Chemicals in perfumes could lead to allergies

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Chemicals in perfumes could lead to allergies



The Korea Consumer Agency found that most perfumes sold in the country contain a chemical for fragrance that could cause allergic reactions.

The agency said yesterday that it studied 20 Korean-made perfumes and 20 imported brands each containing four to 15 fragrance ingredients. Of the total, six imported and nine local perfumes that were not named contained more than 10 parts per million (ppm) of a chemical that could trigger allergies.

There is no law in Korea requiring perfume makers to list the ingredients on the label of the bottle.

The consumer agency said 15 perfumes, seven imports and eight locally-made, contained hydroxyisohexyl 3-cyclohexene carboxaldehyde (HICC), which is banned in perfumes sold in Europe due to health concerns.

Of the 15, seven of the products did not say on the label that they contained HICC and two of those contained HICC exceeding 10 ppm.

Local perfumes in bottles of 50 milliliters (1.69 oz) or smaller did not have any of their chemical components listed on the packaging.

The consumer agency said that manufacturers must be urgently required to list the components used in making the perfume on the label to protect consumers who may be allergic, regardless of the size of the container.

It stressed the need to include on the packaging the 26 fragrance ingredients that are most likely to cause allergic reactions.


BY PARK MI-SO [ojlee82@joongang.co.kr]
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