🛑😤👤👃 Fragrances - what you need to know 👃👤😤🛑
Fragrances are commonly used in laundry detergents, trash bags, or as air fresheners to cover unpleasant odors or just to give a room a pleasant scent.
And, many of us love our perfumes and colognes, as products worn solely for their aroma and our personal signature statement 💝
But a wide range of other products are scented too, just not as their primary purpose. Take your pick: Maybe you use rosemary shampoo, lavender hand cream, citrus-smelling cleaner or vanilla bathroom spray, the list is endless……
Some of the scents in these products originated in nature. But most are the result of a combination of synthetic chemicals, sometimes hundreds of them.
These chemicals are rarely, if ever, listed on the ingredients label. Companies aren’t required to list them, because they’re considered a trade secret. Instead, they’re simply grouped under the umbrella words “fragrance,” “perfume” or “parfum,” or “aroma,” among others.
Have you ever thought about the ingredients in them, and how they might impact our health?
Today I’ll share with you my personal challenge with fragrances and the dangers new research is warning doctors about.
Before I share these important new findings for you and your family, if you missed last week’s blog on“Men & Doctors”, you can use this link, Here.
What are doctors being told about new fragrance research?
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Glance at the label of nearly any personal care or cleaning product, and chances are it is scented with one “fragrance” chemical or a combination of them.
There are more than 3,500 fragrance chemicals in use today. And exposure to some of these substances can lead to a wide range of health problems.
But companies aren’t required to disclose the individual ingredients that make up a product's particular fragrance concoction.
The U.S. has lagged behind the rest of the world in regulating the contaminants and ingredients in personal care products such as cosmetics. More than 80 other countries have taken action to protect their citizens from chemicals linked to cancer and reproductive harm.
Stick with me, we are talking about research proving harm to children, unborn children, and adults alike.
Shockingly, research is showing that even some natural essential oils can be harmful.
👀 Let’s take a closer look 👀
ARE FRAGRANCED PRODUCTS POISONING YOU AND YOUR KIDS?
You might think that finding out what’s in your scented products would be as easy as reading the ingredient label.
But because of laws that protect fragrance manufacturers from sharing “trade secrets,” almost every product sold commercially is crammed with chemicals that aren’t listed individually on the product packaging.
Instead, these chemicals are simply covered by the word “fragrance” — a catchall ingredient category that really could mean anything.
There are some well-founded concerns over the chemical reactions fragrances can trigger in your body.
The good news is that immediate, irreversible damage to your health caused by one-time use of fragrances — so-called “perfume poisoning” — is rare.
But, exposure to fragrances can trigger allergies, skin sensitivities, and cause harm over time.
Most perfumes contain high amounts of ethanol, which can be especially dangerous for children. The most toxic ingredient in perfumes, colognes, and aftershaves tends to be ethanol or isopropyl alcohol.
The scented ingredients in perfume are infused into these alcohols as a way of preserving and stabilizing the product’s desired scent. If you’ve noticed redness, itching, or sinus irritation when you’re exposed to a certain fragrance, you probably have a sensitivity to something in it. But you may not have the best luck finding out what that ingredient is.
Personally, this is my biggest “scent” challenge. Peoples perfumes and colognes choke me up. My nose gets all stuffed up, I start sneezing and coughing (especially when cooped up inside a car with someone), plus my eyes begin to water (not good when I’m the driver, LOL)!
All kidding aside, even if you don’t have issues with perfumes and colognes yourself, fragrances affect a lot of people! Be courteous of others, back off on your perfume and cologne; we’d seriously appreciate it 😤
One study estimated that only 34 percent of stock ingredients found in fragrances have been tested for toxicity.
Did you know that fragrance products are exempt from Food and Drug Administration (FDA) testing? This deepens the frustration for users trying to find out what’s actually in their fragranced products.
Perfumes may include:
respiratory sensitizers that trigger wheezing or asthma
hormone sensitizers that throw your endocrine system off balance
secret ingredients that are harmful to your reproductive system when they build up in your body over time
As mentioned above, most perfume manufacturers are able to avoid actually listing these toxic ingredients on their packaging. With that being said, here are some ingredient names to look out for, especially if you’re pregnant or know someone trying to get pregnant:
phthalates
styrene
Galaxolide ketone and other musk ketones
ethylene glycol
acetaldehyde
oxybenzone
THE WORST OFFENDERS
When sprayed or applied on the skin, many chemicals from perfumes, cosmetics and personal care products are inhaled. Others are absorbed through the skin. Either way, many of these chemicals can accumulate in the body. As a result, the bodies of most Americans are polluted with multiple harmful ingredients. This pollution begins in the womb and continues through life.
A recent study found Galaxolide and Tonalide, two synthetic musks, in the cord blood of newborn babies. Both musks have been associated with toxicity to the endocrine system and were identified in the majority of products tested.
Similarly, a pregnant woman’s use of some fragrances and other cosmetics frequently may expose her growing fetus to diethyl phthalate (DEP), a common perfume solvent linked to abnormal development of reproductive organs in baby boys and sperm damage in adult men.
New research also links prenatal exposure of DEP to clinically diagnosed ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) in children. This analysis found DEP in 12 of 17 products tested, at levels ranging from 30 parts per million (ppm) to 32,000 ppm in the perfume Eternity for Women.
Whether you are pregnant or not, fragrances are dangerous. Here are some of the worst offenders:
Secret chemicals: Laboratory tests revealed 38 secret chemicals in 17 name-brand products, with an average of 14 secret chemicals per product. American Eagle Seventy Seven contained 24 secret chemicals, nearly twice the average found in other products tested.
Multiple sensitizers: The products tested contained an average of 10 chemicals that are known to be sensitizers and can trigger allergic reactions such as asthma, wheezing, headaches and contact dermatitis. All of these were listed on product labels. Giorgio Armani Acqua Di Gio contained 19 different sensitizing chemicals that can trigger allergic reactions, more than any other product tested.
Multiple hormone disruptors: A total of 12 different hormone-disrupting chemicals were found in the tested products, with an average of four in each product. Three products each contained seven different chemicals with the potential to disrupt the hormone system: Halle by Halle Berry, Quicksilver and Jennifer Lopez J. Lo Glow. In each product, six of these chemicals mimic the hormone estrogen, and the seventh is associated with thyroid effects. Some of these potential hormone disruptors were listed on labels; others were undisclosed and were uncovered in product testing.
List of products tested with EXTREME challenges:
Chemical ingredients
Giorgio Armani Acqua Di Gio
Secret chemicals
American Eagle Seventy Seven
Sensitizing chemical ingredients (can trigger allergic reactions)
Giorgio Armani Acqua Di Gio
Hormone disruptor ingredients (can disrupt natural hormones)
Gio by Halle Berry, Quicksilver, and Jennifer Lopez J. Lo Glow
Chemicals not assessed for safety (by government or industry) Chanel Coco, Halle by Halle Berry, and American Eagle Seventy Seven
OTHER RECENT NEWS - (2) Essential Oils 😱
We might actually be able to figure out what most people are allergic to in fragrances, because soon, some fragrance allergens will have to be disclosed under a new federal law that passed. But the Food and Drug Administration has not yet released the list of allergens that must be disclosed, and the requirements will not go into effect until at least 2025.
Even with this good news, I need to warn you about (2) natural fragrances that are proven to be just as bad as the synthetic ones. Yes, even those of you trying your hardest to do the best for your families and kids. The culprits, Lavender and Tea Tree oil.
Lavender oil and tea tree oil contain compounds that mimic or oppose the actions of sex hormones and can be considered endocrine disruptors.
PLUS, Lavender oil is linked to unusual breast growth in kids and men!
Research has shown that persistent exposure to lavender products is associated with premature breast development in girls. The findings also reveal that chemicals in lavender oil and tea tree oil are potential endocrine disruptors with varying effects on receptors for two hormones — estrogen and androgen. You can read thePubMed study, HERE.
Lavender oil and tea tree oil are among the most popular essential oils used today. Our society deems essential oils and other remedies as safe alternatives for medical treatment, personal hygiene commodities, aromatherapy, and cleaning products. However, there are many natural products that have effects on the human body, similar to some synthetic drugs.
But, here’s what one study found…..
Over a seven-year period, the study identified 24 patients who were seen for prepubertal breast growth at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital in Miami, Florida. Among these patients, five girls and 11 boys were exposed to lavender fragrance-containing products such as colognes, shampoos, and soaps. An additional four girls seen for premature breast development at two Children's Clinics in Orange County, California, also used lavender fragrance products.
One girl who was bathed with a soap containing lavender oil since infancy showed breast development by one year of age. Another girl showed signs of breast development after one year of exposure to a lavender oil diffuser that ran all day on the nearby teacher’s table.
You can read more details in the PubMed study, HERE.
The study findings suggest that compounds in the essential oils may promote breast growth by enhancing estrogen activity while inhibiting androgen activity.
Doctors have been warned through several studies that lavender oil and tea tree oil possess endocrine-disrupting activities, and although the effects seen were rare, such oils should be considered when evaluating unexplained early breast development in girls, and gynecomastia (breast development) in boys and adult men,
I’m sharing this information with you so that you can be aware, and make your own decision about using essential oils, especially lavender and tea tree oil.
WHAT ARE THE ALTERNATIVES?
First of all, before you do anything, please read and print out the NJ Department of Health flyer (above),
“Air Fresheners – What You Need to Know”
and pass it out to your schools, childcare facilities, churches, gyms, and friends. Using this link, HERE.
As stated in the flyer,
Consider making your own homemade air freshener using non-toxic products such as lemon, vinegar, or baking soda.
and,
Open a few windows, even temporarily, when weather allows.
Temporary allergic reactions to perfumes aren’t uncommon. You can even develop an allergy to a product that you’ve used for years because of overexposure or changes to the formula’s ingredients.
Look for perfumes that list all of their ingredients on the label, rather than using the term “parfum” or “fragrance.”
Seek out products whose scent is produced by essential oils, or forego fragrance altogether and look for unscented products.
A trusted resource I suggest people use is the EWG website. The Skin Deep link (HERE) can help you decide if a product is worth using.
THE BOTTOM LINE
“Quality means doing it right when no one is looking.”
“The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten.”
“Quality is never an accident; it is always the result of high intention, sincere effort, intelligent direction and skillful execution; it represents the wise choice of many alternatives.”
When applied on the skin or sprayed in the air we breathe, many chemicals from perfumes, cosmetics and personal care products are inhaled. Others are absorbed through the skin. Either way, many of these chemicals can accumulate in the body. As a result, the bodies of most Americans are polluted with multiple harmful ingredients. This pollution begins in the womb and continues through life.
Seek out products whose scent is produced by essential oils, or forego fragrance altogether and look for unscented products.
Look for perfumes, colognes, cleaning supplies, air fresheners, and other products that list all of their ingredients on the label, rather than using the term “parfum” or “fragrance.”
A trusted resource is the EWG website. The Skin Deep link (HERE) can help you decide if a product is worth using.
As always, if you’d like to talk more about what we covered in my newsletter today, make an appointment with me using the link:HERE.
Or, you can give me a call at (973) 210-3838
I want to hear from you! What questions or insights do you have about fragrances? Did you find this newsletter helpful?
Share your thoughts in the comments on our
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