This review found that fragrance compounds — particularly phthalates, synthetic musks, and chemical sensitizers — can potentially affect your brain and nervous system, causing headaches, cognitive issues, and mood changes. The problem: most fragrances hide their exact ingredients under 'trade secret' protection, so consumers and researchers don't know what they're actually being exposed to.

This was a literature review that examined existing research on fragrance neurotoxicity across cosmetics, household products, and foods. The authors analyzed what's known about how three major fragrance chemical families affect brain health.

Funding not disclosed in abstract