A guide to consumer fragrance allergies

Have you ever perceived a scent of a fragrance in a room that made you sneezed so hard that almost made you feel dizzy?
Well, your sneezing is a reflect of your allergy to that particular scent and this is common as millions of people experience this in their daily encounter.
Fragrance allergy is an allergic reaction to a particular scent that makes one either sneeze, cough, fell dizzy or cause skin irritation. To some people, it could be just a few sneezes because they have a tickle in their nose or a more violent series of sneezes.
EU research estimates that between 1-3% of the general population and around 16% of eczema sufferers could be affected by contact allergy to fragrance ingredients, other reports show it to be even higher. Interestingly, some studies indicate that the risk of reacting to a fragrance ingredient in a cosmetic product may increase with age.
Allergic reactions to a particular smell varies from person to person and it is as a result of the Immune cells in the immune system recognizing and reacting to the allergen in question. Although many people experience mild discomfort as a result, it is however challenging and difficult to pinpoint an exact allergen triggering the reaction.
According to an EU study by Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS), there are 82 basic substances which can be classified as established contact allergens in humans. This makes it a salient concern that calls for attention as most of these fragrances are found in most product we use.
With respect to perfume fragrance, there are 26 fragrance allergens which have been recognized as having the potential to cause allergies. It is a requirement that information on these ingredients is provided to consumers in the labelling of cosmetic products so that they can be avoided if necessary.
Among the many allergens, one in particular was highlighted due to its frequency of involvement in allergy cases – hydroxyisohexyl 3-cyclohexene carboxaldehyde HICC allergy. The others are Amyl cinnamal 122-40-7, Amylcinnamyl alcohol 101-85-9, Benzyl alcohol 100-51-6, Benzyl salicylate 118-58-1, Cinnamyl alcohol 104-54-1, Cinnamal 104-55-2, Citral 5392-40-5, Coumarin 91-64-5, Eugenol 97-53-0, Geraniol 106-24-1, Hydroxycitronellal 107-75-5, Hydroxymethylpentyl-cyclohexenecarboxaldehyde 31906-04-4, Isoeugenol 97-54-1.
Fragrance chemicals that are less frequently reported as consumer allergens are Anisyl alcohol 105-13-5, Benzyl benzoate 120-51-4, Benzyl cinnamate 103-41-3, Citronellol 106-22-9, Farnesol 4602-84-0, Hexyl cinnamaldehyde 101-86-0, Lilial 80-54-6, d-Limonene 5989-27-5, Linalool 78-70-6, Methyl heptine carbonate 111-12-6, 3-Methyl-4-(2,6,6-trimethyl-2-cyclohexen-1-yl)-3-buten-2-one 127-51-5, Oak moss 90028-68-5, Tree moss 90028-67-4.
So when next you are patronizing those amazing perfume or cosmetics, be sure to read the label and find that perfect brand that wouldn’t trigger your allergies. In as much as you might want to take the risk, try to minimize or reduce the frequency at which you use it.
Most online shops like Jumia do give customers the specifications of a product and further inform customers of the components in a product so to make sure customers understand what they are buying. This helps customers make informed choices by selecting the right product that best suits them.