Fragrance and Preservative Contact Allergens in Cosmetic and Household Cleaning Products in Turkey: Variation by Target Population, Product Type and Manufacturing Origin.

BACKGROUND

Fragrance and preservative chemicals in cosmetic and household cleaning products are recognised causes of allergic contact dermatitis.

OBJECTIVES

To identify fragrance and preservative ingredients with potential contact allergenicity in Turkish market products.

METHODS

Labels of 245 products, including predominantly rinse-off cosmetic products and household cleaning products obtained during on-site visits to chain supermarkets were reviewed. Fragrance and preservative ingredients were scored (0-2) for reported allergen potential and summed as an 'allergen load' per product.

RESULTS

Cosmetics had significantly higher number of fragrance ingredients and fragrance loads than cleaning products. The most frequent fragrance substances were linalool, limonene and hexyl cinnamal. Paediatric products contained fewer fragrance and preservative ingredients than adult products. Sodium benzoate, methylisothiazolinone (MI) and methylchloroisothiazolinone (MCI) were the most common preservatives; laundry detergents had the highest preservative load, wet wipes and surface cleaners the lowest. Anti-dandruff shampoos had higher allergen loads than regular shampoos. Fragrance-free/preservative-free claims conflicted with labels in 21.2%. Fragrance and preservative loads were weakly correlated (Spearman's rho = 0.260, p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Fragrance and preservative allergens are common in cosmetic and cleaning products in Turkey. More frequent MI and MCI in domestic products suggests limited substitution and possible regulatory gaps; anti-dandruff shampoos warrant caution.