Chemicals of Concern
Allergens: Numerous fragrance ingredients, even those which are
natural compounds found in lavender oil and lemon oil, for example,
can lead to allergies in sensitive persons. Exposure to allergens in
fragrance through inhalation or absorption through the skin can cause
skin and eye irritation, as well as more serious impacts such as breathing
problems.
Synthetic Musks: Synthetic musks are man-made chemicals produced
to replicate musk scents originally obtained from musk deer and musk
ox. The most commonly used synthetic musks are the polycyclic
musks, galaxolide and tonalide, and two types of nitro musks, musk
xylene and musk ketone. Research indicates that synthetic musks don’t
break down in the environment, can accumulate in our bodies, are
potential hormone disruptors and may break down the body’s defenses
against other toxic chemical exposure.
Phthalates: Phthalates are a class of chemicals used in fragrance that do
not contribute a scent, like musks or plant essences do, but rather act as
solvents and carriers for those chemicals that create the scent in a
fragrance. Phthalates have been shown to cause reproductive and
developmental harm in laboratory animals, and are linked to similar
impacts in humans.
Imagine yourself in a flower garden, a shady pine forest, a lemon grove
on a summer day or on a tropical island at sunset. Peaceful, joyous
images come to mind for most of us—and this is exactly what the
manufacturers of many products aim to deliver to your very own home!
Most of us are unaware that thousands of synthetic chemicals are used
to create modern day fragrances for our products. Unfortunately, some
common fragrance ingredients used in products pose potential health
hazards.
What is Fragrance?
The term “fragrance” refers to any substance, either natural or man-
made, which conveys an odor or scent. Any one fragrance can be made
up of potentially hundreds of different ingredients. Typically,
fragrances created for cosmetic and cleaning products are dominated by
synthetic, as opposed to natural plant-based, ingredients. Estimates
indicate 80-90% of the raw materials used in fragrances today are
synthetic.
How Are We Exposed to Fragrance?
When we use a fragranced product, we all inhale or absorb some of
those toxic fragrance chemicals into our bodies. Chemicals like
synthetic musks and phthalates, for example, have been detected in
blood, urine and fat tissue in nearly every human tested. The levels of
these chemicals in our bodies appear to be linked to the amounts of
fragranced products we use. For example, one study found that greater
use of fragranced laundry detergent during pregnancy led to
significantly higher levels of synthetic musks in the woman’s breast
milk. Women can pass these chemicals on to developing children when
they breast feed. Another study found higher levels of musks in the
blood of women who regularly used fragranced body lotion, deodorant
and perfumes.
Women are More Impacted by Fragranced Products than Men
Women are targeted by fragrance marketing, since they tend to make
the vast majority of household purchasing decisions. Unfortunately,
women are more likely than men to experience adverse health effects
from exposure to fragrance. For example, women are more likely to
have fragrance allergies than men. In addition, women are more
vulnerable to the potential hormone-disrupting effects of fragrance
ingredients, which can affect fertility and pregnancy. Exposures to even
small levels of toxic fragrance chemicals during pregnancy may pose
lifelong health impacts on our children.
How Can We Avoid Harmful Fragrance Chemicals?
By reducing exposure to fragrance chemicals, we can lessen health
impacts and lower the levels of these chemicals in our bodies. However,
most information about product ingredients, and fragrance ingredients
in particular, is kept secret from consumers, making it difficult to tell
which products are better than others. There is currently no legal
requirement for companies to disclose their ingredients. While
some manufacturers voluntarily disclose some product ingredients,
very few are listing fragrance ingredients. This means that even if
ingredients are disclosed for a product, the word “fragrance” may
appear, but the individual chemicals which make up that fragrance will
not be listed. Currently, the only practical solution is to reduce or
completely avoid fragranced products entirely. This is simply an unfair
choice: we must either abstain from the pleasures of fragrance or
assume potential health risks.
Allergens: Numerous fragrance ingredients, even those which are
natural compounds found in lavender oil and lemon oil, for example,
can lead to allergies in sensitive persons. Exposure to allergens in
fragrance through inhalation or absorption through the skin can cause
skin and eye irritation, as well as more serious impacts such as breathing
problems.
Synthetic Musks: Synthetic musks are man-made chemicals produced
to replicate musk scents originally obtained from musk deer and musk
ox. The most commonly used synthetic musks are the polycyclic
musks, galaxolide and tonalide, and two types of nitro musks, musk
xylene and musk ketone. Research indicates that synthetic musks don’t
break down in the environment, can accumulate in our bodies, are
potential hormone disruptors and may break down the body’s defenses
against other toxic chemical exposure.
Phthalates: Phthalates are a class of chemicals used in fragrance that do
not contribute a scent, like musks or plant essences do, but rather act as
solvents and carriers for those chemicals that create the scent in a
fragrance. Phthalates have been shown to cause reproductive and
developmental harm in laboratory animals, and are linked to similar
impacts in humans.
Imagine yourself in a flower garden, a shady pine forest, a lemon grove
on a summer day or on a tropical island at sunset. Peaceful, joyous
images come to mind for most of us—and this is exactly what the
manufacturers of many products aim to deliver to your very own home!
Most of us are unaware that thousands of synthetic chemicals are used
to create modern day fragrances for our products. Unfortunately, some
common fragrance ingredients used in products pose potential health
hazards.
What is Fragrance?
The term “fragrance” refers to any substance, either natural or man-
made, which conveys an odor or scent. Any one fragrance can be made
up of potentially hundreds of different ingredients. Typically,
fragrances created for cosmetic and cleaning products are dominated by
synthetic, as opposed to natural plant-based, ingredients. Estimates
indicate 80-90% of the raw materials used in fragrances today are
synthetic.
How Are We Exposed to Fragrance?
When we use a fragranced product, we all inhale or absorb some of
those toxic fragrance chemicals into our bodies. Chemicals like
synthetic musks and phthalates, for example, have been detected in
blood, urine and fat tissue in nearly every human tested. The levels of
these chemicals in our bodies appear to be linked to the amounts of
fragranced products we use. For example, one study found that greater
use of fragranced laundry detergent during pregnancy led to
significantly higher levels of synthetic musks in the woman’s breast
milk. Women can pass these chemicals on to developing children when
they breast feed. Another study found higher levels of musks in the
blood of women who regularly used fragranced body lotion, deodorant
and perfumes.
Women are More Impacted by Fragranced Products than Men
Women are targeted by fragrance marketing, since they tend to make
the vast majority of household purchasing decisions. Unfortunately,
women are more likely than men to experience adverse health effects
from exposure to fragrance. For example, women are more likely to
have fragrance allergies than men. In addition, women are more
vulnerable to the potential hormone-disrupting effects of fragrance
ingredients, which can affect fertility and pregnancy. Exposures to even
small levels of toxic fragrance chemicals during pregnancy may pose
lifelong health impacts on our children.
How Can We Avoid Harmful Fragrance Chemicals?
By reducing exposure to fragrance chemicals, we can lessen health
impacts and lower the levels of these chemicals in our bodies. However,
most information about product ingredients, and fragrance ingredients
in particular, is kept secret from consumers, making it difficult to tell
which products are better than others. There is currently no legal
requirement for companies to disclose their ingredients. While
some manufacturers voluntarily disclose some product ingredients,
very few are listing fragrance ingredients. This means that even if
ingredients are disclosed for a product, the word “fragrance” may
appear, but the individual chemicals which make up that fragrance will
not be listed. Currently, the only practical solution is to reduce or
completely avoid fragranced products entirely. This is simply an unfair
choice: we must either abstain from the pleasures of fragrance or
assume potential health risks.
Fragrance Sensitivity |
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| What's In a Scent |
How it relates to Scent Sensitivity/Irritation/Allergy.
* Exposure to perfumes, colognes, and other scented
products can trigger health problems for some individuals.
Some people with asthma and other respiratory illnesses,
chronic heart or lung diseases, migraines, allergies,
environmental illness or multiple chemical sensitivity can
experience mild to severe symptoms when exposed to
scented products.
* Exposure to perfumes, colognes, and other scented
products can trigger health problems for some individuals.
Some people with asthma and other respiratory illnesses,
chronic heart or lung diseases, migraines, allergies,
environmental illness or multiple chemical sensitivity can
experience mild to severe symptoms when exposed to
scented products.
| All meetings with me need to be scent free? Important Note: If you wear musk or heavy perfume, I'm not a match for service on your wedding day. |