Allergic to aromachemicals - Any one with the same problem?

Sorry to learn that mate....

I once had some skin allergy and my doc stopped me from using anything scented...even soap/lotion....
My skin recovered and I was back with a bang...

Application on clothes can work but you have to be careful that the area where you spray on clothes should not come in contact with your skin....

Sorry to hear that Pollux. Hopefully the allergy is only temporary - sometimes our immune systems decide they don't like certain chemicals (natural and/or synthetic) and then change their "mind" sometime later on.

Unfortunately, I usually find that fragrances sprayed on clothes still make it to my skin (ie. I still smell like it after taking the shirt off).

On the bright side, you might want to try using an unscented moisturizer before spraying anything on your skin (or shirt) - it'll create an oily barrier between your skin and the fragrance, maybe irritating it less.

Other than that, I can only suggest trying some allergy friendly fragrances like Gendarme and L'Eau de Jatamansi until your allergies calm down.

Best of luck!

It may be your laundry detergent--you may want to try fragrance free laundry soap and softener. The ones marketed for babies (Dreft, eg) are especially mild.

Bogart Pour Homme really made my skin red with a strong burning/itching sensation. Worst parts were the neck. My normal spray distance is very close, about 2-3 inches away. With Bogart i tried spraying from further away and to a certain extent it minimized the redness and burning sensation. But i'm a bit scared to use Bogart already.

I'm no dermatologist but i think she was generalizing your condition a bit. I don't think you will have to give up spraying on skin altogether. It could be a certain combination of chemicals in a certain frag that is giving u the problem. Instead of spraying to clothes try spraying from a further distance. See what works best for you.

Sorry to hear about that, it must be frustrating, but on the safer side, I would avoid spraying even on clothes. Assuming this is new to you, have you used a new fragrance or fragrant product in recent that may have caused it? I hope you heal up well, keep us updated.

I think it's important to not throw out the baby with the bathwater. You are likely allergic to some chemicals in your full range of personal care products, laundry, or even public exposure (see below). They may or not be fragrances, shampoos, whatever, and they may or may not all be having the same effects.

I have skin issues with certain synthetic detergents - particularly hand soaps, and particularly those in certain public places and businesses. But others have no effect on me. By figuring out which things caused me grief and which ones didn't (took a couple of years), I beat the problem.

I also have eye-watering issues with certain aromachemicals, but I've learned which ones those are, and avoid excessive use. I have also found that rotation of fragrances and auxiliary products like deo and such has prevented skin problems.

I would be scientific about it. You can go to clothes / hair / scented handkerchief / whatever for fragrances, and special products for personal care, and see if it alleviates the problem. Then gradually and carefully reintroduce normal fragrances, shampoos, handsoaps, etc., until you find the culprits. You can use mild products and soaps in the meanwhile. Dreft, Dove, T-Gel & other Neutrogena, etc. work wonders. There is an entire world of hypoallergenic products already out there.

Soaps and shampoos are often the culprit - frequently used too much by perfumistas who want a clean base. "Scrubbers" are dangerous to you in more ways than just odor.

Itching is so frustrating and so worth getting to the bottom of, but there is no need to stop using everything you own. How do they know it is fragrance that is the problem? Have they patch tested you (loads of small squares with individual chemicals placed on your back and examined at intervals over several days)? There are many allergens that are common in personal products, household cleaners, plants, etc. Although fragrance is a common allergen, you may only be allergic to one of many, so can avoid the problem ones. It may be something else altogether like a preservative or colouring. You only know by being tested. Simply stopping individual products is no good as it doesn't tell you what component is the problem and it will more than likely turn up in other products.

Good luck!

PS-my life changed when I was tested and found out that a simple preservative had been causing my years of eczema. I now read labels, avoid that particular chemical, and haven't itched since.

This is definitely something to look into. I've developed an allergy to nearly all laundry detergents - nowadays, I use dish soap, and the constant rashes and itching that used to plague me are gone.

Good advice. I'm surprised that this isn't the first thing that doctors do (mine NEVER suggested it - and my own semi-solving of it - with no help - was borne of frustration after a couple of years of expensive treatments.).

I guess u must be relieved Pollux after learning that it was not perfume related

My skin is quite sensitive too and i recently switched to Simple Pure Soap Bar and so far it's been great on the skin. Plus its quite cheap too.

I'm starting to become sensitive to certain aromachemicals in fragrances and in laundry detergents. Some of the woody amber materials are really irritating to me if they are dosed high enough. Oddly, I used to find these smells enticing. Materials like Iso-E-Super, Kephalis, Kohinool, etc. don't bother me as much as the really dry, sharp materials like Cedramber, Karanal, Bois Ambrene Forte, and the like.

My irritation with these is not so much a skin condition, but almost a sharp, dry sensation that I somehow perceive coming from behind my two front teeth if that makes any sense (it's tough to explain). It's like chewing on a piece of dry cloth.

I used to love using Gain detergent for the way it smells. Several of my coworkers also admit to loving Gain. However, a few months ago I spilled some Karanal on a table surface at home-- after I cleaned it up, what was left smelled somewhat good. However, after a few days it started to get under my skin a little and I was sick of it. Then I noticed that I no longer liked the feeling of coming out of the shower and burying my face into a towel fresh out of the laundry. I had to immediately start cutting back on the amount of detergent I was using. I may have to switch from Gain to something else.

And just today, I hit myself with a spray of D&G #1 Le Bateleur, trying to warm myself up to it, and I feel like I just can't take it. There is a lot of Calone and Iso-E-Super in here for sure, but I'm also getting a lot of sharp dry amber and it's like torture. I'm sure that this scent wouldn't bother me at all if I hadn't spilled that Karanal and developed a sensitivity to certain smells.

Not only have I developped some sort of sensitivity to Iso E Super these days (I can literally feel it even in small quantities) but it tends to make my whole face feel kind of weird... like my face and nose are cold, numb, sweaty, tingly and swollen - nauseating to say the least - I hate that sh*t!