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Q:I’ve had three nasty migraines in the past two weeks, and each one has hit shortly after I did my makeup in the morning. I’ve been wearing a new eye shadow. Am I crazy, or could there be a connection?

A:

There could be. Eye shadows and other cosmetics frequently include fragrances in their formula to mask the chemical smell of their ingredients. And in a study in the journal Cephalalgia, 78% of migraine sufferers reported that perfumed products (including makeup) triggered painful attacks within 25 minutes of exposure. It’s not exactly clear why fragrances are problematic; some researchers believe the migraines they cause are part of an allergic reaction, while others theorize that the artificial scents transmit pain-producing signals to the brain via the trigeminal nerve in the nose.

Either way, I advise tossing your new shadow if you haven’t already. When shopping for a replacement or purchasing other cosmetics, check ingredient labels and avoid any that list the catchall terms fragrance or parfum. Also smart: Bypass items with quaternium-15, diazolidinyl urea and DMDM hydantoin—preservatives that release formaldehyde, another known headache trigger.

Finally, for an extra measure of protection (especially if the product you’re considering doesn’t list all of the ingredients it contains), consider checking the Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep Database (EWG.org/SkinDeep), which lists products that are verified to contain low levels of harmful ingredients.

The watchdog organization also offers a free Healthy Living app, where you can scan 120,000 products (including cosmetics), review their ratings and find options that contain fewer chemicals.