Short answers to the questions people ask most about fragrance, each backed by graded evidence and linked to the page that goes deeper.
Evidence key Strong Moderate Weak How we grade
Why does perfume give me a headache?
We don’t have a graded answer to the “why” yet, but you’re far from the only one. About 1 in 8 adults (12.6%) in four countries said fragranced products trigger migraine headaches, and 7% said they trigger asthma attacks. Moderate evidence. Steinemann 2019 In a nationally representative survey of 1,136 US adults, 34.7% said fragranced products such as air fresheners, cleaners and perfume gave them health problems, most often breathing difficulties, eye/nose irritation or migraine. Moderate evidence. Steinemann 2016
Browse the evidence on our facts page.
Am I the only one who reacts to fragrance?
No. In national surveys of 4,435 adults in the US, Australia, the UK and Sweden, about 1 in 3 (32%) said fragranced products such as air fresheners, scented cleaners or other people's perfume cause them health problems. Moderate evidence. Steinemann 2019
Read what other people have been through on the story wall.
Is “unscented” the same as fragrance-free?
No. FDA states that products labeled "unscented" may still contain fragrance ingredients, because a manufacturer may add just enough fragrance to mask the smell of other ingredients without giving the product a noticeable scent. Strong evidence. FDA 2026 (Fragrances in Cosmetics) In the US, "fragrance free", "unscented" and "free and clear" have no legal definition, so each company picks its own meaning; some "unscented" products contain a masking fragrance added to hide the product's smell. Strong evidence. Rodriguez 2024
More in “Unscented” doesn’t mean fragrance-free.
Are essential oils and “natural” scents safer?
“Natural” doesn’t mean allergen-free. 'Natural' is no protection: lavender oil's own components form skin allergens when exposed to air. Strong evidence. Bråred Christensson 2016 Industry-funded Many products sold as "fragrance free" in natural-product stores are free only of synthetic fragrance and still contain essential oils, which make up 80 of the 162 fragrance ingredients documented to cause skin allergy. Moderate evidence. Rodriguez 2024
More in “Natural” doesn’t mean allergen-free.
What’s actually in “fragrance”?
The label won’t tell you. The single word 'fragrance' on a label can stand for dozens to hundreds of chemicals. The fragrance industry's own inventory (RIFM) lists about 2,600 chemicals in current active use, plus roughly 3,500 discontinued materials it keeps only for internal read-across comparison. Moderate evidence. Rádis-Baptista 2023 Under US regulations, fragrance and flavor ingredients in a cosmetic can be listed simply as "Fragrance" or "Flavor" on the label, because the Fair Packaging and Labeling Act cannot be used to force a company to disclose trade secrets, and fragrance/flavor formulas are the cosmetic components FDA itself identifies as most likely to qualify. Strong evidence. FDA 2026 (Fragrances in Cosmetics)
More in The fragrance loophole, or paste a label into the label decoder.
Can I ask a coworker to stop wearing perfume?
You can, and you can also ask your employer, which is often more effective. Other people’s perfume is a real workplace hazard. 94% of workers with fragrance-related work asthma in California were women, mostly in offices, health care and schools, and most cases came from perfume worn by others. Moderate evidence. Weinberg 2017
Workplace accommodations for fragrance sensitivity do not have to be a building-wide ban: the US Labor Department's Job Accommodation Network lists scent-free meeting rooms, moving a worker away from air fresheners and vents, telework, air purifiers, signage and staff education. Moderate evidence. De Vader & Barker 2009
Our workplace guide walks you through it, and the letter builder writes the request for you.
Is fragrance sensitivity a disability?
It can be. In the US, fragrance sensitivity or multiple chemical sensitivity can count as a disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act, but not automatically: it is decided case by case, usually on whether breathing is substantially limited. Moderate evidence. De Vader & Barker 2009
See your rights at work, at school, at home and in health care.
Why can’t people smell their own perfume?
People adapt to a steady odor, so a constant background scent stops being noticed while it is still in the air. Moderate evidence. Dalton & Jaén 2010 Industry-funded
That’s why the person wearing it is usually the last to know. Asking kindly beats assuming they’re doing it on purpose.
Are air fresheners bad for you?
Many people say they make them sick. In a US national survey, about 1 in 5 adults (20.4%) said air fresheners gave them health problems such as breathing difficulty, migraine or asthma attacks. Moderate evidence. Steinemann 2017 41% of US adults with asthma reported health problems from air fresheners, and 36.7% said they can't use a public restroom that has one. Moderate evidence. Steinemann 2018
More in Air fresheners: paying to pollute your own air.
Can fragrance trigger asthma?
27.9% of US adults with asthma said fragranced products had triggered asthma attacks. Moderate evidence. Steinemann 2018
More in Fragrance and asthma.
Do US labels have to list fragrance allergens?
Only the allergens the FDA names in a regulation. US cosmetic labels can still say just "fragrance". The 2022 law requires companies to name fragrance allergens on the label, but only the ones the FDA lists in a regulation, which the law told the FDA to propose by June 2024. Strong evidence. MoCRA 2022
What the law does and doesn’t require, and how to report a reaction: your rights.
What should I buy instead?
Read the back of the bottle, not the front. Treat vague words like 'natural', 'green', 'eco-friendly' or 'for sensitive skin' as marketing, not evidence: read the ingredient list for parfum/aroma, essential oils and named fragrance allergens. Even 'fragrance-free' can allow essential oils and multifunctional allergens such as benzyl alcohol. Moderate evidence. Dahl 2010
Our shopping guide goes category by category, and the label decoder checks any ingredient list for you. You can also look products up in EWG Skin Deep and EWG’s Guide to Healthy Cleaning.
Don’t see your question? The open questions page covers what the science doesn’t know yet.