Sere says…Hi Brains! I’m an Italian girl who’s trying to do her best to understand something in the complicated world of skin care. I read Paula Begoun’s opinion about fragrance, and from what I could understand, she’s quite severe. I mean she says we should definitely go for truly fragrance-free cosmetics, since fragrance, both synthetic and organic, cause irritation. Even when we cannot actually see skin reactions (like redness etc..), still it’s taking place underneath the skin’s surface, leading to long-term skin damage. So..that is what i wanted to know from you..is it true we should avoid fragrance in cosmetics such as face creams etc, even if we’re not allergic to any of the components of fragrance?

Left Brain smells something fishy
While we love the Cosmetic Cop, I think in this case Paula is overstating the fragrance problem here. You can safely use products with fragrance as long as you are not allergic / sensitive to the components.

What’s wrong with fragrance?

The truth is many people are sensitive to different ingredients found in fragrances. Fragrances can be made up of from 75 to over 100 ingredients so manufacturers aren’t required to list all the component materials. However, they are supposed to list the ingredients that most commonly cause allergic reaction. Here is that list.

Most common fragrance allergens

1. Amyl cinnamal
2. Amylcinnamyl alcohol
3. Benzyl alcohol
4. Benzyl salicylate
5. Cinnamyl alcohol
6. Cinnamal
7. Citral
8. Coumarin
9. Eugenol
10. Geraniol
11. Hydroxycitronellal
12. Hydroxymethylpentylcyclohexenecarboxaldehyde
13. Isoeugenol
14. Anisyl alcohol
15. Benzyl benzoate
16. Benzyl cinnamate
17. Citronellol
18. Farnesol
19. Hexylcinnamaldehyde
20. Lilial
21. d-Limonene
22. Linalool
23. Methyl heptine carbonate
24. g-Methylionone

If you happen to be allergic to one of these ingredients and it is in your product, then you may experience inflammation at the skin surface and below. This isn’t because the ingredient is penetrating the surface, rather it is triggering a chemical response at the surface of your skin.

However, most people are not allergic to the ingredients in fragrances at the levels they are used. So, if the fragrance doesn’t contain an ingredient to which you are sensitive, then there is no proof that it will cause you problems.

Marketing Strategy

It certainly isn’t wrong to tell people that they should buy products that are fragrance free because even if you are not allergic to a particular compound, less exposure to chemicals is better. Sometimes repeated exposure to a compound can cause you to become allergic.

However, the advice for everyone to avoid all fragrances is not based on science. It’s being overly cautious. It’s a bit like when doctors tell pregnant women they shouldn’t drink any alcohol even though there is no proof that drinking a small amount is in any way harmful.

It also seems strangely coincidental that one of the marketing claims for Paula’s Choice products is that they are “100% fragrance free”.

Beauty Brains bottom line

While many people are allergic to fragrance ingredients and would do well to avoid products with fragrances in them, there is no reason that everyone should avoid fragranced products. Fragrances make the product experience more enjoyable and if they don’t bother your skin, feel free to keep using them.

Are you allergic or sensitive to fragrances? How do you feel about them in your beauty products? Leave a message and tell us what you think.

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