Fragrance Sensitivity: When Scents Cause Symptoms

If you get a headache, have trouble breathing, or develop a skin rash after exposure to strong perfumes or colognes, you could have a fragrance sensitivity.

By Diana RodriguezMedically Reviewed by Lindsey Marcellin, MD, MPH

Reviewed: April 3, 2013

Medically Reviewed

If you sneeze every time you get a whiff of perfume or room deodorizer, you may be one of millions of people with a fragrance sensitivity.

As many as 30 percent of people surveyed in a study from the University of West Georgia said they find scented products irritating. Those with asthma or chemical sensitivities may find strong scents particularly problematic due to the allergy-like symptoms they cause.

Unlike tree pollen or dander, for example, perfumes and scents aren’t actually allergens, they’re irritants — but that doesn’t mean that they can’t trigger allergy symptoms like sneezing.

So what’s the difference between an allergen and an irritant? In fairly simple terms, a true allergen causes a person’s immune system to release chemicals to fight the invader. On the way to the battle, inflammation could result — eyes could water, nose could fill, and so on.

“An allergen is a protein that is known to cause an IgE-mediated reaction,” explains Beth A. Miller, MD, director of the University of Kentucky’s Asthma, Allergy, and Sinus Clinics and chief of the school’s division of allergy and immunology in Lexington. IgE, or immunoglobulin E, is an antibody produced by the body in response to exposure to an allergen.

An irritant, on the other hand, doesn’t provoke the immune system. But it has no problem making eyes water or noses run.

It’s not understood how or why this happens. “An irritant is a chemical or product that causes symptoms without a known immunologic cause,” says Miller, so it does not cause an IgE-mediated reaction.

“Sensitivity is really a non-specific term,” notes Miller. Only an allergen can cause a true allergy, while “irritants cause sensitivities.”

Bottom line: What people call a “perfume allergy” is either fragrance sensitivity or an allergy to some chemical in the perfume.

Symptoms of Fragrance Sensitivity

You can have two types of allergy symptoms due to fragrance sensitivity — respiratory, nose and eye symptoms, much like that of seasonal allergy symptoms — or skin allergy symptoms.

Symptoms of fragrance sensitivity can include:

• Headaches
• Difficulty breathing
• Wheezing
• A tight feeling in the chest
• Worsening asthma symptoms
• Runny and stuffy nose
• Sneezing
• A skin allergy like contact dermatitis — an itchy, red rash that appears on the skin

The Rise of Fragrance Sensitivities

People who have asthma may be more sensitive to fragrances and may experience allergy symptoms or worsening asthma symptoms from exposure to perfumes, fragrances, and other chemicals. Although, says Miller, there isn’t really an established link between asthma and fragrance sensitivity.

People who already have allergies, like seasonal allergies or allergies to indoor allergens like molds and animal allergens, may be more likely to experience fragrance sensitivities.

“Often patients with allergies are more sensitive to these irritants due to their baseline allergic disease,” says Miller. And with more than 50 million Americans dealing with allergies, that’s a lot of people at an increased risk for fragrance sensitivity.

Combine that increased sensitivity with a constantly increasing level of irritating chemicals and fragrances that are ever-present in our environment and the things we use every day (over 5,000 types used today), and it’s no surprise that fragrance sensitivities are more common than initially believed.

Preventing and Treating Fragrance Sensitivities

If you’re dealing with allergy symptoms caused by fragrance sensitivity, there are some things that you can do for relief.

Nasal antihistamine and nasal corticosteroid medications can effectively control allergy symptoms caused by these sensitivities. But the best medicine is really an ounce of prevention — and that means keeping all fragrances off yourself and out of your environment.

There just aren’t any “safe” fragrances or products that Miller can recommend for anyone who has experienced allergy symptoms due to fragrance sensitivities.

“Any product with a scent can be irritating to patients,” notes Miller. “I suggest patients utilize scent-free products if at all possible.” That means fragrance-free:

• Lotions
• Soaps
• Skin care products
• Laundry detergents
• Fabric softeners

You should even be cautious with cleaning and deodorizing products that you use at home — look for products that don’t contain fragrance, which could cause your allergy symptoms.

You may also need to ask your friends, spouse or partner, and co-workers to avoid wearing or using heavily-fragranced products around you to prevent your allergy symptoms.

Of course, there’s no hard and fast rule about what you can and can’t use — fragrance sensitivity is an individual issue.

“This type of sensitivity can vary among individuals,” says Miller. “In some patients all scents are bothersome, and in others only strong smells [like chlorine] are irritating.”

But rather than run the risk of having allergy symptoms from fragrance sensitivity, it’s best to be conservative — and avoid all products containing fragrance for the best chance at avoiding your allergy symptoms.

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Perfume Allergy: Symptoms, Triggers, and Treatments

A perfume or fragrance allergy happens when you have an allergic reaction after being exposed to a perfume that contains an allergen.

Symptoms of a perfume allergy can result from:

• touching the perfume liquid or substance
• getting sprayed by the perfume
• even inhaling some of it

According to a 2009 survey on fragrance sensitivity, up to about 30 percent of the population of the United States had irritation from a perfume.

As many as 19 percent of participants in the survey had actual health effects from fragrances.

Perfume allergies are caused in part by over 2,500 chemicals, which are often unlisted, in the average perfume or cologne.

Thanks to laws around “trade secrets,” most companies can simply put “fragrance” on their perfumes to represent a hundred or more chemical compounds.

It can be difficult to totally avoid perfumes that cause allergic reactions. But here’s some information on:

• what you can do when you notice the symptoms
• how to treat and cope with your allergic reactions
• when to see your doctor

Allergies

When you have allergies, your body has a specific immune system response to an ingredient or a chemical in the perfume that causes the reaction.

This means that your body identifies the ingredient in the perfume as a foreign substance. Then, it releases an inflammatory reaction to help fight off the substance as if it’s a bacterial or viral invader.

This immune system response usually develops over a course of days and manifests as itchiness or a rash. These symptoms can last for weeks before they go away.

Sensitivity

Perfume sensitivity, much more common, is a reaction to something that irritates your body. Sensitivity doesn’t necessarily trigger a body-wide immune system response.

With a sensitivity, you might have a rash that goes away after a few hours or a mild headache.

You might also just sneeze a few times before your symptoms go away. This is because your body reacts by getting rid of the irritant to return to normal.

Types of substances

The substance that you react to also makes a difference.

Most ingredients in perfumes that cause a reaction aren’t actually allergens. They’re usually synthetic or chemical irritants that your body finds… well, irritating.

Allergens, on the other hand, are technically proteins that the body reacts to with an inflammatory response that causes allergy symptoms.

In short, a true perfume allergy happens when an organic protein in a perfume ingredient causes the reaction. The heavy majority of reactions people endure are simply perfume sensitivities.

The symptoms you experience are directly related to whether you have a perfume allergy or a perfume sensitivity.

Let’s look at some common symptoms.

Allergy

Most allergic reactions typically give you an itchy red rash that goes away quickly after you’ve been exposed to the perfume. Some mild symptoms can last for a few weeks even after a brief exposure.

A few mild symptoms of a perfume allergy can include:

• itching, even where you don’t see any rash or irritation
• itching around your eyes and in your throat
• skin that’s scaly or dry
• blisters that get crusty and ooze pus
• outbreak of hives
• patchy, reddish skin
• a burning sensation on your skin with no visible irritation or sores
• being more sensitive to sunlight than usual

Sensitivity

A few mild symptoms of a perfume sensitivity can include:

• sneezing if the perfume is sprayed near your face and airways (nose, mouth, and throat)
• itching, running, or stuffiness of your nose
• nasal mucus dripping down the back of your throat (postnasal drip)
• persistent cough
• headaches
• nausea

Other allergic reactions are much more severe and can happen quickly. Some of these symptoms might need immediate medical attention. They’re however, extremely rare.

Here are some severe, emergency symptoms to watch out for:

• Swelling in your mouth, lips, or tongue. This kind of swelling can be uncomfortable and make it harder for you to breathe, eat, or talk. You may need medical treatment, such as corticosteroid injections, to reduce the swelling quickly.
• Anaphylaxis. Anaphylaxis happens when your airways get inflamed and close up because your body releases a high volume of a type of antibody called IgE. This can make it difficult or impossible to breathe. Get emergency medical help if this happens.

Your treatment for a perfume allergy should be based on your symptoms and the substance that causes the allergy.

Most importantly, it should include avoidance of the substance that caused the symptom in the first place.

Try these treatments for mild, temporary symptoms:

• Medications. Oral antihistamines like cetirizine (Zyrtec), diphenhydramine (Benadryl), or loratadine (Claritin) can help with itching and stuffiness. You can get these at any store that sells over-the-counter (OTC) medications or get a prescription from your doctor.
• Topical corticosteroid creams. You can apply hydrocortisone or other similar steroid creams to an itchy area or to a rash.
• Colloidal oatmeal bath. Taking an oatmeal bath can help soothe itching and inflammation. You can also make an oatmeal compress by putting oatmeal soaked in cold water in a thin material like pantyhose.
• Gentle moisturizing lotion or cream. Use one that doesn’t have any artificial ingredients or chemicals that might trigger another reaction.
• Try light therapy. You can try either blue or red light to help eliminate any bacteria irritating your skin or to reduce the immune system response on your skin to both soothe and repair tissue.

If perfume or fragrance allergies are disrupting your life and you want your symptoms to be less severe:

• Consider getting contact allergen testing. Your doctor or an allergist can use patch tests that expose you to small amounts of different allergens to determine your specific allergic triggers. Once you figure out what you’re allergic to, you can try to avoid any perfumes that contain those ingredients.

Call 911 or seek immediate medical help if you have a fever or any trouble breathing.

The first thing you should try to do is avoid the substance causing your allergy in the first place.

Once you know what you’re allergic or sensitive to, look for that substance in any perfume you want to buy and never buy it again.

Try natural, plant-based perfumes if you still want to achieve a similar scent but want to avoid any of the substances that cause allergies.

Choosing a perfume that has minimal ingredients can reduce the chance you’ll have an allergic or sensitivity reaction.

But you can’t always avoid exposure, especially if you live or work with people who wear perfume for personal or professional reasons.

Here are some ways you can help take control of your environment and reduce symptoms of a perfume allergy:

• Try to avoid common areas where people wearing perfume may walk by and trigger your allergies or sensitivities.
• Keep a small air purifier near your workspace to help keep your air free of airborne proteins that can trigger your symptoms.
• Let the people around you know about your allergies, so they can know to avoid wearing perfume around you.
• Don’t use any scented products at all to minimize your possible exposure to your allergy or sensitivity triggers. This includes candles and air fresheners.
• Get a flu shot every year to keep your immune system strong.
• Talk to your employer about keeping your workplace scent-free, especially if you have other coworkers with fragrance allergies or sensitivities.

See your doctor as soon as possible if you notice any of the following symptoms:

• large boils or hives that are painful or extremely itchy
• feeling exhausted or drowsy
• feeling confused or disoriented
• feeling unusually dizzy
• feeling sick or throwing up
• heart rate spiking for no reason or beating abnormally
• you have a fever (100.4°F or higher)
• you have symptoms of an infection on your skin or elsewhere, including your skin being warm to the touch or an itchy rash that’s producing a thick, cloudy, discolored discharge
• your itchiness or rashes become painfully itchy or constantly distract you from your everyday life
• your rash is spreading out from the place it started to other parts of your body, or new rashes appear where you haven’t been exposed
• you have a reaction around your face or your genitals
• your symptoms don’t get any better or start to get worse after a few days or weeks
• you have trouble breathing because of tightness in your throat

Perfume allergies and sensitivities are common and can be disruptive. This is especially true if you have to work or live with people who wear perfume or cologne every day, and you don’t have the ability to avoid them.

But there’s plenty you can do to reduce your exposure or improve your symptoms.

Limiting exposure, getting treatment, and telling those around you about your symptoms can help you cope and make sure exposure doesn’t interfere with your life.

Allergic to perfume? Find out the reasons!

Complain about material

Anna Askarova

10/20/2014 at 13:24

Smells surround us everywhere and always – it is an integral part of life. Every day we feel thousands of smells and we are not even always aware of their presence. But, in our life there are aromas chosen consciously – favorites that accompany to work, to rest, at home and even during sleep. Naturally, these are perfumes.

All aromatic compositions consist of natural raw materials, sometimes with impurities of synthetically synthesized substances, and sometimes do not contain any component extracted by natural means. The fact is that absolutely all essential and absolute oils, balms and resins, components of animal origin, etc. have a positive effect on the human body. Each substance has its own sphere of activity. So, for example, citrus aromas help to cope with depression, nervous tension and improve brain function. Amber, musk and most of the animal ingredients have a significant impact on our libido. But, as they say, what’s the catch? Sometimes even the most fragrant substances, which are simply impossible not to fall in love with from the first breath, can play against us.

So, between the natural desire to smell and become the owner of an unsurpassed flair and us, a serious problem can arise, whose name is allergy.

Perfume allergy is a widespread and very unpleasant problem that can befall anyone and at any time. Even if a person has never suffered from this disease, trouble can take him by surprise, because in everyday life we ​​rarely come across exotic components that perfumers love to use in their masterpieces. A fancy perfume with an unfamiliar name in a pyramid can play Russian roulette with us.

The first sign that you are allergic to perfume is a headache, gradually turning into a general deterioration in well-being and weakness. But most of all, our respiratory tract and the skin on which the fragrance is applied suffer. So a runny nose, constant sneezing, and sometimes an unbearable cough, along with skin rashes and redness, are constant companions of allergies. If you are still faced with this problem, or just want to stay on the alert and do everything to avoid it, you should understand the causes of the disease.

Causes

1) The product you purchased is counterfeit.

If you have not previously noticed an allergic reaction to a fragrance that you previously used, but the problem still arose when buying another bottle, most likely the purchased product is a fake, which, of course, uses the cheapest (read: the least quality ) Components. In order to protect yourself from low-quality products, adhere to the following rules:

· Under no circumstances should you buy perfumes in markets and underpasses;

· too attractive price for the goods of a well-known and prestigious manufacturer should not lure, but scare away;

·when ordering a perfume via the Internet, use only a proven resource (if you have not used this online store before, look at reviews about it in recommendation networks).

2) Individual intolerance to certain components.

So it may well happen that even for a quality product you will be allergic. The reason for this is individual intolerance, which can occur both on synthetic and natural components (most often flowers or citruses act as allergens). If you know that you are allergic to a particular plant, carefully study its composition before buying a perfume. Of course, this is impossible to do in stores, so use the online encyclopedia to familiarize yourself with the pyramid.

3) Buying expired products

The popularity of vintage perfumes is growing by leaps and bounds. But still, do not forget that after the expiration date specified by the manufacturer, the components that make up the perfume composition begin to enter into rather unpredictable reactions, the result of which at one fine moment may be your swollen face, or no less obvious signs of allergy.

How to protect yourself from allergies?

·Purchase products labeled as hypoallergenic or dermatologically tested.

·Alcohol is a common culprit in allergies. If you are familiar with this problem, use dry or oil perfumes. The latter can be easily made from natural oils even at home.

· Avoid overpriced products.

· If you experience an allergic reaction to a perfume from a certain manufacturer, you should stop using this line.

·If you decide to experiment with a fragrance, but are afraid of the possible consequences, testers and samplers will help you – they will save you from a wasted purchase. Put a drop of perfume on your wrist and walk for half an hour. If nothing terrible has happened, feel free to buy the flavor you like.

·Keep purchased perfume out of direct sunlight to prevent premature reactions that occur after the expiration date.

· Do not use a high concentration of fragrance on sun-exposed areas (you don’t want to break the pigmentation of your skin, do you?).

·If you do experience an allergic reaction to perfumes, you should immediately take a cool shower, or simply rinse the affected area with water (if you can not take a shower or bath). It is also worth taking an anti-allergic drug and refraining from further use of perfumes that caused a similar reaction.

May fragrant life partners never harm you. Follow these tips and don’t be afraid to experiment with perfume. After all, only the search for something new will lead you to your cherished goal.

Offers from partners:
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Anastasia Privalova

08/19/2022 at 16:54

Sometimes the body responds to perfume with an allergic reaction. Whether it is possible to continue to use spirits in this case?

We smell when we breathe in chemical molecules with the air, for example from Chanel No. 5. In the nose, they are caught by receptors – olfactory sensory neurons of the mucous membrane. A person has 10-40 million of them. Molecules of different aromas activate different combinations of olfactory neurons to recognize odors. The impulse from them goes to the olfactory center of the brain, which processes information and we understand that we feel the aroma of lemon and iris.

The sense of smell provides information about changes in the chemical composition of the environment, warns of danger and helps to survive. Thanks to the smell, we throw out the rotten meat. And the smell of fried chicken will remind you of hunger. The more molecules of a substance enter the nose, the stronger and longer we smell. But the receptors gradually adapt. For example, if a person uses perfume constantly, he stops noticing their smell and because of this, he begins to spray too much perfume on himself. If you ride with such a person in an elevator, a strong smell will pinch your nose, and the aroma will haunt you even after going outside.

The perfume contains a mixture of fragrances and can cause allergies in some people. It can manifest as a skin rash, itching, tears, difficulty breathing, headache, and nausea. The list of allergens that cause reactions to perfumes and other cosmetics includes 26 aromatic substances, such as Peruvian balsam, oak moss and citronella. To confirm allergies to perfumes, special tests are carried out, which are prescribed by an allergist. Allergy to aromatic substances is in 1-3% of people. If you are allergic to perfumes, you can not use them, but you can choose a perfume that does not contain an allergen substance.

First you need to understand what kind of allergy you have and what it is for. It is worth remembering that some formulations can cause an individual reaction in the form of a slight reddening of the skin area where the perfume was applied. But often this is not considered a manifestation of an aggressive allergy. Redness is usually not accompanied by itching, burning, but it may be accompanied by a slight inflammation of the reddened area of ​​​​the skin. Symptoms pass quickly. Such a reaction can be, for example, to cinnamon oil, if the body is sensitive to it or its components. By the way, it is this activity (to identify dangerous and potentially allergenic materials) that is considered the main one by the IFRA organization, which is often accused of all perfumery sins and the murder of entire genres.

If the smell of perfume causes coughing, dizziness, headache or nausea, move to fresh air. Breathe deeply for a few minutes, exhaling through your nose to clear your nasal passages. If the skin is reddened and itchy, pour cold water over the area of ​​irritation for several minutes and gently blot with a tissue. Some areas, such as the neck, are more sensitive than others, so if the allergic reaction is rather mild, you can try using the fragrance on another part of the body. The safest points are: behind the earlobes, under the knees, on the crook of the elbow, on the chest and wrists. If perfume still causes irritation, but you still want to continue using it, then here’s the solution – moisten a cotton ball with perfume, dry it and put it in a bra.

If your allergy is not associated with mild, quickly disappearing and not uncomfortable redness, then you should consult an allergist to try to find the cause. Pay attention to which perfumes cause the reaction. If so, then these are probably the components included in most formulas. If only certain fragrances, then you should stop using them – at least until the cause of the allergy and its treatment are found. Do not forget that natural or artisanal perfumes that have not passed toxicological control and safety standards are much more dangerous than industrial ones. If you are allergic to your regular perfumes, then you should not switch to natural perfumes. To get started, consult a doctor and undergo therapy so as not to aggravate the condition of a weakened body.