Our lifestyle nowadays means we are constantly in touch with various cosmetic products we use on a daily basis. This is evident also in a variety of products that can be found in stores. Manufacturers try to convince consumers to buy their products by using different persuasive techniques. One of them is a pleasant smell of their products, achieved by adding different fragrances. These are usually aromatic volatile compounds. They can be used in cosmetic products to mask the unpleasant smell of other ingredients, or to make sure the end product has a pleasant scent, thus persuading the consumer. In general they can be divided into natural and synthetic, considering the source, but we must not forget that natural does not always mean safe. Cosmetic products are largely meant for external use only (their use is limited by law), which means we have to have a great deal of knowledge about skin structure and properties to understand how the fragrances in cosmetics affect our bodies. Cosmetic products are usually kept on the skin only for a short amount of time, and contain small concentrations of fragrances, therefore the side effects primarily concern skin reactions. Fragrances can cause various adverse effects on the skin, such as sensitization and, consequently, allergic contact dermatitis, can cause skin irritation or urticaria, while some problems can occur only after being exposed to UV radiation, resulting in photoreaction. The most common side effects of fragrances are various sensitization reactions, as some fragrances have allergenic properties (such as haptens, prehaptens and prohaptens). SCCS (Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety) prepared an elaborate opinion on fragrance allergens in cosmetic products, highlighting 26 most allergenic fragrance substances. These ingredients must be listed individually on the label of cosmetic products (Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council on cosmetic products). This applies to all member states of the European Union, while in the USA the term 'perfume' is sufficient for labeling all fragrances.
In this diploma thesis we would like to analyze which fragrances are most frequently used in various cosmetic products and assess their safety using information from literary sources. We randomly selected 57 cosmetic products from different categories (body lotion, shower gel, deodorants and antiperspirants, perfumes) and took a closer look at the fragrances they contained. Since manufacturers list fragrances collectively as perfume (or fragrance), with the exception of 26 fragrances that should be listed individually (when the concentration is higher than 0.001% for leave-on products and 0.01% for rinse-off products), we have focused on those fragrance substances. Most commonly used fragrances in out test products were linalool (in 70.2% of all products), limonene (68.4%), butylphenyl methylpropional (59.6%), citronellol (54.4%), geraniol (50.9% ) hexyl cinnamaldehyde (45.6%), alpha-isomethyl ionone (42.1%) and coumarin (40.4%). Among the test products only 9 were fragrance free, while other products contained a combination of several fragrances. Using literary sources we found the toxicological data on the most frequently used fragrances and assessed their safety. Fragrances in cosmetic products are used in low concentrations and their use is often limited by IFRA (International Fragrance Association) standards. Thus acute toxicity and repeated dose toxicity do not pose a significant risk, as most of these fragrances have high LD50, NOEL, NOAEL, LOEL and LOAEL values. All of the above mentioned fragrances are dangerous mostly because of their allergenic properties, and some may also irritate the skin. We have estimated that the least safe among most commonly used fragrances is coumarin because it has a high potential for sensitization reactions and the relatively low LD50 and NOAEL values. The safest estimated fragrances are butylphenyl methylpropional (Lilial), citronellol and geraniol, but they can still have allergenic properties. We must be extra cautious with fragrances whose allergenic effect is greatly increased by autoxidation (linalool, limonene, citronellol and geraniol), which can be avoided by properly storing all cosmetic products. When using cosmetic products with a large amount of fragrances (especially allergenic), we must pay attention to potential adverse effects on the skin (redness, blistering, peeling skin, etc.). If an allergic reaction occurs it is also important to know which fragrance caused it to avoid such products in the future. It is much harder to avoid fragrances which are not individually listed on the packaging and are only mentioned as 'perfume' or 'fragrance'. These fragrances may not be safe to use as well, because some of them can act as endocrine disruptors.
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