Lotion and perfume interfere with the body's natural air purification system.
There is life in the air around us. It transports gases, molecules, and invisible particles that react with everything they come into contact with.
The air around us is not empty. Wear molecules, gases, and invisible particles, and interact with everything, including us. Scientists have long known that people emit chemicals and react to the air around them. However, discoveries deepen this understanding. Applying perfumes and lotions can change your individual's airspace than is perceived.
This finding comes from in-depth international research led by researchers from the Max Planck Institute, Penn State, and other institutions. This study shows how frequently personal care products interfere with the "human oxidation field." And the disorder can affect both health and air quality.
Our bodies create chemical barriers
When people are indoors, their bodies interact with ozone, common air pollutants that come from the outside. This interaction creates highly reactive molecules called hydroxyl radicals or OH. These radicals react with contaminants and help neutralize them in the air and breathing zones near the skin.
"Imagine people with candlelight. Our temperature is usually the warmest in the internal environment," said Donghyun Lim, an associate professor in Pennsylvania. This heat pulls air inside, bringing chemical reactions closer to the body. Reactions form an invisible but important air purifying layer. This is called the human oxidation field and reduces the chances of respiration for harmful ozone and other contaminants. However, personal care products such as lotions and perfumes interfere with this protective process.
Lotion reduces the air purification field
volunteers in a special room study with or without lotion. The lotion they used was not retained and contained common preservatives, linoleic acid, and phenoxyethanol. The results were impressive. In ozone in the room, applying lotion increased OH reactivity by 170%. This reduced the OH concentration by 10% near the skin.
The fleeting ingredient in lotions, phenoxyethanol, reduced many of the radicals. This was the main reason for the increase in OH losses. Lotion also dilutes skin oils, reducing the availability of compounds such as Scarl, which normally produce OH radicals when reacting with ozone.
Parfüm hits the Air Sign
The scent used in the Test was a popular unisex fragrance dominated by ethanol and monoterpenes. Ethanol, which made up more than 99% of gas-phase emissions, quickly suppressed the OH field. Immediately after the volunteers sprayed the scent on their hands, ethanol and monoterpenes climbed up to 10 times as the surrounding air mirrored.
This caused a serious reduction in OH values - 86% loss - the effect did not take long. As the ethanol evaporated rapidly, the air inside began to recover. When both products are used together, their effects are added. The scent caused an immediate disorder.
Lotion has grown in effect over time. The Ethanol and phenoxyethanol released in the air followed the body's heat clouds. The concentration remained the best near the face and breasts. This means that the breathing zone (the air you breathe) was the most affected.
Lotion connection changes the air
The hydroxyl radical cleans internal air. However, if you remove personal care products, the contaminants will stay longer. It can be transformed into a new chemical that stays in the lungs and enters the lungs. This study also modeled actual effects. We have shown that lotion and fragrance users will send reactive connections. These changes affect the surrounding air in ways that can affect others in the same space.
Children and people with asthma can be particularly susceptible to the effects. Some chemical reactions create small particles in the air that penetrate deep into the lungs. These secondary products can also form adhesive films on their surfaces. This is increased in the internal unit by skin contact or dust.
Remember personal support indoors
Even fragrant products can change the chemistry inside. The lotion used in this study had no additional fragrance, but it disrupted the air oxidation field. This is because connections such as phenoxyethanol and fatty acids still react with ozone. Commercial perfumes are even more effective due to their ethanol content. Essential oils such as linalool also react, but in the absence of ethanol, the effect is reduced.
This study raises important questions. The quality of the internal air is not something we spray into the air. There is also what we wear on the skin. Understanding how our products can change chemistry can lead to better internal air standards. It could also affect future product formulations. Until then, perfume lotions and sprays can do more than you think.
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Comments (3)
Fascinating read, Francis. In our Hobart clinic, we’re always mindful of how skincare products interact with the skin barrier, but the idea of a personal air purification field adds a whole new layer. This could have real implications for clients who already struggle with sensitive skin or respiratory issues, especially in Hobart’s cooler months when indoor air quality matters most. We’d be interested to know if similar effects have been seen with SPF products, which many of our clients use daily. Could they also alter this oxidation field? Heart Aesthetics Hobart
This is some fascinating stuff. I had no idea personal care products could mess with our body's air purification like this. It makes me wonder what other everyday things might be affecting our internal environment. Do you think there are ways to use these products without disrupting the human oxidation field? Also, how widespread is this interference in real-world settings?
This is some fascinating stuff. I had no idea personal care products could mess with our body's air purification like this. It makes me wonder what other common things we use daily might be having similar impacts. Do you think there are ways to develop products that don't disrupt this process? Also, how widespread is this interference in real-world settings outside of these specific studies?