Did you know that the pleasant, seemingly harmless smell of your cosmetics is made from a concoction of different chemicals and none of these needs to be itemised in the ingredients?

Synthetic fragrances and preservatives are the two leading causes of allergy and sensitisation in all cosmetics. A typical artificial fragrance will contain about 100 chemicals chosen from a potential pool of 1000 aromatic and fragrance chemicals. The mixture of chemicals that make up the fragrance will appear in the ingredients under the catch-all term parfum or fragrance.

This simple recipe for raspberry fragrance will go some way to explain why these ingredients cause adverse reactions in so many people. 100 parts 4-(4-Hydroxyphenyl)-2-butanone)1,5,6 30 parts 3-Hydroxy-2-methyl-4-pyrone (Maltol)1,5,9,12 20 parts 4-Hydroxy-3-methoxybenzaldehyde (Vanillin)2,5,9 8 parts 3-Ethoxy-4-hydroxybenzaldehyde (Ethylvanillin)2,7,8 1 part -Ionone3,9 1 part Methyl sulfide1,4,5,9,10,11,12 1 part 2,5-Dimethyl-N-(2-pyrazinyl)pyrrole9,12.The superscript numbers refer to the risk and safety phrases that must be present on laboratory containers of these chemicals. These phrases are:

1 Irritating to eyes, respiratory system, and skin
2 Harmful if swallowed, irritating to eyes
3 May cause sensitisation by inhalation and by skin contact
4 Risk of serious damage to eyes
5 In case of contact with eyes rinse immediately with plenty of water and seek medical advice
6 Wear suitable gloves and eye/face protection
7 Wear suitable protective clothing, gloves, and eye/face protection
8 Do not breathe dust
9 Wear suitable protective clothing
10 Do not breathe vapour
11 Keep away from sources of ignition – No smoking 12 Harmful if swallowed.

By choosing products that do not contain the words parfum or fragrance in the ingredients you can avoid these chemicals. Instead look for products that contain essential oils, these will all be itemised in the ingredients.