Fragrance And Skin: The Breakout Connection

Fragrance is a common ingredient in skincare products, but can it cause breakouts? While not all fragrances will cause a breakout, some are irritating to sensitive skin. Artificial fragrances can be extremely irritating, exacerbating skin sensitivity and clogging pores. This can make acne much harder to manage.

Fragrance ingredients

Common fragrance ingredients include fragrance or parfum, essential oils, and linalool. These ingredients are often used in skincare and cosmetic products to make them more appealing to consumers. However, they can be irritating, especially to those with sensitive or acne-prone skin.

Artificial fragrances, in particular, have been found to irritate the skin and clog pores. This can make breakouts more difficult to treat.

If you have acne-prone skin, it is recommended to avoid products with fragrance or parfum listed as an ingredient. Instead, opt for fragrance-free alternatives.

To determine if a fragrance is causing your breakouts, you can try eliminating it from your routine and observing any changes in your skin. This may involve switching to fragrance-free products or isolating specific fragranced products to identify the culprit.

Sensitive skin

While not all fragrances will cause a breakout, some are irritating to sensitive skin. Artificial fragrances and colours can be extremely irritating, exacerbating skin sensitivity and clogging pores.

If you have sensitive skin, it's best to avoid fragrances and perfumes, especially on your face. These can be found in many over-the-counter washes and scrubs marketed towards acne-prone skin.

If you want to be sure that a fragrance is causing your breakout, you'll have to stop using it and see if your breakout calms down. You can also isolate certain products with fragrance and determine which is the pimple-causing culprit.

If you do have a reaction to fragrance, be careful not to over-treat. Many people develop sensitivity to fragrance-containing products and then try to soothe it with thick, clogging creams, ointments, oils, or even over-the-counter cortisone creams, all of which can make acne worse.

Clogged pores

It is possible for fragrances to cause breakouts, but not all fragrances will have this effect. Some people have sensitive skin that can be irritated by fragrances, which can lead to clogged pores and breakouts.

Dr. King says that "any comedogenic fragrances can directly contribute to acne by clogging pores". However, fragrances more often contribute to inflammation in sensitised skin, which can cause rashes and irritation, making breakouts more difficult to treat.

Mica, silica, and talc are also ingredients that can occlude the skin and clog pores, and are often found in products like foundation, powder, and bronzer. Artificial fragrances and colours can be extremely irritating, exacerbating skin sensitivity and clogging pores.

If you are acne-prone, it is best to avoid products with artificial fragrances and colours. Fragrance-free products are the easiest route, but you can also isolate certain fragranced products to determine which is causing your breakouts.

To avoid breakouts, it is also important to treat fragrances like makeup and wash them off before bed. This is because perfumes can transfer to your pillow and cause breakouts on your face.

Irritation

Fragrance can irritate sensitive skin and cause breakouts. Artificial fragrances and colours can be extremely irritating, exacerbating skin sensitivity and clogging pores.

Some common fragrance ingredients include 'fragrance' or 'parfum' (catch-all terms that are somewhat controversial), essential oils, and linalool (a component of essential oils). Not all fragrances will cause a breakout, but a number of them are irritating to sensitive skin.

Perfumes are one of the most common reported allergens. If you want to be sure that a fragrance is causing your breakout, you'll have to stop using it and see if your skin improves.

If you have a reaction to fragrance, it is not recommended to over-treat. Many people have developed sensitivity to fragrance-containing products and then exacerbated acne by using thick clogging creams, ointments, oils, or even over-the-counter cortisone creams.

The easiest route is to go fragrance-free, but you can also isolate certain products with fragrance and determine which is the pimple-causing culprit.

Allergies

Fragrance can cause skin irritation and exacerbate skin sensitivity, which can lead to breakouts. Not all fragrances will cause a breakout, but some are irritating to sensitive skin.

Artificial fragrances and colours can be extremely irritating, exacerbating skin sensitivity and clogging pores. This can cause rashes and make breakouts more difficult to treat.

Perfumes are one of the most common reported allergens. If you want to be sure that fragrance is causing your breakout, you should stop using it and see if your skin improves.

The easiest route is to go fragrance-free, but you can also isolate certain products with fragrance and determine which is the pimple-causing culprit.

Frequently asked questions