Why are we obsessed with fragrance, and is it bad for us?

The University of Cincinnati's Kelly Dobos joined WVXU's Cincinnati Edition for a panel discussion on the seeming boom in fragrances in daily life and whether these smells are harmful to our health.

"Fragrance is a really important part of our experience in using a product, and certainly fragrance is really associated with our emotional responses because the olfactory bulb in our brain is really connected to our limbic system which is what recognizes emotions and memories," said Dobos, a cosmetic chemist and adjunct instructor in UC's Cosmetic Science Program in the James L. Winkle College of Pharmacy.

Dobos explained the more than 3,500 chemicals used for fragrances in cosmetic products are sometimes called volatile organic compounds (VOCs) due to their need to volatilize in the air to reach the receptors in our noses.

"Some of these VOCs can, or the chemicals themselves, can be irritating to people who have respiratory conditions like asthma or they can be irritating when applied on the skin or cause an allergic reaction," she said. "But those allergic reactions, for example, really only occur in about maybe 2% to 5% of the general population."

The International Fragrance Association and Research Institute of Fragrance Materials study safety data on chemicals used in fragrance, including effects on respiratory and skin conditions and environmental toxicology, Dobos said.

"...Companies that make fragrance products realy rely on that information to utilize safety in the products, so there are all these layers of safety substantiation that should be involved in fragrancing a product," Dobos said.

Listen to the Cincinnati Edition segment.

Featured photo at top of perfume bottles. Photo/Luza Studios/iStock Photo.