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Fragrances
are now used in almost every cleaning, laundry, and personal-care
product on the market. Since people have been using perfumes for
hundreds of years. It’s reasonable to wonder why the problem of using
scents has surfaced only recently. Until the 20th century, perfumes
were made from natural ingredients derived directly from plants and
animals, and as fragrances became cheaper and more widespread, they
also became more synthetic. The National Academy of Sciences reports
that 95% of the chemicals used in fragrances today are synthetic
compounds derived from petroleum, including known toxins capable of
causing cancer, birth defects, central nervous system disorders and
allergic reactions. We have been brainwashed by the industry to feel
we must cover up our natural scents with toxic chemicals. Many of the
same chemicals in perfumes are the same chemicals that are in
cigarette smoke.
You would
think the government would protect people by attempting to regulate
the industries that are causing harm; however, the cosmetic industry
is self regulated and isn’t required to give formulations, test
results, safety data or consumer complaints to the FDA. When you use
perfume or cologne, remember you are using powerful chemicals
regulated solely by the industry that sells them. Just because they
don’t affect you now doesn’t mean they won’t affect someone in line
next to you (giving them a migraine or sinus problems), or that you
will always be immune to their effects. These chemicals go directly
into the blood stream when applied to our skin, and are also absorbed
into the skin from our clothing. We also inhale these chemical fumes
that go straight to our brains where they can do major harm, and many
of these chemical fumes have a “narcotic” effect.
(“Smelling Good But Feeling Bad, Synthetic Perfumes, Colognes and
Scents Are Turning Up Noses,” Green Living Your Health, and “The
Health Risks of Perfume and Other Scented Products,” emagazine.com -
March 2002} Author's comment: These
effects from scents can surface days after the exposure, and many
people do not connect the strong perfume/cologne smell on the lady or
gentleman next to them at the opera to their headache or upset stomach
days later.
One of the
big toxic offenders is perfume and other scented products. Did
you know that many of the ingredients in your perfume are the exact
same ingredients found in gasoline???!! The scary thing is that
the perfume industry is not regulated at all, and they can put
any number of chemicals in fragrance without revealing what those
chemicals are, and how they affect humans. We humans are all
participating in a giant “lab” experiment against our knowledge and
against our will, and it is making some of us very sick.
{“Multiple Chemical Sensitivity - Environmental Illness,”
www.ourlittleplace.com place.com - April 2002}
Fragrance-free policies are beginning to take hold in work places
across the United States and Canada. Here are just a few examples:
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Evergreen State College in
Olympia, Washington, asked its employees and students to refrain
voluntarily from wearing scented products.
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The entire Halifax
Regional Municipality in Nova Scotia has a “scent-awareness” program
that urges the use of unscented products only.
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Alacrity Ventures, a
Berkeley, California-based venture-capital firm, not only encourages
its employees to go fragrance-free but also uses only unscented
janitorial products.
Many
businesses, at the request of their employees, are voluntarily
creating fragrance-free policies, says Tracie Saab, a consultant with
the “Job Accommodation Network,” a Morgantown, West Virginia group
that educates disabled workers and their employers. These policies are
applauded by people with asthma, allergies, and the controversial
disorder called multiple chemical sensitivity, in which even low
levels of exposure to chemicals (from pesticides to perfumes) can
trigger headaches, fatigue and other symptoms. “It is easier for
businesses to enact these policies than to risk legal action somewhere
down the line,” says Saab.
{“Stink-Free Office Mates,” Natural Health, Nov./Dec. 2000}
Many
migraineurs are so sensitive to fragrance that people wearing perfumes
and colognes around them trigger an immediate and severe migraine
attack. You can make your house a fragrance-free zone, and if you have
a visitor who is either not aware of this or forgets, most of the
fragrance can be removed with alcohol wipes if it has been put on the
skin and not the clothing.
{“Fragrance Triggers,” Teri Roberts: Beating Headaches, on
Headaches/Migraines on About.com - Dec. 2001}
Fragrance
Sensitivity — A growing number of people are claiming that exposure to
certain fragrances, including perfumes and scented products, adversely
impacts their health. More than 5,000 different fragrances are in
products that are used on a daily basis. These products include health
and beauty aids, laundry aids, household cleaners, paper products,
oils and solvents, drugs, paper products, plastics, industrial
greases, and even foods. Since fragrance formulas are considered trade
secrets, manufacturers only have to state fragrance on the label and
do not need to identify the chemical makeup.
How
fragrances can affect the body — Fragrances can enter the body through
the nose by inhalation, the mouth by ingestion, or the skin by
absorption. Fragrance chemicals can affect many parts of the skin. The
lungs, the nose, the skin, the eyes, and the brain can all be
affected. Studies have shown that shortness of breath or asthma-like
symptoms have been caused by fragrances. Most of the fragrance
chemicals consist of volatile organic compounds that are known to be
respiratory irritants.
Being a
chemical receptor, the nose can also be affected with sneezing and
sinus problems. Studies have shown that inhaling fragrances can also
cause circulatory changes and electrical activity in the brain. These
changes can trigger migraine headaches, the ability to concentrate,
dizziness, and fatigue. The number one cause of adverse skin reactions
to cosmetics and laundry products is fragrance. The skin reactions to
fragrance chemicals can produce rashes, hives, dermatitis, or eczema.
Other symptoms can include watery eyes, nausea, sore throat, cough,
and chest tightness. Some fragrance materials, studies have shown, are
absorbed by the skin and then broken down into materials that are
stronger sensitizers than the original chemicals.
Fragrance
free or unscented does not guarantee they do not contain fragrance
chemicals: they imply they have no perceptible odor. A product labeled
“unscented” may contain a masking fragrance. If fragrance is added to
a product to mask or cover up the odor of other ingredients, it is not
required to be put on the label. A product must be marked “without
perfume” to indicate that no fragrance has been added. Ninety-five
percent of the chemicals used in fragrances are petroleum-based
synthetic compounds. Here are some principal chemicals found in
scented products and the health risks that can be involved:
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Acetone — when inhaled,
it can cause mild central nervous system disturbances such as
dizziness, nausea, lack of coordination, slurred speech, and
drowsiness. It can irritate the eyes, nose, throat, and skin.
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Alpha-pinene — can be a
moderate irritant to skin, eyes, and mucus membranes.
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Alpha-terpineol — can
cause excitement, loss of muscular coordination, hypothermia,
central nervous system and respiratory depression, and headache.
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Benzyl acetate, benzyl
alcohol, benzaldehyde, camphor, ethanol, and others. Most
fragrance chemicals are not tested for safety.
{“Fragrance
Sensitivity,” allergies.about.com - Sep. 2001}
Six hundred
or more chemical ingredients may be used in a single scent, and
ninety-five percent of chemicals used in scents are derived from
petroleum. Many chemicals used in scents (many designated as hazardous
waste disposal chemicals) cause allergies and irritation, as well as
cancer, nerve damage, and birth defects. Petroleum chemicals in
perfumes are less expensive than the natural ingredients, so guess
which one you get? Buy unscented or fragrance-free household products
and cosmetics. Even pet products should be fragrance-free, such as
kitty litter which may be perfumed.
{“I Smell a Rat,” in the book, “Living Healthy in a Toxic World,”
David Steinman 1996}
Studies in
California could not find an air filter able to remove perfume
particles from the air and have been able to prove that everyone
in the building was reacting in some manner to the elevated chemical
levels. Studies such as this are revolutionizing people’s ideas about
safety and personal hygiene. It is no longer what you choose to do or
use, it is what other people are forcing on you through the
environment.
{"Recognition of Multiple Chemical Sensitivity," MCS - Immune, 1996}
Even if you
choose unscented products, they may still contain fragrances that
could trigger a rash or allergic reaction. In a product is labeled
“unscented” there may actually be “blocking” fragrances used in the
manufacturing process to cover up unpleasant ingredient odors. “The
product has no scent that you can smell, that doesn’t mean that there
aren’t fragrances in it.” explains Amy Newburger, MD, Prevention’s
dermatology advisor and Associate Professor of Clinical Dermatology at
Columbia University in New York City.
{“When ‘Unscented’ Labels Are True,” Prevention magazine, Aug. 2001}
Although
fragrant materials have been used for centuries, up until the 1800's
the primary uses were medicinal, religious, and ceremonial but were
mainly from plant and animal sources. Modern fragrances are primarily
synthetic materials developed since World War II. Up until the 1800's
fragrance was used to mask the stench of unwashed bodies during a
period when bathing and personal hygiene were greatly lacking.
However, in dermatology, fragrances rank as one of the most common
allergens and the number of people with skin allergies to fragrance
continues to rise. Fragrances are volatile compounds that add to
indoor air pollution and there are growing numbers of people who feel
that it is the user's place to refrain from using perfumes.
It causes
no harm to refrain from using a scented product, but when it triggers
illness in another person and prevents their access to health care,
work, and essential services, then whose rights are being violated? By
its own admission, the fragrance industry has tested less than half of
the 3,000 raw materials it uses.
{the FDA Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition Office of
Cosmetics Fact Sheet, 1995}.
{“Industry Motivation: Personal Rights or Profits,” Our Toxic Times,
July 2000}
A
double-blind perfume challenge test has been shown that asthma-like
symptoms similar to symptoms of MCS can be provoked even when the
subject cannot smell the perfume.
{“New Research Finally Addressing MCS Data Gaps,” Our Toxic Times,
August 1999}
Our culture
encourages women to use many chemically-based cosmetics filled with
hundreds of ingredients for which Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDA)
say, “Do not inhale vapors,” or “Avoid contact with skin,” but women
are then exposed to one another’s fragrances in small working spaces.
Trying to avoid chemicals in the workplace can lead to increased
stress in relationships with co-workers because they may not be as
cooperative when asked to discontinue fragrances.
{“Multiple Chemical Sensitivity,” Pamela Reed Gibson, PhD, 2000.}
Pamela Gibson is a Clinical Psychologist and Assistant Professor of
Psychology at James Madison University, who suffers from MCS.
Many
Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) for common perfumes and cosmetic
ingredients specifically warn: “irritant,” “do not inhale vapors,” and
“avoid contact with skin.” These same ingredients are then mixed
together and sold as creams, lotions, and perfumes. Even if you are
reading labels carefully, it still may be impossible to determine all
of the ingredients in a product because the vast majority of cosmetic
and body care manufacturers do not prepare all the ingredients in
their products themselves. For example, a company that uses vitamin A
may be using BHT as a preservative, but if a body care item obtains
this vitamin A to use in its product it is not required to include BHT
in the ingredients. The preservative BHT (butylated hydroxytoluene)
can cause allergic reactions and toxicity, and may convert some
ingested substances such as oral contraceptives, into toxic or
cancer-causing chemicals.
Fragrance
formulas are considered trade secrets, which means the companies do
not have to tell anyone, including the FDA what is in those formulas.
Only about 1,300 of the more than 5,000 materials for use in
fragrances have been tested, and the testing did not include
respiratory, neurological, or systemic effects. Are you getting the
picture here? At last count in 1996, there were at least 40 million
chemically injured people in the U.S. and medical records of a
majority of those chemically injured were devoid of any respiratory
problems or other health-related concerns. They had a steady work
history and a solid psychological profile. These are people from all
walks of life and who once had lucrative careers; Air Force pilots,
teachers, professors, doctors, psychologists, nurses, chemists,
government workers and legal secretaries, among others.
Perfume is
composed of many of the same toxic chemicals found on the EPA’s and
CERCLA’s hazardous waste lists, and one or all of which in combination
with one another, cause when inhaled: “ventral nervous system
disorders, dizziness, nausea, lack of coordination, slurred speech,
drowsiness, irritation to the mouth, throat, eyes, skin, lungs and GI
tract, kidney damage, headache, respiratory failure, ataxia, and
fatigue, among other symptoms and illnesses,” Material Safety Data
Sheets on each chemical confirm these findings. Many of the chemicals
in perfumes have been shown to cause serious health problems and death
in animals.
In 1989,
the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health recognized
884 poisonous substances (many synthetically derived from
petrochemicals) from a list of 2,983 chemicals used in the fragrance
industry capable of causing cancer, birth defects, central nervous
system disorders, allergic respiratory reactions, skin and eye
irritations. According to the National Institute of Health, in view of
the escalating incidence of cancer, as well as a 58% increase in
asthma over the past decade, this information is crucial.
Did you
know that benzaldehyde, a chemical known to cause kidney damage
in humans is used in fragrances, and that benzyl acetate used
in fragrances is linked to a cause of pancreatic cancer? That ethyl
acetate is on the EPA Hazardous Waste list known as a
carcinogenic, causing kidney and liver failure and it is used in
fragrances?
{“Food For Thought, Colognes - Perfumes - Pesticides, Are They Slowly
Killing You?" by columnist David Lawrence Dewey, www.dldewey.com/columns/perfumef.htm
- Oct. 1999}
Did you
know that perfume is made of toxic materials that can injure your
health? Many of the chemicals in perfume are the same chemicals in
cigarette smoke, and yet there is no regulation of the fragrance
industry. Many have gotten sick or have been disabled from wearing (or
being exposed to) fragrances or using other scented products.
Fragrances are now being used in almost every cleaning, laundry, and
personal-care product on the market. We also inhale the chemical fumes
which then go straight to our brains where they can do major harm.
{“Health Risks of Perfume,” www.ourlittleplace.com - April 2002}
Most of the
fragrance chemicals consist of volatile organic compounds that are
known to be respiratory irritants. Studies have shown that inhaling
fragrances can also cause circulatory changes and electrical activity
in the brain, triggering migraine headaches, the inability to
concentrate, dizziness and fatigue. Products that are labeled
fragrance free or unscented do not guarantee they do not contain
fragrance chemicals, they imply that they have no perceptible odor. A
product labeled “unscented” may contain a masking fragrance, and if
the fragrance is added to a product to mask or cover up the odor of
other ingredients, it is not required to be put on the label. Most
fragrances have not been tested for safety.
{“Fragrance Sensitivity,” allergies.about.com - April 2002}
Through out
history, humans have drawn fragrances from the natural environment for
a variety of purposes, including use in religious and burial rituals,
in aphrodisiacs, and to cover foul odors. In the late 1880's the first
fragrance-containing synthesized ingredients were introduced. Since
then, people have used chemicals extensively to mimic scents from
nature. There are more than 1,000 body fragrances on the market today,
according to The Fragrance Foundation, and scents are now added to
many commercial products ranging from cleaning products to tissues,
from candles to diapers.
While many
people enjoy wearing perfumes and using scented products, there is a
growing outcry from some people who claim that exposure to certain
fragrances, including perfumes and scented products, adversely impacts
their health. They report a host of symptoms. The chemicals in
perfumes, colognes, and deodorants worn by employees add to the
chemical mixture in indoor air, as do fragrances in cleaning products.
Some buildings owner's pump certain fragrances through office
ventilation systems.
Several
studies indicate that 15-30% of the general population reports some
sensitivity to chemicals, including fragrances, and 4-5% report that
chemical intolerance has a major impact on their quality of life. Of
these people, more than 80% report that exposure to fragrances is
bothersome.
Synthetic
ingredients are less expensive than natural ingredients, and can be
created year-round, while the supply of natural ingredients depends on
season and availability. It is estimated that there are more than
3,000 chemicals used in the manufacture of fragrances. Synthetic
organic chemicals constitute more than 80-90% (by weight and value) of
the raw materials used in flavor and fragrance formulations. A single
fragrance may contain as few as ten chemicals, or as many as several
hundred, and little is known about the impact these fragrances have on
human health.
The FDA’s
office of Cosmetics and Colors does not require an approval process or
pre-market clearance for perfumes or cosmetics containing fragrance.
The manufacturer is simply required to list the collective term
“fragrance” in the ingredients, a term that usually means a complex
mixture of chemicals.
A study,
published in the March-April issue of Archives of Environmental Health
showed that the emissions of the fragrances produced various
combinations of sensory irritation, pulmonary irritation, decreases in
expiratory airflow velocity, and alterations of the functional
observational battery indicative of neurotoxicity. Neurotoxicity was
more severe after mice were repeatedly exposed to the products.
Children
may be more susceptible to the effects of fragrances because of their
smaller size, their higher respiratory rate, and their thinner skin.
Some patient groups claim that during the next decade, the issue of
fragrance will be as controversial as today’s tobacco smoke issue.
They say the debate over people’s right to smoke versus others’ right
to breathe clean air could also be applied to fragrance.
Many organizations are taking the fragrance sensitivity issue
seriously. At an American Chemical Society meeting held in August 1998
in Boston, Massachusetts, attendees were asked not to wear fragrances
due to the number of chemically-sensitive people attending the
meeting. Requests for people to refrain from wearing scented products
are appearing with more frequency on social invitations, as well as
public meeting notices. At the University of Minnesota School of
Social Work in Minneapolis, signs are posted at entrances to the
Department stating, “Some persons employed or studying in the School
of Social Work report sensitivities to various chemical-based or
scented products. We ask for everyone’s cooperation in our efforts to
accommodate their health concerns.
Many
manufacturers are now removing fragrance from products and touting
“fragrance-free” and “unscented” versions of products such as laundry
detergent and fabric softeners. However, even though a product is
labeled unscented or fragrance-free, it doesn’t necessarily mean that
it contains no fragrance chemicals, because as studies have
documented, manufacturers will often add masking chemicals to cover
the scent of other chemicals in the product, resulting in a product
that does not produce a detectable scent. But manufacturers are
supposed to list the term “fragrance” when any fragrance is used, even
when it masks the ingredients. It is amazing how many fragrances can
invade your home through the mailbox. If you are sensitive to
fragrances, your mail may become contaminated from mail inserts,
special mailers, and samples. The U.S. Postal Service passed a
regulation in April 1990 stating that a fragrance-advertising sample
must be sealed, wrapped, treated, so as not to expose anyone to the
sample. There is a huge population who get sick from these products,
and to help solve the problem, people should use less-toxic, unscented
products.
{“Scents and Sensitivity,” Environmental Health Perspectives, the
research journal of the National Institute of Environmental Health
Sciences, www.herc.org - Nov. 1998}
Source: United States 39 Code 3001g, Postal Bulletin - Bulletin no.
21969, pg. 26}
As a
courtesy to the people around you, it is wise to carefully consider
how your fragrance might impact others. Just because you can’t smell a
fragrance doesn’t mean it can’t cause symptoms in others. If someone
asks you to refrain from wearing fragrances around them, understand
that medical evidence is on their side and respect their request.
There is
absolutely no way to know what you are being exposed to in any given
fragrance. Since there are 5,000 different chemicals used in making
fragrances, any given fragrance may have as many as 600 different
chemical ingredients, yet only a fraction of those chemicals have been
tested for their health effects. Furthermore, there is ample evidence
that fragrances are responsible for a variety of health effects, from
allergic reactions to the triggering of asthma attacks and migraine
headaches. Going fragrance free doesn’t mean you have to live a
totally unscented life. A safe alternative is to use essential oils to
scent your body and the products you use. For example, you can buy a
fragrance-free laundry detergent and then add a few drops of an
essential oil to the detergent when you do laundry. Essential oils are
naturally derived from plant materials.
If you get
a lot of resistance at work when you try to make your area fragrance
free, try to respond with positive actions such as obtaining a letter
from your doctor stating that you must avoid fragrances for reasons of
health. If other methods fail, you can contact your state’s Office of
Civil Rights. If you have fragrances, essential oils, that are not
problematic for you, then maybe you could introduce others at work to
them.
{“Make the Connection: Health and Environment,” Health and Environment
Center, www.herc.org - 2001}
Americans
are enamored with fragrances, whereas our European counterparts are
not. Advertisers have linked fragrances with a desired quality such as
"sexiness," "freshness," or "innocence." The result is that fragrance
is considered a normal component of our lives. You can even choose a
variety of scents for a certain product: "mountain fresh," "lemon
scented," etc. However, the problem is that fragrance products are not
necessarily harmless, and many can cause some very unpleasant effects.
Studies
show that fragrance chemicals can cause health effects, primarily the
skin, lungs, and brain. Some data suggests that as many as 75% of
known asthmatics (approximately 9 million people in the U.S.) have
asthma attacks that are triggered by perfumes. Fragrance chemicals
have the potential to affect, and possibly damage, brain tissue. For
example, linalool, the most abundant chemical in perfume and fragrance
products is known to cause lethargy, depression, and life-threatening
respiratory effects.
Children
are even more susceptible than adults to the effects of fragrance
chemicals, yet fragrances are added to nearly every baby product on
the market. A parent who wears perfume or uses scented products may
well be poisoning the air their children breathe. Exposure to
fragrances may result in the child having difficulty concentrating,
learning disabilities, hyperactive behavior, and even growth
retardation and seizures in extreme cases. It is prudent to avoid
fragranced products as much as possible until the time when they have
all been tested and the harmful ones removed.
{“Sweet Poison: What Your Nose Can’t Tell You About The Dangers of
Perfume,” by Andrea DesJardins, Health Environmental Resource Center,
www.herc.org - 1997}
Fragrance
is a common indoor air pollutant, and synthetic fragrance compounds
accumulate in human tissue and are found in breast milk. The Institute
of Medicine placed fragrance in the same category as secondhand smoke
in triggering asthma in adults and school age children. According to
the latest information from the National Institute of Health, 26.3
million people in the U.S. have been diagnosed with asthma.
An
estimated 5.72 million people in the U.S. have a skin allergy to
fragrance, and fragrance is the number one cause of allergies to
cosmetics and laundry products. Sinus problems and migraine headaches
may be negatively impacted by exposure to scented products. Though
scented products directly impact the health of many, there is little
public awareness of this impact. The ingredients in the fragrance
portion of products do not have to be revealed. People generally
perceive scented products as pleasant; a harmless means of
self-expression and certainly not a significant health concern.
{Fragranced Products Information Network Web site, www.ameliaww.com/fpin/fpin.htm
- provided by Betty Bridges, RN - 2002}
Chemicals in Cosmetics
Phthalates,
which are chemical substances that are used to make plastic more
flexible without reducing its strength, are also common ingredients in
beauty products, nail polish, hair spray, etc.; however, there have
been animal studies that linked these additives to birth defects,
which include liver and kidney damage and malformation of the testes.
The Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR), who is funded by the “Cosmetic,
Toiletry and Fragrance Association,’ said there is no evidence to
suggest that there are health risks to women and their offspring.
{The Consumer Product Safety Commission}
More info on Fragrance -
Healthcare
Without Harm - "Fragrances"
"Fragrance: Emerging Health and
Environmental Concerns"
by Betty Bridges
Fragranced Products
Information Network
- "Fragrances By Design"
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