Killing Us Softly: Why False Fragrance Is “The New Secondhand Smoke”
Whether it’s a sweet-smelling candle or a luxurious body lotion, we often seek fragranced products to provide us with a sense of indulgence, peace, and comfort. Yet science shows that the majority of fragranced products on the market are actually extremely hazardous to our health. Read on to discover just how harmful false fragrance is and how to avoid it.
Fragrances are emotional; they’re intimate. Who doesn’t love the ambiance of a scented candle, the soothing scents of bath items, and those fragranced cleaning supplies that keep our homes smelling fresh? You want your home to be a sanctuary and your body to get that much-deserved pampering. But did you know that the very items you use to unwind and treat yourself may be seriously harming you? The fragrances found in synthetically scented products are comprised of dangerous chemicals that can cause health issues from asthma to kidney damage to cancer.
False fragrances can be found in personal care products like soaps, body wash, deodorants, lotions and sunscreens, shampoo and conditioner, cosmetics, baby powder, perfumes, and colognes, as well as in many household items like candles, cleaning solutions, odor-eliminating sprays, plug-ins/air fresheners, scented trash bags, detergents, dryer sheets, stain removers, etc. The list goes on because false fragrances are literally everywhere. And the dangers of false fragrances really can’t be overstated because you may be unknowingly breathing in these toxins on a daily and even constant basis.
So What Exactly Are “False Fragrances”?
Natural fragrances are derived from plant oils and other essential oils that occur in nature. False fragrances are scents created in a lab using chemicals. Sometimes false fragrances are also referred to as “fake fragrances,” “artificial fragrances,” or “synthetic scents,” though these terms are interchangeable. Any product containing the word “fragrance” or “perfume” in its ingredient list contains false fragrance. But it doesn’t stop there. Even products that claim to be “unscented” can contain false fragrances because manufacturers use chemicals to mask other scents.
In the United States, the FDA does not require companies to reveal the exact ingredients used to fragrance a product because it labels such information as “trade secrets”. When you read “fragrance” or “perfume” in an ingredient list, you probably expect it to account for two or three ingredients. In actuality, that one word can include any combination of more than 3,000 chemicals. That means that when you use just one of your fragranced products you could be dousing yourself in dozens of toxic chemicals. Disturbingly, at least 95% of synthetic fragrances are made from petroleum or crude oil, and that doesn’t account for all of the other toxic chemicals they contain, such as formaldehyde, benzene, acetone, dioxane styrene, acetaldehyde, or phthalates, to name only a few. Essentially, thousands of chemicals that are regarded as hazardous by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have been approved by the FDA for your personal use.
How Are You Exposed?
Think about it: you wake in the morning and head to your bathroom where you hop in the shower and wash yourself with a handful of products. After your shower, you may use a dozen products to groom yourself. You get dressed and spritz yourself with perfume or cologne, and maybe use a scented hand lotion. Already, you’ve drenched your skin, hair, and clothing in false fragrances. Then you get in your car, which has an air freshener, or you take public transit and get exposed to the fragrances everyone else is wearing. You arrive at work, where there may be plug-ins throughout the space. Once you arrive home, you light a candle to relax and wind down. Then you do it all again the next day. The opportunity for exposure is potentially endless.
Every day–even if you don’t directly use scented products–you are exposed to false fragrances; they permeate our world. If you’re using synthetically fragranced products then you’re actively inhaling hazardous chemicals and/or absorbing those toxins through your body’s largest organ–your skin. From there, chemicals enter your bloodstream. So who is at risk? Everyone. It’s no wonder that false fragrance has been aptly labeled “the new secondhand smoke” because it’s nearly impossible to avoid or contain them.
What Are the Dangers?
You may be wondering how the thousands of chemicals in synthetic fragrances pose a threat to your health. False fragrances can be the cause of numerous short-term effects such as headaches, mental lethargy or brain fog, nausea, dizziness, skin and eye irritation, and respiratory irritation, and these symptoms can present as chronic with consistent exposure. While these short-term effects can significantly degrade the quality of your everyday life, artificial fragrances have the potential for much greater damage.
The chemicals in false fragrances have been linked to an overwhelming array of serious health concerns, the most prominent being cancer, immune suppression, hormone disruption, liver and kidney damage, neurological damage, and reproductive harm including low sperm count, infertility, and birth defects. False fragrances have also been linked to sinus and lung inflammation, asthma, chronic allergies, migraines, and early onset of puberty. It’s frightening to think that something so enjoyable and simple as fragrance can be so devastatingly harmful, but you should always remember that those pleasant scents are comprised of extremely toxic, unregulated chemicals hidden under the unassuming word, “fragrance.”
Greenwashing and How to Avoid False Fragrance
Unfortunately, we can’t avoid false fragrances altogether because they’re all around us. When you walk into a department store, a restaurant, or even a friend’s home, there will probably be false fragrances in the air. Even walking through a crowded city street exposes you–consider it another type of unavoidable pollution. But you can make proactive, positive choices in your personal life to at least limit your exposure to these harmful chemicals.
When you’re looking to buy clean, fragrance-free products you need to shop carefully. Many companies who make products containing toxic chemicals use health buzzwords like “all-natural” or “non-toxic” to deceptively present their products as clean and natural: this is called “Greenwashing.” Greenwashing is used to mislead consumers into believing that a product is healthful as well as environmentally friendly. This tactic is at an all-time high because companies are aware that the demand for clean products is great, yet are unwilling to spend more money to manufacture clean products. Unethical companies will do what it takes to cut corners and save money, so you can’t trust what you read on a product cover label.
Remember: companies use false fragrances in their products because they are pleasant and mask other, less enticing scents. Pleasant-smelling products sell, and it’s more cost-effective for companies to opt for synthetics than natural alternatives. If you’re shopping for scented products, examine the ingredient list carefully–it’s extremely common for companies that source naturally-derived fragrances to draw special attention to those details and to the superior quality of their product. To learn what is truly in a product you must always read and understand the ingredient list!
How Can I Shop Smart?
When shopping for false fragrance alternatives keep in mind that none of the following terms are regulated and can be used at the whim of the manufacturer:
- Unscented
- Natural fragrance
- All-natural
- Non-toxic
- Chemical-free
- Cruelty-free
- Green
- Eco-friendly
- Environmentally-friendly
- Sustainable
- Recyclable
- Biodegradable
Always avoid a product that contains fragrance, fragrance oil, perfume, and any phthalate (DEP, DBP, DEHP) in the ingredient list. Avoid products that claim to be “unscented” and instead opt for ones that are “fragrance-free”: the latter ensures that the product contains no fragrance chemicals. Luckily for you, a huge demand for clean, natural products has led many ethical companies to step up and supply natural, fragrance-free products using high-quality, minimally processed ingredients. It’s never been easier to avoid false fragrances, and now that you know how to shop, you can choose wisely from the vast array of clean choices.
