Derm News: 2007.20(7)

Selected important fragrance sensitizers in perfumes - current exposures

Contact Dermatitis, 56(4):201-204
SURESH CHANDRA RASTOGI, JEANNE DUUS JOHANSEN, ROSSANA BOSSI
ABSTRACT

Contact allergy to fragrance ingredients is frequent. Recommendations and regulations of some of the most frequent and potent fragrance allergens have recently been introduced. To investigate current exposures to 4 important fragrance allergens in hydroalcoholic cosmetic products. 25 popular perfume products of Danish as well as international brands were purchased from the Danish retail market. Contents of 4 important fragrance allergens, isoeugenol, hydroxyisohexyl 3-cyclohexene carboxaldehyde (HICC, Lyral®), were determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, and atranol and chloroatranol were determined by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Isoeugenol was found in 56%, HICC in 72%, atranol in 59%, and chloroatranol in 36% of the 22 eau de toilette/eau de parfum products. The concentratios of isoeugenol were, in all products, below the recommended maximum concentration of 0.02%. HICC reached a maximum of 0.2%, which is 10-fold higher than maximum tolerable concentration considered safe by the EU Scientific Committee. The median concentrations of atranol and chloroatranol in the investigated products were similar to those found in similar products in 2003. A significant decrease in the frequency of presence of chloroatranol in the products was observed. There is still a wide-spread exposure to potent fragrance allergens in perfumes.

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The Derm News service provided by the Editorial Consultants of Skin Therapy Letter^© and its founding editor Dr. Stuart Maddin.