Allergies & Cures

The main symptoms of perfume allergies include skin reactions such as rashes, eczema and itching – all of these can become apparent in the body areas that have came into direct contact with a particular perfume. For instance, severe eczema in the armpits may often be a sign that indicates an allergy to the perfumed deodorant. If you find yourself among the people who are suffering from perfumed deodorant allergy, you should switch to fragrance-free products in order to prevent further allergic reactions from occurring.

Also, a perfume allergy is very likely to affect your body in other different ways. For instance, you may experience shortness of breath, watery eyes, dizziness or nausea as soon as you come in direct contact with a particular perfume that can trigger all these reactions. Skin care products come with ingredients labels where you can see “perfume” listed. The perfume that is used in skin care products is a combination of various compounds that are used in order to provide the product with a particular scent. 

Here are the most common chemicals that are used in perfumes and which are most likely to cause allergic reactions: oak moss extract, Cinnamyl alcohol, Anisyl alcohol, Hexylcinnam-aldehyde, Isoeugenol, Hydroxy-citranellal, Coumarin and Amyl cinnamyl alcohol. You can get tested for each of the chemicals listed above. A sample of a particular perfume/chemical will be applied to your skin and monitored in order to see whether you develop any allergic reactions to it or not.

Once you discover that you have a perfume allergy, you will have to go for perfume-free products in order to get the personal care range that you need, without any scent in it. However, it seems that only 3% of people are likely to suffer from a real perfume allergy while the rest are more likely to experience different kinds of skin irritations. There are some major differences between perfume sensitivity and perfume allergy and the importance of discerning between them is crucial when it comes to their treatment as each of them requires its own and special treatment.

For instance, a perfume allergy may be triggered by scented shampoos, laundry detergents, body lotions and perfumes and you are most likely to be suffering from a perfume allergy if you experience some of the following reactions: muscle spasms, dizziness, sore throat, events of asthma attacks, difficulty in breathing, wheezing and nausea. Such allergic reactions are quite hard to predict but it’s best to consult your health care provider as soon as possible in order to avoid further complications.

Perfume sensitivity is the way your skin tells you that a particular ingredient from one of your skin care products isn’t reacting too well with your skin. Once you notice one of the following reactions, you are likely to suffer from a common skin irritation: headache, runny nose, itchy red rash and itching eyes. However, these symptoms can be fixed by water and soap. Once you want to remove such minor rashes, you may go for a hydrocortisone cream. Also, you may use antihistamines in order to decrease your irritated sinus.