Cologne is an aromatic fluid made from essential oils and alcohol. It is applied after having a bath to smell excellent and attractive. But do you know is cologne bad for you or not?
When you go to buy cologne or perfume, you might read the label of the ingredient. However, many fragrance manufacturers do not disclose the name of all components. Instead, the toxic chemicals are basically covered by the word “fragrance.”
Buyers also do not give much importance to that word thinking it is common. After using it for several years, you might see the symptoms of cologne poisoning. To avoid all these harmful situations, read the entire article carefully.
Is Cologne Safe on Skin?
Something that suits me does not mean that it will work for others too. In the same way, yours and my cologne may be different based on suitability. It is also not wise to apply others’ perfume or cologne without knowing its ingredients.
The sensitivity of each person’s skin is not similar. So, before buying any cosmetics or perfume, do a patch test. If you feel irritation or redness, there is a component that you are allergenic to. Without any confusion, avoid that product.
We all know that prevention is better than cure. Once you get infectious to long-term or short-term side effects, this will very harmful to your health and wealth. And the long-term treatment would be way too expensive.
Ingredients to Avoid
The most poisonous or deadly ingredients in colognes are ethanol and isopropyl alcohol. These alcohols are infused in cologne with the other scented ingredients to preserve and stabilize the product’s desired scent. As these alcohols are toxic, if swallowed more than 30 milliliters, symptoms will start to flourish.
If you notice itching, redness, or irritation after applying cologne, you may have a sensitivity to any ingredient. But it will not be easy to find out the exact component.
A study directed by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) told that only 34 percent of cologne’s stock ingredients are tested for toxicity. Their main motive was to find out what really is in the cologne. So, the answer was:
- Respiratory sensitizers that activate asthma or breathing problem
- Hormone sensitizers that throw the endocrine method off balance
- Secret ingredients that are dangerous for the reproductive system
Most of the manufacturers do not mention the toxic components on their packaging. So, the other elements to avoid are:
- Benzyl alcohol
- Benzyl acetate
- Methylene chloride
- Acetone
- Camphor
- Ethyl acetate
- Benzaldehyde
- Linalool
- Limonene
And the ingredients to evade for pregnant women are:
- Ethylene glycol
- Phthalates
- Galaxolide Ketone
- Other musk ketones
- Styrene
- Oxybenzone
- Acetaldehyde
Symptoms of Cologne Poisoning
If you are suffering from cologne poisoning, whether by applying to your skin or intaking it accidentally, you will indeed observe some signs. And these side effects can be both short term and long term.
Short term side effects
- Vomiting or nausea
- Anxiety
- Abdominal pain
- Dizziness
- Diarrhea
- Headache
- Low level of consciousness
- Low body pressure, sugar, and temperature
- Trouble while walking normally
- Lack of energy
- Unclear speech
- Throat pain
- Sneezing
- Reduced breathing
- Fast heart rate
- Eye and skin irritation
- Too much or too little urine output
Long term side effects
- Kidney damage
- Depression
- Cancer
- Nervous system disorder
- Getting worse of asthma
When to Ask Instant Help
Most colognes contain a high rate of ethanol. Ethanol is a kind of alcohol that living beings should not consume. But, unintentionally, your child may intake a teaspoon or more. What to do then?
Without wasting any time, you should contact the emergency helpline 911. In the meantime, provide your child with a small or heavy sugar snack to maintain a proper blood sugar level from dropping. Otherwise, it will take a dangerous route.
But do not worry and have courage as most of the children recover just fine. There are some specific symptoms after watching, which you should instantly ask for help.
- Dizziness
- Vomiting or nausea
- Drowsiness in energy
- Unclear speech
- High heart rate
- Boils or itchiness
These symptoms indicate that it is time to rush to the emergency ward.
Treatment for Cologne Poisoning
Sometimes a cologne can cause mild to a severe allergic reaction. If it is minor, you can take treatment by yourself at home. But if it is intense, you should contact a dermatologist immediately. In this paragraph, we can just help you with the treatment that you can take at home.
- Apply a wet cotton cloth to the infected area
- Wash your skin with dye-free, gentle soap and lukewarm water
- Apply natural products like coconut oil, honey, aloe vera, or vitamin E oil for soothing
- Apply over-the-counter hydrocortisone cream like Benadryl or Zyrtec for itching
- Take a bath with lukewarm water with baking soda added to it
- Do not scratch with nails as it will make the condition more worse
- Apply moisturizer like calamine lotion after having a bath
Measures Taken at Emergency Room
It will be helpful if you bring the cologne’s bottle to the hospital with you. The doctor or the nurse in charge will monitor and measure the patient’s vital symptoms, including pulse and breathing rate, blood pressure, and body temperature.
The patient may have to go through:
- ECG (heart tracing or electrocardiogram)
- Chest x-ray
- Blood and urine tests
- Purgative to increase bowel movements and loosen stools
- Ventilator or pipe through the mouth into the lungs for breathing support
- Liquids through a vein
- Pipe through the nose into the stomach in case of vomiting blood
- Medicine to treat properly
Cologne Alternatives
There are some healthier alternatives to cologne, which will make you smell good. These are:
- Organic sprays or lotions made from organic essential oils
- Fragrances formed from organic fruit extracts or essential oils
- Organic soaps that have scented organic oils
- Natural, organic, toxic-free colognes
Final Verdict
From the above discussion, hope you have got the answer to “Is cologne bad for you.” Additionally, you have also learned about the harmful ingredients and the treatment of cologne poisoning. From now onwards, you will undoubtedly make a wise decision to move to the healthy alternative options.
Nothing is more important than a healthy life. The whole world will look blissful if you are fit. And for that, you need to avoid the artificial and toxic elements from daily routine. Otherwise, these ingredients will kill you day by day, but you will not be aware of this.
