Perfume intolerance or perfume allergy is a condition wherein people exhibit sensitivity or

allergic Allergies, also known as allergic diseases, are various conditions caused by hypersensitivity of the immune system to typically harmless substances in the environment. These diseases include hay fever, food allergies, atopic dermatitis, alle ...

reactions to ingredients in some

perfume Perfume (, ) is a mixture of fragrance, fragrant essential oils or aroma compounds (fragrances), Fixative (perfumery), fixatives and solvents, usually in liquid form, used to give the human body, animals, food, objects, and living-spaces an agre ...

s and some other fragrances. It is a form of

multiple chemical sensitivity Multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS) is an unrecognized and controversial diagnosis characterized by chronic symptoms attributed to exposure to low levels of commonly used chemicals. Symptoms are typically vagueness, vague and non-specific sympt ...

, a more general phenomenon for this diagnosis.

Symptoms

Symptoms depend on each person's allergies and each perfume's or fragrance's ingredients. Symptoms may include allergic contact dermatitis, asthma attacks, headaches, and others. The most common

reactions to perfume or fragrances added to products is

contact dermatitis Contact dermatitis is a type of acute or chronic inflammation of the skin caused by exposure to chemical or physical agents. Symptoms of contact dermatitis can include itchy or dry skin, a red rash, bumps, blisters, or swelling. These rashes ...

, though other symptoms may occur, including

allergic conjunctivitis Allergic conjunctivitis (AC) is Allergic Inflammation, inflammation of the conjunctiva (the membrane covering the white part of the eye) due to allergy. Although allergens differ among patients, the most common cause is hay fever. Symptoms consist ...

The diagnosis of the causal allergen is made by

patch test A patch test is a diagnostic method used to determine which specific substances cause allergic inflammation of a patient's skin. Patch testing helps identify which substances may be causing a delayed-type allergic reaction in a patient and ...

ing with a mixture of fragrance ingredients, the fragrance mix. This gives a positive patch-test reaction in about 10% of tested patients with

eczema Dermatitis is a term used for different types of skin inflammation, typically characterized by itchiness, redness and a rash. In cases of short duration, there may be small blisters, while in long-term cases the skin may become thickened ...

, and the most recent estimates show that 1.7–4.1% of the general population are sensitized to ingredients of the fragrance mix. Two studies show that inhalant-like allergies and sensitivity/intolerances are experienced by a subset of the US population, in the form of asthma and chemical sensitivities. Results aggregated from both surveys found that 30.5% of the general population reported scented products on others irritating, 19% reported adverse health effects from air fresheners, and 10.9% reported irritation by scented laundry products vented outside. Household products, such as soaps and detergents, perfume products, cosmetics, and other consumer goods, are estimated to use 2,500 different fragrance ingredients. Of those, approximately 100 different substances are known to elicit responses in at least some individuals. An estimated 1.7–4.1% of the general population shows a contact allergic response to a mix of common perfume ingredients. Although products can be labeled "fragrance-free", many still contain lesser-known fragrance chemicals that consumers may not recognize.

Cinnamaldehyde Cinnamaldehyde is an organic compound with the formula or . Occurring naturally as predominantly the ''trans'' (''E'') isomer, it gives cinnamon its flavor and odor. It is a phenylpropanoid that is naturally synthesized by the shikimate pathway ...

(cinnamic aldehyde) is a common fragrance allergen.

Symptoms

References

Further reading