Headache from Perfume? Here's Why.

If you’ve ever caught a headache, or even a full-blown migraine, after walking past someone wearing perfume, you’re not alone. We hear it at nearly every market: “I can’t wear fragrance. It gives me a headache.” And not just from people wearing it themselves, plenty suffer just from being around it.

Whether it’s the perfume aisle in a department store, the air freshener in a hotel lobby, or the cleaning section at the supermarket, synthetic fragrance is everywhere. And for some, it’s not just unpleasant, it’s debilitating. People share stories with us about avoiding certain shops, having to sit away from coworkers, or even having difficult conversations with friends or partners who wear scent that hurts.

If you’re lucky enough not to experience this, it’s still worth understanding how common and invisible this issue is. Our founder, Mia, lives with this kind of scent sensitivity, and it’s one of the main reasons she created ELIA’s range of organic, plant-based perfumes: bold, beautiful scents that don’t trigger a headache. But we wanted to dig deeper and understand the why.

Here’s what we found.

Osmophobia: When Scent Triggers Pain

For some people, strong smells don’t just linger; they trigger. This sensitivity, called osmophobia, is especially common in migraine sufferers. Even short-term exposure to strong odours like perfume, cigarette smoke, or cleaning products can set off a migraine in around 1 in 5 people prone to them.

During the early prodrome phase of a migraine, the nervous system becomes hypersensitive, and smells that usually wouldn’t bother you can suddenly feel overwhelming. Some even report “phantom smells” (like smoke or burning) as a warning sign.

There’s no cure, but knowing your triggers is a powerful first step. That’s why at ELIA, we keep our perfumes natural and plant-based.

Synthetic Fragrance Is a Chemical Cocktail

Most synthetic fragrances aren’t made from anything floral. They’re made in labs, often from hundreds of chemicals, some known to be harmful to human health. The catch? These ingredients are usually hidden under umbrella terms like “fragrance” or “parfum”, and companies aren’t required to tell you what’s actually inside. So they don’t.

The Mixture Makes It Worse

Even if a single ingredient doesn’t cause issues, combining dozens of volatile chemicals can create secondary pollutants. These airborne substances enter your lungs, bloodstream, and brain, and for many people, that’s where the headaches start.

It’s Not Just Perfume

This isn’t only about body sprays and colognes. Synthetic fragrance is everywhere: cleaning sprays, dishwashing liquid, bin bags, laundry detergent, baby wipes, lip balm. Because it’s cheap and long-lasting, it’s in more places than you realise—and that makes it almost impossible to avoid.

You Can’t Avoid What You Can’t Identify

If eggs made you sick, you’d stop eating them. Problem solved. But if fragrance gives you a headache, good luck figuring out why. Synthetic fragrance formulations are protected as “trade secrets,” which means no ingredient list, no transparency, no accountability, and no way to identify your personal triggers.

Transparency Matters

Yes, some people can react to natural ingredients, too—but ethical natural brands (like us) list every single ingredient, so you can decide what’s right for your body. We use fewer ingredients, all clearly labeled, with no hidden surprises. It’s not just about clean scent—it’s about informed choice.

So… What Are You Wearing?

Most people don’t realise how many synthetic chemicals they’re surrounded by until their body starts reacting. Headaches, fatigue, nausea, it’s your body trying to say no, thank you.

At ELIA, we believe in scents that work with your body, not against it. If your current perfume makes you feel unwell, maybe it’s not you, maybe it’s the ingredients no one’s telling you about.

Want to explore a more natural scent?
Start with our Natural Parfum range →
https://eliabalmsandblends.com.au/collections/natural-perfume-oils

References
Durham University: Why strong perfumes give you a headache
National Library of Medicine: Scent-sensitivity and migraine