Not every skin reaction is due to an allergy. Only an allergen can cause a true allergy.
In some cases exposure to certain substances can cause irritation, which does not provoke the immune system.
“Many people use the term ‘allergy’ for any type of reaction,” says Beth A. Miller, MD, director of the University of Kentucky’s Asthma, Allergy and Sinus Clinics and chief of the school’s division of allergy and immunology.
If you’re intolerant, as opposed to allergic, to a component of a fragrance, it will likely take much more of that component to elicit a reaction.
“Intolerance typically occurs in reaction to strong fragrances or [exposure to] large quantities, whereas an allergy can occur with just a trace amount,” says Tania Elliott, MD, an allergist and spokesperson for the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology.
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