Rogaine Foam Allergy Due to Fragrance in the Formula?

Dr. Rassman,

Have you received reports from any of your patients claiming that they are allergic to Rogaine Foam? The Rogaine Foam apparently has a fragrance in the formula, which I suspect is responsible for the irritation it causes in some individuals.

On various message boards, there are reports of this allergy or irritation from Foam. I have tried contacting McNEIL-PPC, Inc. about the “non-scented version” that they have apparently received label approval for from the FDA, but this “non-scented version” of the Foam has yet to hit the market. It makes no sense to me that the Company would only offer the “scented version” of the Foam while the Regular Rogaine (liquid formula) comes in both “non-scented” and “scented” versions. Additionally, most dermatologists claim that fragrance-free is the way to go!

Can you contact the makers of the Foam and see when they plan to market the “non-scented version”? Perhaps you will have better luck getting a response back from them! Thanks in advance for your time and attention to this matter.

I would doubt that I would have any influence on the makers of Rogaine Foam. They will release it when they are ready and that may include FDA testing, manufacturing problems that are worked out, and many other such parts of the process. Many times, the filler ingredients are responsible for the allergies we see, so your claim is not unreasonable.