Fragrance and headaches

Link between perfume and migraine: a little known reality! 

Since we created Virevolte, we have been talking with our customers in our showroom or with other people at designer markets, fairs, etc. A subject comes up regularly: headaches! The speeches and situations are different, sometimes it's a colleague who puts on a perfume that triggers a migraine to the point of asking her to stop wearing it in the office, sometimes it's women who can no longer wear their perfume, despite being worn for years without triggering headaches. 

We wanted to focus on this topic.  

Migraines, a priori not an allergic reaction. Allergic reactions to perfumes are rare, but if they do occur they usually manifest as skin reactions where the perfume has been applied. It is an immune system response to a component of the formulation. In very rare severe cases, it can cause asthma. 

Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS)

Theron Grant Randolph, American physician, allergist and researcher studied food allergies, chemical sensitivities and preventive care and discovered in the 50s a disorder: Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS). This disorder is defined as “an acquired condition characterized by the repetition of symptoms affecting multiple organs that occur during exposure to various chemical substances at concentrations well below those known to cause effects in the population”. 

This hypersensitivity results in reaction of the body when exposed to chemicals. It is not a question of dosage since these manifestations can occur even at very low concentrations and well below their toxicity threshold. These substances can be paints, solvents, petroleum products, fumes… and perfumes! 

Scent is indeed a common trigger for MCS symptoms such as headaches. Conventional perfumes are composed of many molecules of synthetic origin. 

In the case of multiple chemical sensitivities, it is not the odors that are in question but the reaction to chemicals. This hypersensitivity ruins the life of those who suffer from it.. On a daily basis, social isolation is often one of the answers to manage this ordeal. The quality of life is seriously degraded. 

This disorder is now included in the international classification of diseases by the WHO and recognized as a disabling condition in several countries such as Germany, Austria, Spain, the United States and Canada, is not yet the case in France.  

One in five migraine patients have multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS), According to a study recently published in the Journal of Occupational Health .

Migraine: what to do to stop it? 

Difficult to answer this question !

The goal for people with MCS is to limit exposure to chemicals. One of the first steps is to remove one by one the different products that surround us to try to detect the one or those that causes this reaction. 

The natural does not solve everything, but trying natural cosmetics and perfumes can also be part of the investigation. There are also alternatives for detergents and other everyday products. It is by experimenting that one can hope to understand the sources and then remove or replace them. 

Virevolte perfumes 

Our perfumes are 99.9% natural. If you're hypersensitive, maybe it's worth slowing down on chemical-heavy conventional fragrances and trying out our brand. 

To discover : the discovery box 

In the list of ingredients that is displayed, the term "fragrance" does not detail the ingredients that make up the perfume concentrate. Indeed, perfume formulas are not protectable under French law. Giving the exact composition of our perfumes would make us run the risk of being copied very easily.

What we can tell you, however, is that our perfume concentrate is made from essential oils or natural extracts of fruits, flowers, woods, spices or resins. This concentrate is 100% from natural origin.

To this we add organic wheat alcohol and a little water.

There is only an ingredient of synthetic origin which is added in our formulas, it is a distorting which allows in case of accidental ingestion by a child for example to spit out the product. We made this choice for security reasons.

In our formulas, you will not find any dyes, phthalates, parabens, UV filters, fixing agents or endocrine disruptors.

In the lists of ingredients, are indicated tagged allergens, these are molecules that can have an allergenic potential in some people. It is for this reason that they are identified on the packaging. In Virevolte formulas, these ingredients of natural origin are naturally present in the essential oils or natural extracts used.