The Role of Pharmacists in Addressing Fragrance Harm Caused by Fragrance Products: Insights from a Monitoring Survey

Despite fabric softeners being a common part of daily life since 2008, reports of damage caused by the use of microencapsulation technology in fabric softeners have emerged. However, public awareness of the harm caused by the use of scented products remains limited. Thus, the present study aimed to clarify the public's awareness of the use of scented products and propose strategies for pharmacists to assist individuals in taking responsibility for maintaining a healthy living environment while utilizing their professional abilities to protect public health. To monitor the situation of fragrance damage from fragrant products, such as fabric softeners, changes in physical condition, knowledge, and countermeasures, we conducted a monitoring survey through a questionnaire. This survey was conducted among Japanese men and women registered with an internet research company, yielding 348 valid responses (valid response rate: 94.6%). Among the respondents, 21.8% reported that they ‘have’ experienced physical symptoms upon using scented products, with ‘nausea,’ ‘headache,’ and ‘sneezing/runny nose’ being the most common symptoms. Fabric softeners were the most common products thought to cause these symptoms (44.7%). After experiencing such symptoms, 26.3% of the respondents ‘began to avoid crowds.’ The most common measure for eliminating the harm caused by scented products was setting rules for their use. However, concerns were noted about the lack of public awareness of the health hazards associated with scented products and the term ‘harm caused by fragrance’, potentially leading to misunderstandings of these symptoms as personal preferences. In response to this situation, we suggested that pharmacists should provide consultations from the perspective of environmental hygiene and collaborate with companies and related organizations to educate local residents on the appropriate use of fragrances and fragrance-related harm.