They surround us every day, everywhere. Sometimes we consciously notice them, and often they guide us unconsciously. They can evoke pleasant memories or negative associations, put us in a good mood, stimulate our appetite, or even warn us of harmful substances. FRAGRANCES.

The delicious scent of fresh bread rolls lures us into the bakery, the fresh produce section in the supermarket smells of fresh fruit, and the summery scent of sunscreen puts us in a good mood.

Smells provide us with information and have an immediate influence on our emotions. Various scents are detected by sensory cells and transmitted directly to our brain via nerve fibers in our nose. This happens with both scents that we actively perceive and very subtle smells that we do not consciously notice. Nevertheless, they capture our attention, influence our emotions, and can thus also guide our decisions.

This is what so-called "scent marketing" makes use of. Every day, we are surrounded by scents that are deliberately used to encourage us to buy, for example, with the appetizing scent of freshly baked bread rolls. However, it does not smell like the scents produced in the bakery, but rather like aromatic substances that are intended to evoke the association of freshly baked bread rolls in us and make us want more.

The cosmetics industry has been making use of the effect of scents for a long time. Most cosmetics are perfumed with fragrance substances. This serves, on the one hand, the manufacturer's brand recognition and so-called brand building, and on the other hand, to influence the purchasing decision.

Scents are deliberately tailored to the respective target group and thus have a huge influence on purchasing behavior. For example, a light cream intended for blemished skin is given a light, fresh scent that conveys a feeling of purity and cleanliness. The scent is the first thing the consumer perceives in a personal care product, besides the consistency. Whether consciously or unconsciously, this enormously influences our purchasing decision. Because what smells good sells well.

Fragrance substances not only influence the olfactory impression, but also mask unpleasant or unusual smells. The body's natural warning system can thus be tricked, and we do not perceive, for example, very sharp smells from substances from which we would instinctively keep our distance as intensely. 

However, besides their psychological effect, most fragrance substances have no beneficial effect on the skin. On the contrary. 

Why fragrance substances should not only be a concern for allergy sufferers

Fragrance substances - and this includes natural fragrance substances, such as essential oils, are not only a burden for (fragrance-) allergy sufferers, which can manifest itself in contact allergies or respiratory reactions, but can also cause skin irritation in healthy skin. They are the second most common contact allergy after nickel, and one in five people has intolerances to fragrance substances. And often without knowing it. 

The skin does not have to react immediately with an allergic reaction, a rash, or eczema; intolerances can develop slowly and over a long period of time without being noticed. Through daily care with cosmetics containing fragrance substances, an allergy can thus develop. If a contact allergy is present, it is incurable, and a recurrence of the reaction must be expected with every contact with the respective substance.  

Even though very few people attribute restless, reddened, irritated, or blemished skin conditions to fragrance substances in cosmetics, they are often precisely these that cause unwanted skin reactions.

Furthermore, fragrance substances bring with them the problem of increased light sensitivity (photosensitivity) of the skin. Pigment disorders, dark spots, and acne scars can be the result of perfumed cosmetics. 

Whether the fragrance substances are synthetic or natural is irrelevant for the skin here. Natural fragrance substances, in the form of essential oils, also have an irritating effect on the skin.

Their exact composition only has to be declared in very few exceptional cases, because for the most part, scents are grouped together in the list of ingredients under the term "Parfum" or "Fragrance". "Aroma" or "Flavour" are also official designations for fragrance substances and encompass more than 3000 different substances.

The designation "Parfum" alone on a product can contain 20-200 ingredients that do not have to be declared individually.

In addition, some potentially allergy-triggering fragrance substances also have other properties, such as an antibacterial effect. This circumstance is often used as a loophole to promote "perfume-free" products, but then, under various pretexts, they are still optimized with their own scent. Despite this sales-promoting advertising, fragrance substances can therefore be contained, and the consumer is misled. Since these are individual ingredients, they are not declared as "Parfum", "Fragrance", or "Aroma", but merely as INCI. As a layperson, this deception is therefore not immediately obvious and can have serious consequences in the event of a fragrance allergy.

In a review by the state medical laboratories, fragrance substances could be detected in around 20 percent of the examined "perfume-free" cosmetic products – in some cases even in high concentrations. This unfortunately confirms the misleading of consumers and requires background knowledge of the respective INCIs for a safe purchase of perfume-free products. (Source: DAAB)

However, 26 fragrance substances are particularly suspected of very frequently triggering allergic reactions, which is why an amendment to the EU Cosmetics Directive 2003 was decided that these must be listed separately on the packaging.

But there is a BUT here too: 

These substances only have to be listed separately if they are contained in the product in the following concentrations:

From 0.001% in products that remain on the skin (leave-on products)

From 0.01% in products that are washed off or rinsed off (rinse-off products)

You can recognize the fragrance substances with a particularly high potential to cause allergies under the following INCIs:

• Benzyl Alcohol
• Amyl Cinnamal
• Cinnamyl Alcohol
• Citral
• Eugenol
• Hydroxycitronellal
• Isoeugenol
• Amylcinnamyl Alcohol
• Benzyl Salicylate
• Cinnamal
• Coumarin
• Geraniol
• Hydroxyisohexyl 3-Cyclohexene Carboxaldehyd / Lyral
• Anise Alcohol / Anisyl Alcohol
• Benzyl Cinnamate
• Farnesol
• Butylphenyl Methylpropional / Lilial
• Linalool
• Benzyl Benzoate
• Citronellol
• Hexyl Cinnamal / Hexylcinnamaldehyde
• Limonene / d-Limonene
• Methyl 2-Octynoate / Methylheptincarbonate
• Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone
• Evernia Prunastri Extract / Oakmoss Extract
• Evernia Furfuracea Extract / Tree Moss Extract

The fragrance substance "Hydroxyisohexyl 3-cyclohexene carboxaldehyde" was even banned due to its sensitizing properties.

The allergy-triggering potential of fragrance substances is also dependent on external influences, such as light or air. Some fragrance substances are therefore classified as weak allergens, but their contact with oxygen can produce significantly more sensitizing byproducts. 

We unfortunately have to disappoint those who believe that natural cosmetics are on the safe side. Precisely because natural ingredients vary in their properties (scent/color) depending on the harvest, natural cosmetics also frequently use perfume to offer a product that always smells the same.

Our products are free of fragrance substances and have the mild natural scent of their active ingredients, which all fulfill valuable functions for the skin. 

Even if there is no reaction to fragrance substances and they thus appear well tolerated at first glance, this does not mean that something is good for the skin just because it "does nothing" to the skin.

Fragrance substances are in any case a burden for the skin that it has to fight against. However, effective skin care should relieve the skin and support its natural function.

We therefore clearly recommend avoiding any kind of perfumed skin care, especially if you are prone to dark spots, acne scars, dark circles, sensitive skin, and allergies. Particular attention should be paid to day care and sun protection products, which should always be chosen in an unperfumed version for all skin types. 

If you do not react immediately to scents and would like to surround yourself with a great fragrance, we advise you to use fragrance substances only specifically in the form of, for example, aromatherapy or a perfume that you spray on your clothes or hair (always bearing in mind the high alcohol content of perfume).