fragrance
Meaning of fragrance: Fragrance is a pleasant scent, often from added compounds in personal care products, that can act as an irritant for sensitive individuals.
Definition of fragrance
Fragrance is a pleasant or sweet smell, and in consumer and clinical contexts the word also names the scented compounds added to products such as soaps, lotions, cleaning supplies, and cosmetics. These added compounds can come from natural sources, such as essential oils, or from synthetic chemicals formulated to produce a particular scent.
In health care settings, fragrance is relevant because scented products can trigger symptoms in some people, including headache, respiratory irritation, or skin reactions, even when the fragrance itself is not the primary active ingredient of the product. For this reason, many hospitals and clinics use fragrance-free policies for staff and visitors.
Fragrance sensitivity is distinct from a true allergy, although both can produce uncomfortable symptoms on exposure to scented products.
Also known as
Used in a sentence
The clinic maintained a fragrance-free policy to reduce the risk of triggering symptoms in sensitive patients.
Good to know
Fragrance sensitivity describes an irritant reaction, which is a different mechanism from an IgE-mediated allergic reaction, although both can produce similar symptoms.