Fragranced beauty products found to harm air quality and human health

A study has found that personal care products, especially lotions and perfumes, negatively impact the air around our bodies — the human oxidation field. These products can disrupt the chemical reaction between our skin and the air, directly affecting human health and chemical intake, especially when inhaled.

The study from Denmark discovers that applying fragranced products suppresses the natural oxidation field in the air and alters the “natural cleaning process” of indoor air, leaving pollutants less effectively neutralized.  

“Globally, personal care products usage is widespread, with an estimated annual revenue of US$646.2 billion in 2024. Such extensive consumption has been shown to affect outdoor air quality in densely populated regions in North America and Europe,” reads the study. 

Air chemistry

The study, published in Atmospheric Science, included four subjects (men aged 19–25) who applied a moisturizer or fragrance before entering a stainless steel chamber with climate control.

The study says there is less OH in the air surrounding a person wearing body lotion.The experiment used a baseline where no products were applied, and tested the lotion and fragrance separately.

The lotion contained common ingredients such as shea butter, jojoba oil, and rapeseed oil. For the fragrance test, the participants applied Calvin Klein’s Ck One fragrance five to seven minutes before the men entered the chamber. 

The study showed that ethanol, commonly used as a fragrance carrier, influenced air chemistry by depleting the primary oxidant of the air’s natural cleansers (hydroxyl radicals or hydroxide ion — OH), leading to increased indoor air pollution.

The human oxidation field

The study’s authors say several factors influence indoor air, including cooking oil and humans themselves. However, the researchers stress that personal care products influence the OH the most.

Wearing body lotion with certain chemicals reacts with the OH, making it disappear faster. However, as body lotion also covers the natural skin, it blocks some oils and decreases the amount of skin-related chemicals in the air. 

The study explains that since lotion reduces the production of OH cleaners and uses them up faster, there is less OH in the air surrounding a person wearing body lotion.