My Story

My name is Nicol, I’m 29 years old, and I was born in Winschoten. My story with perfume began long before I even knew it. As a baby, I would break out in red patches after washing or showering. At first, my mother thought I just had sensitive skin, but soon my back was covered in eczema. By the time I was eighteen months old, I had scratched my entire back raw. Literally. I would lie in bed squirming with the itch. The doctor diagnosed me with constitutional eczema.

What is constitutional eczema?

Constitutional eczema, also known as atopic eczema, is a chronic skin condition that causes dry, itchy, sensitive skin. It often appears at a young age and can flare up periodically. Fragrances, soap, changes in temperature, and stress can make it worse. In my case, perfume turned out to be one of the biggest triggers.

A mother who took matters into her own hands

My mother wasn’t given any ready-made advice. She had to do her own research. She tried everything, read labels, switched products, and kept track of what worked and what didn’t. Gradually, she discovered that fragrances were often the problem. Whenever I had been to my grandmother’s, where she had lovingly washed my clothes with her usual detergent, I would be covered in patches again within half an hour. And then the whole cycle would start all over again. My mother eventually got it under control with hormone ointment and greasy creams. After that, perfume was banned from laundry detergent, and then from more and more products.