Seem to be allergic to perfume

[doingmyboxin]

Any solutions to this? I love wearing perfume, but the last few I've had, I'm clearly allergic to.

Is there such a thing as hypoallergenic perfumes? I've seen Skylar online. Any feedback?

What reaction do you have to it?

I itch and develop a rash. The itching gets worse at night, weirdly.

What happens if you don't wear it on your skin but you spray your hair brush and brush your hair, or spray your top?

I haven't tried this @MrsPelligrinoPetrichor but I tend to spray on my neck and then a spritz all over, and last night I felt itchy on my head and top half anyway.

I have only one real go-to perfume which I only wear on my wrists and they sometimes itch and become rash like. I dread to think what my neck would be like. I sometimes just spray it on the cuff of my top or the hem of my trousers🙄 For this reason I have worn aftershaves for over 30 years. Some perfumes have similar smelling aftershaves so you may be able to find the corresponding aftershave to your favourite perfume. If your skin has quite and adverse reaction try taking an antihistamine.

I wish you could whittle down the chemical that does this... I've had a few that give me awful migraines and skin reactions. Can't go near Jo Malone for some reason, they make me really unwell and I react the same if other people close by are wearing them too.

Touch wood, I've got a Creed perfume at the moment (Windflowers) and this one hasnt given me any issues so far.

Angel gives me a bad rash and itch. I am fine with Body Shop perfumes.

I read one that Beyoncé is allergic to perfume.

The latest one is just a Next one, as I don't want to buy something more expensive and not be able to wear it. Before this it was a Hugo Boss one, and can't remember the one before that.

I never had this problem when I was younger. I could wear anything back then. Until only the last few years actually.

Skylar is lovely.
They send you a sample of 5 for $25 US and you’re bound to find one you like.
I like 4 out of the 5 samples.
The website descriptions try desperately to give you a sense of the scent and are pretty funny. I don’t find the suggested layerings work well, but the individual fragrances work beautifully on their own.

Perhaps this might help you to consider that perfume causes airborne allergies for many people, including hives, rashes and even anaphylactic reactions. Wearing it at all is extremely anti-social.

You may even be on your way to becoming one of us. My reactions started with mild contact irritation in adulthood and now I carry epipens in case I can’t get away from someone or someplace when my lips start swelling.

It is possible to discover which chemicals are triggering the allergic reaction using patch testing https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/contact-dermatitis/diagnosis/. It can be done privately as well. It tests for over 100 individual chemicals and substances. Unfortunately, discovering that you are allergic to, say, citral, isn't going to help you find out which perfumes you can wear, as perfumes do not list ingredients. I doubt the perfumiers would reveal their ingredients to you, either.

The OP's reaction sounds very specific, so you could do the patch testing yourself using perfume samples. Two ways I know of. One is to put a blob of the substance on your inner elbow, cover it with a plaster, and leave it there for 24h. The other way is to apply the substance in a normal amount to the skin of your inner elbow every day for at least a week. Either way, you see how your skin reacts in that isolated location.

An allergic reaction on the skin may not always be helped by taking anti-histamines. Try them, of course, but if your skin is still suffering, use some hydrocortisone ointment on the rash.

Disclaimer: I am not a HCP, merely a person with allergic contact dermatitis and other allergies.

BTW 'hypoallergenic' means diddlysquat. If you are allergic to something, the fact that others can use it without any problems is not going to help you.

My understanding is that any cosmetics sold in the EU should have a list of ingredients, probably on the box. It will be in chemical names. Some allergens (26 of them) must be listed, if they are present at a certain concentration, at the end of the list. You may be able to use this allergen list to narrow down what you are allergic to.

Department stores let you try different perfume with a free spray. I suggest you experiment with a few before purchase.
I am allergic to one perfume- fittingly enough, it is the one called “Poison”

Unfortunately 'parfum' is an acceptable catch-all.

Acceptable to industry and government, though not to people with specific sensitivities.

Yes, but then they have to list the allergens (of the 26 to a certain concentration) later in the list, along with the colourants (CI numbers). Names like Limonene and Linalool are the allergens.

https://www.botanicalformulations.com/blog/what-are-allergens-in-cosmetic-products has the list and a good explanation.

You could try these
2 at the bottom of the page made for people with fragrance allergies

https://www.4160tuesdays.com/4160tuesdaysscentshop/cat_1434251-Our-Modern-Lives.html

This. I don't suffer myself but think perfume is pretty grim given it affects so many people.

Anyone you can smell as they walk past is a retro throwback IMO! It is gross smelling other people's perfume, very 80s vibe (and not in a good way).

@Morasssassafras, a good list and explanation. But I notice that the website states

Rather than listing individual essential oils, some companies prefer to just list perfume/parfum /fragrance as sometimes the essential oil list can be particularly long with complex natural or partially natural fragrances.
Ie as I said, unfortunately 'parfum' is an acceptable catch-all, so you're none the wiser, even if you know exactly which chemical triggers your allergic reaction.

As it happens, perfume never triggered my reaction. Nonetheless I stopped wearing it once I was diagnosed. I felt that the risk of a wider reaction and of extending my sensitivities was too high. Plus, once you go fragrance-free, perfume just smells too strong! (I still miss it, though.)

I have the same issue with Cacharel Noa, but no others....always assumed it was perfume-specific