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The scents in products we wash, beautify and deodorize with may be enhancing our allure at the cost of allergic reactions. A 1998 Danish study found that, after nickel, fragrances were the second most common cause of allergic contact dermatitis; dermatitis, or inflamed skin, is a form of eczema, according to the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD). "Allergic reactions to fragrances are on the rise among dermatitis patients," says Donald Belsito, M.D., a dermatologist at the University of Kansas Medical Center. "Over the last decade, fragrance sensitivities in this group have increased from 9 to 12 or 13 percent," he adds. Studies show that eczema patients' fragrance allergies have risen in the U.S., Denmark and Germany, according to a 1999 report by the European Union Scientific Committee on Cosmetic Products.

In addition to producing skin inflammations in sensitive people, fragrances also can provoke respiratory reactions when inhaled. Although there are no studies showing that fragrances cause asthma, according to allergist Richard Honsinger, M.D. of the University of New Mexico Medical School, asthma sufferers with irritated airways can experience worsened symptoms around fragrances. Los Angeles pediatrician Harvey Karp, author of The Happiest Baby on the Block (Bantam, 2002), notes that fragrances in many products, from cosmetics to laundry detergents to room-freshener sprays, can aggravate asthma and allergies in children. "Other responses range from runny nose to coughing and wheezing," he says.

Although more than 5,000 different substances have been used as fragrance components, the number of known allergens among them is much smaller. They include geraniol, found in 43 percent of fine fragrance products; eugenol, found in 26 percent and hydroxycitronellal, found in 21 percent. Natural and organic fragrances such as peppermint oil can be as irritating as synthetics, warns Dr. Karp, who adds that eucalyptus and wintergreen oils are potentially lethal.

To further complicate matters, the FDA currently allows personal-care products to hide chemical ingredients under the general rubric "fragrance." Following a movement gaining popularity in Europe, the American Academy of Dermatology has petitioned the FDA to list known allergens on labels.

Meanwhile, what can the consumer do? The AAD has a set of recommendations for those who suffer from fragrance allergies; these include:

• double-rinsing all detergents and avoiding fabric softeners
• using only fragrance-free personal-care items
• avoiding perfumes, colognes, aftershaves, fingernail-care products and hairspray.

Dr. Harvey Karp would add that opening windows (when outside air is clean) and keeping air circulating will help dissipate indoor air pollution from many sources. As he puts it, "the best air freshener is fresh air."