According to new research, that spritz of perfume or swipe of lotion might be doing more than adding a pleasant scent—it could be disrupting your body’s natural chemical defense system.
Scientists have recently discovered the human oxidation field—a cloud of highly reactive molecules surrounding the body. This invisible force field, primarily made up of hydroxyl (OH) radicals, acts like a chemical detergent. It reacts with and neutralizes pollutants in the air, especially ozone and other volatile organic compounds.
But personal care products like lotions and fragrances may interfere with this protective zone. In a new study, researchers at the Max Planck Institute observed what happens when people apply scented products and sit in a controlled environment. The results were eye-opening.
Participants who applied lotion or perfume emitted chemicals like ethanol and phenoxyethanol, which drifted into the air on rising heat from their bodies, called thermal plumes. Concentrations of these chemicals near the nose were nearly three times higher than in the surrounding air. Even 10 minutes after application, emissions continued to rise.
When researchers introduced ozone into the room, they found the personal care products reacted with and weakened the body’s oxidation field, reducing OH radical levels by up to 34%. That means fewer pollutants were being neutralized, and new, potentially harmful byproducts could be forming right in our breathing space.
Though the study didn’t examine health impacts directly, scientists say the findings raise important questions.
“We need to rethink indoor air chemistry,” says atmospheric chemist Jonathan Williams. “The oxidation field we create transforms many chemicals around us, and we don’t yet fully understand what that means for our health.”
Consider what you put on your skin before spending hours in enclosed spaces.
