ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Fragrance allergy

Okay kiddo, you know how some smells make you happy and others make you hold your nose? Well, some people's bodies can actually have allergic reactions to certain smells, like when you eat peanut butter and your friend is allergic to nuts. When our bodies have an allergic reaction, they think that something harmless, like the smell of flowers or perfume, is actually trying to harm us. So, our bodies start to fight back, causing things like sneezing, coughing, or even a rash.

Fragrance allergy is when someone's body has an allergic reaction to a certain scent, like the perfume their grandma wears. This can be a problem because that scent could be in many things, like shampoos, lotions, candles, and even laundry detergent. So, someone with a fragrance allergy could get a reaction from all these different things that have that scent.

It's important for people with fragrance allergies to avoid things that have the scents they're allergic to. They might have to use unscented products or find ones with different scents that they're not allergic to. It's like when you can't eat certain things because they make you sick, so you have to find different foods that are safe for you to eat. Keeping our bodies healthy is very important, and sometimes that means avoiding things that can make us sick, even if they smell good to others.