Natural-perfume allergy

Natural perfumes can cause allergy.

In Denmark, 2% of the population is allergic to perfume; this means that every tenth person with eczema has a perfume allergy.

The chemicals in perfume are one of the most frequent causes of allergic eczema in both adults and children. The eczema appears first on the skin where the perfume was applied. Later, it may spread. The symptoms are redness, itchiness, and spots, bumps, or blisters.

Typically, the first sign of perfume allergy is a rash in or around the armpits from using deodorant or on the neck from using cologne. For some people these symptoms disappear when they stop using the product, but for others the symptoms persist and may spread to the hands and face. A perfume is a mix of fragrances with between 10–100 different ingredients.

A fragrance can be made up of synthetic chemicals or natural extracts from plants. As most chemicals also have a natural form, they are often found in natural extracts too.

The most allergenic fragrances come from natural extracts. In a study of natural cosmetics, 22 natural perfumers were chemically analysed and 82% of these perfumes contained known allergenic chemicals–some of them in such large amounts that using the perfume gave a high risk of allergy.

Oakmoss absolute is the natural extract that most often leads to perfume allergy. This extract comes from a special type of lichen that grows on the bark of oak trees and which gives a moss-like scent. In Denmark, every fourth person with perfume allergy is allergic to oakmoss absolute. This pattern is reflected in many other European countries. Oakmoss absolute contains many different chemicals but until recently it was unknown which ones were allergenic; a European research project is underway in which the Knowledge Centre is participating. In this project, people who are allergic to oakmoss absolute are tested on the skin with different constituents of the extract.

Two chemicals have now been successfully identified as being the main causes of oakmoss absolute’s allergenicity. These chemicals are very potent allergens and occur only naturally. Their identification opens up new possibilities for preventing this type of perfume allergy by chemically removing or reducing these allergenic constituents, by restricting their amounts in cosmetic products and by naming them in the product’s list of ingredients. Although the research project provided a solution to some of the serious problems of perfume allergy, similar problems still remain for other natural extracts. And natural extracts are being used more and more in perfume production.

Using cosmetics with natural extracts, rather than those with other ingredients, does not in general reduce the risk of allergies. Someone who has a perfume allergy will have the same reaction to any allergen added to a product irrespective of whether it is a chemical or a natural extract. With the current legislation, this means that anyone who is allergic to perfume should avoid products that contain natural extracts, even if the product is labelled ‘unperfumed’.

This article appeared in the journal "Astma-Allergi bladet"