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Quote of the day:

“Great things never came from comfort zones.”

– Neil Strauss

Fragrance

What do we need to know?

The terms "fragrance" or "parfum" on product labels refer to a blend of scent chemicals which are not disclosed to consumers. Your everyday beauty, home, and personal care products contain dozens, or even hundreds, of chemicals under the single umbrella term "fragrance."

Unfortunately, companies are allowed to withhold information about fragrance ingredients under existing regulations. What's more, fragrance ingredients are not required to be listed on product labels, and can be classified as trade secrets. This enables them to keep the dangerous ingredients that provide the scent in your products hidden.

The fragrance industry self-regulates, so safety testing is not mandatory before products are sold to consumers. There are over 4,000 different chemicals that can fall under the term “fragrance”. Some notable ones are Styrene, Phthalates, Parabens, Musk ketone, Benzaldehyde, Benzyl acetate, Camphor, Ethyl acetate, Limonene, Linalool, and Methylene chloride. These are all known carcinogens that we may be unaware are in our products because its lumped under the “fragrance” loophole.

I like to say Fragrance is what Natural Flavors is for food, for our home and beauty products.

Why does it matter?

Fragranced products make us and our homes smell wonderful, but manufacturers don't want you to know the truth about its safety.

Research has shown that fragrance chemicals are linked to a vast range of health problems. Some of the major ones include allergies, hormone disruption, infertility, skin irritation, asthma, neurotoxicity, tumors, and cancer. Phthalates, which are often used in fragrances to make the scents last longer, are particularly harmful, and can cause birth defects, respiratory problems, and reproductive toxicity.

Breast Cancer Prevention Partners and EWG both ran tests of a range of products that include fragrance from perfume, to shampoo, to household cleaners that all found harmful ingredients linked to some serious diseases. You can download the reports linked in blue.

How to remove from your life?

The first step is to become informed, which you now are!

Here are some suggestions:

1. Avoid using most mass-produced personal care products from large retailers. These companies frequently have low-quality, toxic ingredients to enhance their profit margins.

2. If you are uncertain about the quality/toxicity of your regular products, examine the labels. Look for any of the chemicals mentioned above and avoid products that include the terms "fragrance" or "parfum" on the label, as these typically contain a blend of hundreds of chemicals.

3. Choose products that feature recognizable, natural ingredients and are scented with organic essential oils or choose fragrance-free products.

Fragrance is sadly in alot of things like shampoo, soaps, perfume, household cleaners, makeup, skincare, candles, room sprays, fabric softeners, etc. Navigating the world of fragrance chemicals has become a complex challenge because even products labeled as "unscented" may contain fragrances to conceal the odors of other chemicals.

I choose products in my home that don’t include fragrance where I can, or that have natural ingredients that make up their fragrance. If you see fragrance on a label that you think is clean, you can always reach out and ask what it is made of. If you live in CA (The California Flavor and Fragrance Right to Know Act) has required companies to list ingredients that make up fragrance to a public database so customers can find out what’s actually in it.

A few good examples of clean fragrance products I use are:

1. Attitude laundry detergent

2. Henry Rose perfume

3. Crown Affair Shampoo

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