Fragrance formulas are trade secrets so the ingredients contained in them are usually not known by the patient or the doctor. This makes it difficult to pinpoint specific chemicals that may the culprits. Fragrance chemicals are frequently skin sensitizers. This is well documented in medical literature. However, there is little known about their effects on the respiratory system.
Testing is done by the fragrance industry on the effects of fragrance chemicals on the skin.
Despite the fact that fragrances are designed to be inhaled, very little information is available on their effects on the respiratory system. This type of testing has not been routinely done by the fragrance industry. Virtually all fragrance chemicals are volatile. By this fact, there is respiratory exposure. The sheer numbers of fragranced products used makes the exposure significant.