin products.
Intro
According the Norwegian Institute of Public Health, about 3,000 different chemicals (both synthetic and natural) can be used to make a perfume or a fragrance additive, and a product may contain from 10 to more than 300 different chemicals. If you read about this subject in beauty magazines, you will see the opposite, and most likely due to their best advertising dollars coming from fragrance manufacturers that also sell fashion. BIG MONEY. This is why we like to get information from sources that have no vested monetary interest in reporting the lasts safety guidelines. In the US alone, at least 10% of the population is allergic to fragrance.
Bottom line, fragrance offers the skin no benefit, and can be irritating, so why use it? The main reason is that fragrance sell products. If you’re a sensitive skin, this is the last thing you care about!
What are fragrances and how we are exposed to them?
Fragrances are organic compounds with distinctive, and usually, pleasant smells. The use of fragrances is prevalent in perfumes and other scented cosmetics. In addition, these substances are also used in food and drinks to add flavour and to drugs because of antiseptic properties.
Fragrances are volatile compounds and thus readily become airborne so that many people are exposed to them. Contact is achieved by direct application of the product to the skin or mucous membranes, contact with contaminated products (e.g. clothing, bedding washed with scented detergent / fabric softener) and by inhalation. In this way, both internal and external body surfaces become exposed.
Which undesirable effects can fragrances cause?
Exposure to fragrances can cause a variety of reactions including contact dermatitis, urticaria (hives), photo allergy and skin discoloration (dyschromia). In Europe, it is believed that about 1-3% of the population has allergic contact dermatitis or allergic contact urticaria caused by fragrances.
Women seem to be more often allergic to fragrances than men, reflecting a more frequent use of scented products among women. Perfumes and deodorants most often cause skin allergy to fragrances in women. Related products for men include after-shave and deodorant.
In addition to skin contact, inhalation of fragrances can trigger or aggravate asthma and other respiratory problems. Fragrance ingredients can be detected by sensory cells in the eye and the upper and lower respiratory tract and cause an irritation response. People with asthma, allergies, sinus problems and rhinitis are more susceptible to irritants, and often at lower concentrations than which causes problems in the general population.
As fragrances smell, it may be difficult to determine if it is the fragrance or other characteristics of the product that have negative health effects. Fragrances are shown to cause undesirable health effects although the substances themselves are considered to be harmless (conditional responses).
Fragrance Can Trigger Contact dermatitis
Allergic contact dermatitis is the most common allergic response to skin allergens and typical clinical symptoms include itching, redness (erythema), swelling (oedema) and at worst blistering. The reaction normally appears where the cosmetic product was applied, but strong reactions can also trigger reactions outside the application area. Allergic contact dermatitis from fragrances often occurs on the hands, in the armpits and on the face. It may be the primary cause of hand eczema, or occur as a complication of irritative or atopic dermatitis.
Contact Urticaria
Symptoms of contact urticaria include itching and localized areas of swelling and redness (wheal-and- flare) where the cosmetic product was applied but also generalized urticaria (swelling anywhere on the body) and anaphylaxis. The symptoms may appear just minutes after exposure to the allergen, and usually abate relatively quickly (within a few hours). Fragrances such as cinnamal, cinnamic acid and Myroxylon pereirae have been shown to cause non-immunological contact urticaria. Other substances that have been reported to provide the same type of response include menthol, vanillin and benzaldehyde.
Photo Allergy
Clinical symptoms of photo allergy are mainly eczema. The symptoms appear and disappear within 2-48 hours after application of the product. Sun-exposed areas are most commonly affected but symptoms can also spread to other areas. In the 1970s many cases of allergy were observed that were caused by musk which was subsequently banned in cosmetic products. Other fragrances that may cause photo allergy include cinnamates.
Phototoxicity
(Non-allergic) reactions from fragrances can occur. This can cause symptoms such as redness of the skin followed by hyperpigmentation. Furanocoumarins are plant-derived fragrances that have been shown to cause such a reaction.
Can fragrances be avoided?
Unfortunately, it is difficult for consumers to avoid fragrances. The term “fragrance free” is misleading because it only means that no substances are added to the product in order to provide a scent. Products labelled “fragrance free” may still contain fragrance substances added for other reasons (for example to mask a smell, added as a preservative). This means that allergic people must read the ingredient list to see if the product contains substances that they react to. In the case of substances that are added to scent a product, there are currently 26 fragrances that are classified and must be listed on an ingredient list. For the other fragrances it is enough to state “fragrance”; or “perfume”.
Are you in search of skin products that are honestly fragrance free?
All Hale and Hush products ensure fragrance-free skin care that’s gentle and non-irritating to sensitive and all skin types.
Our bestselling mineral based Hale and Hush Broad Spectrum SPF 30.
Perfect for your skin routine to keep you skin protected against sun damage.
