Detection of fragrances on the skin and study of their interaction using infrared and Raman spectroscopy

Abstract

Nowadays, fragrances belong to the widely used cosmetics. Their composition is designed in a way that it evolves and changes over time. In this work, the effect of fragrances on the skin was studied – the interactions between pig skin samples and fragrances and the possibility of their detection and mutual differentiation. Non-invasive techniques of vibrational spectroscopy were used to obtain the data, namely FT-IR spectroscopy with attenuated total reflection accessory and Raman microspectroscopy. Vibrational spectra were measured within 8 h with different time intervals and after 22 h from the application of fragrance for FT-IR and Raman measurements, respectively. The obtained spectra were pre‑processed and subsequently evaluated by multivariate statistical methods. The study showed that skin treated by fragrances is well distinguishable from untreated skin, even after 22 h. In addition, it is possible to differentiate individual fragrances from each other; therefore, the use of spectroscopical techniques could be a potential tool for forensic analysis of fragrances.