Epidemiological studies have described an increasing prevalence of fragrance allergy and indicated an association with hand eczema. 59 domestic and occupational products intended for hand exposure were subjected to gas chromatography-mass spectrometric (GC-MS) analyses to test the hypothesis that fragrance chemicals known to have the potential to cause contact allergy but not included in fragrance mix (FM) may be common ingredients in these products. A quantitative analysis of 19 selected fragrances was performed by GC-MS. Further analysis of GC-MS data revealed the presence of 43 other fragrance chemicals/groups of fragrance chemicals in the products investigated. Among the 19 target substances the most commonly detected were limonene in 78%, linalool in 61% and citronellol in 47% of the products investigated. The FM ingredients were present in these products with the following frequencies: oak moss (evernic acid methylester) 2%, cinnamic alcohol 2%, cinnamic aldehyde (cinnamal) 3%, isoeugenol 5%, alpha-amylcinnamic aldehyde (amyl cinnamal) 8%, hydroxycitronellal 12%, eugenol 27%, and geraniol 41%. Thus, the chemical analyses of domestic and occupational products indicates that investigation of potential contact allergy related to these products types should consider fragrance allergens additional to those in the FM, since these may occur with high frequency.

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Cutaneous irritation presents a major health problem with serious social and occupational impact. The interaction between an irritant and the human skin depends on multiple factors: the intrinsic properties and the nature of the irritant itself, and specific individual- and environment-related variables. The main pathological mechanisms of irritancy include skin barrier disruption, induction of a cytokine cascade and involvement of the oxidative stress network; all of them resulting in a visible or subclinical inflammatory reaction. In vivo, different non-invasive parameters for the evaluation of skin irritation and irritant potential of compounds and their specific formulations have been introduced, such as epidermal barrier function, skin hydration, surface pH, lipid composition, skin colour and skin blood flow. The diverse physiological changes caused by irritating agents require implementation of a multiparametric approach in the evaluation of cutaneous irritancy.