GOTHENBURG , Sweden, Mar 30, 2009 (UPI via COMTEX) -- About 5 percent of those
with eczema were allergic to the air oxidized form of a popular shampoo and soap
fragrance, a researcher in Sweden said.
Dermatologist Johanna Brared Christensson said considerably more people than
previously believed are allergic to the most common fragrance ingredient --
linalool -- used in shampoos, conditioners and soap.
"I would suspect that about 2 percent of the complete population of Sweden are
allergic to air oxidized linalool. That may not sound like very much but it is
serious since linalool is so widely used as a fragrance ingredient,"
Christensson said in a statement.
"Linalool is found in 60 percent to 80 percent of the perfumed hygiene products,
washing up liquids and household cleaning agents that can be bought in the
nearest supermarket and it can be difficult for people who are allergic to avoid
these products."
About 1-in-5 people in Sweden has some form of contact allergy, nickel is by far
the most common substance that causes eczema, but the thesis shows that oxidized
linalool occupies third place in the list, after nickel and cobalt, Christensson
said.
In the study, oxidized linalool was added at patch testing for more than 3,000
patients who wanted to find out what was causing their eczema and 5 percent to 7
percent proved to be allergic to the oxidized form of the fragrance ingredient.
The thesis was presented at the Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg in
Sweden.
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