Fragrances

Some people may experience headaches, dizziness, or irritation of the eyes, nose, and throat from fragrances. Fragrances can also cause coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath, and other symptoms, especially in people with asthma, allergies, or chemical sensitivities.

Key points:

• Fragrances can affect indoor air quality.  Fragrances contain chemicals that evaporate into the air and contribute to indoor air pollution. 
• Fragrances can cause health symptoms. Exposure to fragrances may can headaches, dizziness, eye, nose, and throat irritation, coughing, wheezing, or shortness of breath, or exacerbate asthma or COPD.
• Some people are more sensitive than others. People with asthma, allergies, COPD, migraines, or chemical sensitivities may experience stronger reactions to fragranced products. 
• You can reduce exposure. Choosing fragrance-free products, avoiding air fresheners, scented candles, incense, and improving ventilation can help create healthier indoor air.

Fragrances are found in many everyday products, including air fresheners, cleaning supplies, shampoos, personal care products, and candles. While these products may smell pleasant, they can affect indoor air quality and health—especially for people with asthma, allergies, or chemical sensitivities.

Fragranced products are common, but they can contribute to indoor air pollution and cause health problems for some people. By understanding where fragrances come from and how they affect health, you can take steps to create a healthier indoor environment for yourself and others.

What Are Scents and Fragrances?

Scents are single odors that often come from natural sources, such as lavender or pine trees. 

Fragrances are mixtures of chemicals that are added to products to create a scent, cover up odors, or both.

Fragrances are found in thousands of products used in homes, schools, and workplaces, including:

• Air fresheners and deodorizers
• Cleaning products and disinfectants
• Laundry detergents and dryer sheets
• Perfumes, colognes, and lotions
• Shampoos and other personal care products
• Many other household products

Fragrances can contain hundreds of chemicals. Many of these chemicals are volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which evaporate into the air at room temperature. Some fragrance chemicals can also react with ozone indoors to form additional air pollutants.

On product labels, fragrance ingredients are often listed simply as “fragrance” rather than by their individual chemical names. This makes it difficult for consumers to know exactly which chemicals are present.

Some fragrance ingredients come from natural sources, such as essential oils, while others are manufactured. Regardless of their source, both natural and synthetic fragrances can release pollutants into indoor air and may affect health.

How Can Fragrances Effect Health?

Health effects from fragrances vary from person to person. Some people may not notice any symptoms, while others may be more sensitive.

Possible symptoms include:

• Headaches or migraines
• Eye, nose, or throat irritation
• Dizziness
• Nausea
• Coughing, wheezing, or shortness of breath
• Fatigue

Exposure to fragranced products can also trigger respiratory, asthma, or COPD symptoms.

People with asthma, COPD, allergies, migraines, or chemical sensitivities are more likely to be affected by fragrances. Groups that may be more vulnerable to fragrances include:

• People with asthma, COPD, allergies, or eczema
• Children
• People who are pregnant
• People with chemical sensitivities, sometimes referred to as Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS)
• Workers with frequent exposure to fragranced products, such as cosmetologists, janitors, and dry cleaners

How Can You Reduce Exposure to Fragrances?

You can take simple steps to reduce exposure to fragrances and improve indoor air quality:

• Choose fragrance-free products whenever possible.
• Select safer cleaning products and household chemicals.
• Avoid air fresheners, scented candles, and incense.
• Remove odor sources through regular cleaning instead of masking odors with fragrances.
• Store products properly and use them only as directed.
• Open windows and doors to improve ventilation when using products with fragrances.
• Encourage fragrance-free practices at home, school, and work.

Reducing or eliminating fragranced products can improve the comfort and health for sensitive individuals and the indoor air quality for everyone.