IVF, fragrance and skincare: what couples should know about the research

When you’re going through fertility treatment, everyday choices can start to feel different.

You might find yourself reading labels you’ve never looked at before. Asking what’s in your moisturiser. Wondering about perfume, aftershave and the products you both use each morning.

For me, those questions began when my husband and I started IVF through Repromed in Adelaide.

Our daughter was conceived through IVF, and that experience was the real beginning of OmMade Organic Skincare. Before I became pregnant, I began reviewing the products in our home, including skincare, cleaning products and fragrance.

Today, research gives us more specific reasons to look beyond a product’s scent and ask about its ingredients.

The connection between fragrance and phthalates

Some fragrance formulations use phthalates as solvents or fixatives.

A 2026 review in FEBS Letters examines evidence connecting phthalate exposure with ovarian function, including hormone signalling and cellular processes. Importantly, different phthalates have different effects, and laboratory results do not automatically establish the risk from everyday skincare use.[1] This research gives us a reason to ask informed questions. 

What researchers found in women undergoing IVF

In a Swedish study of 185 women undergoing IVF, more frequent perfume use was associated with higher levels of MEP, a breakdown product of diethyl phthalate, in follicular fluid, the fluid surrounding developing eggs.[2]

Although the study doesn't establish that wearing perfume caused infertility or that stopping perfume improves treatment outcomes, it does connect a personal care habit with measured exposure in the ovarian environment. 

Fragrance is only one part of the ingredient conversation

Another study followed 450 women undergoing IVF. Higher urinary butylparaben was associated with fewer mature eggs. The researchers did not find an association with pregnancy or live birth.[3]

Butylparaben is a preservative, not a fragrance ingredient. Choosing skincare without synthetic fragrance does not, by itself, tell you whether it contains parabens. That is why the complete formulation matters more than a single claim on the front of a jar.

Obviously, the OmMade Organic Skincare range is also free of parabens. 

Make it a conversation for both of you

Although these papers focus on female reproductive biology, reviewing your routines can be something you do together.

Put both sets of products on the table: moisturiser, cleanser, perfume, aftershave and deodorant. Can you be sure that they are free from phthalates and parabens? Keeping it super simple is key. 

Take any treatment-related questions to your fertility team. Follow their instructions for procedure days, including any requirements for your partner or support person.

Why this matters to OmMade

I understand why these questions become personal.

When we started IVF, I wanted to understand the products I was using. That led to a complete overhaul at home and eventually to creating OmMade Organic Skincare. If there was a product I typically used, that I couldn't find a suitable alternative for (this is 2011-2012 so not many options) then I created the product myself. 

Our commitment to skincare without synthetic fragrance grew from that experience.

If you’re considering an OmMade product, I welcome your ingredient questions. You deserve clear information about what you’re buying and the opportunity to discuss it with your treating team.

Choosing skincare is a personal decision. It is not a measure of your commitment to treatment, and no cosmetic product can promise a pregnancy. For couples looking to leave synthetic fragrance out of their skincare routine, that is a choice OmMade is here to help you explore.

Explore OmMade skincare and read the full ingredient lists, or contact Tina with your questions.

Research referenced

[1] Batista da Silva et al. (2026). The ovarian cost of convenience: Human studies on phthalate exposure and ovarian function. FEBS Letters.
https://doi.org/10.1002/1873-3468.70379

[2] Hallberg et al. (2023). Associations between lifestyle factors and levels of PFASs, phthalates and parabens in follicular fluid in women undergoing fertility treatment.
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41370-023-00579-1

[3] Radwan et al. (2023). Urinary concentration of selected nonpersistent endocrine disrupting chemicals: reproductive outcomes among women from a fertility clinic.
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11356-023-25355-4

General information, not personalised medical advice. These studies did not test OmMade products. Our skincare is not intended to treat infertility or improve IVF outcomes.