- What are common fragrance ingredients to look for on labels?
- Fragrance-related ingredients include: parfum, fragrance, linalool, limonene, citronellol, eugenol, geraniol, benzyl alcohol, and essential oils like lavender oil, rose oil, and citrus extracts.
- Can fragrance cause skin reactions?
- Yes. Fragrance is one of the leading causes of allergic contact dermatitis. The EU requires labeling of 26 known fragrance allergens above threshold concentrations.
- Is 'natural' fragrance safer than synthetic?
- Not necessarily. Natural fragrance compounds like essential oils contain the same allergenic molecules (linalool, limonene) as synthetic versions. "Natural" does not mean non-allergenic.