Five facts you should know before using Perfume and Fragrance-
There has been a lot written about
the hidden dangers in perfume and fragrance lately and sifting thru all the research and articles I have come up with 5 key points we all need to know:
1 You don’t know whats in it – it ’s
a secret!
Very little is known about the
compounds used in fragrances.
Companies are required to list all
the ingredients of cosmetics
however, when it comes to perfumes and other scented products manufacturers just have to say “fragrance ” but this can be a concoction of up to 250 untested
chemicals. And the reason is just so nobody will copy the blend putting our health secondary .
So you can use a nice term like
“musky ” fragrance which sounds
exotic and nice but to make that
smell they use a range of chemicals which have been shown to cause hormone disruption .
2 There is evidence that some of
these chemicals may be harmful.
Those people sensitive to these
“secret ” chemicals may experience rashes , hay fever, headaches, asthma, difficulty concentrating etc.
The usual response is to take some form of drug to stop the symptoms rather than looking at the cause. It could be your perfume. And that’s not to mention any longer term
effects – some of the chemicals have been linked to diabetes and certain types of cancers.
3 Can you believe that you spray on your perfume trusting the
ingredients have been tested by
someone for safety … they haven’t !
Compulsory testing of chemicals
used in fragrances was introduced
about 12 years ago in Australia by
the NICNAS (National Industrial
Chemicals Notification and
assessment scheme) Even that name is scary ! However they only test new chemicals and so the 3000 already in use don’ t have to be tested!
4 The evidence is mounting
The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics
analysed many top name widely
used perfumes and found
* about 14 secret chemicals per
product,* 10 chemicals per product that are known sensitizers which can trigger allergic reactions,
* 12 different hormone disrupting
chemicals, some that mimic the
hormone Estrogen and others that
have an effect on the thyroid . Its
crazy that we just prescribe thyroid medication rather than looking at the cause.
5 Can using a perfume harm your
unborn baby?
When perfumes are sprayed on the pulse points they are either inhaled or absorbed into the skin. These chemicals accumulate in the body and can be passed onto the unborn child .
Two synthetic musk chemicals in
particular were identified in the cord blood of newborn babies in a study by the EWG ( Environmental Working Group) . These were Galaxolide and Tonalide and have been associated with toxicity in the endocrine system . So already the baby starts its life with a level of toxicity .
Also DEP ( Diethyl phthalate) which is a solvent used in fragrances has been linked to abnormal development of reproductive organs in baby boys and sperm damage in men and also the development of Attention Deficit Disorder in Children .
So its everywhere – just have a
look at your products and when
you see the word “ fragrance” or
“ perfume’ – head for the hills!
Why risk it ? There are many natural alternatives that use plant extracts that actually have some therapeutic value so it ’s a win win . As Remedies we have a
transparent policy because we
wouldn’t want to put anything on
our bodies that was harmful and we wouldn’t want you to do that either.
Our roll on “ Love Your Smell”
perfume oil is a prime example of
this. It ’s 100 % natural and combines Sandalwood , Geranium , Patchouli, Lavender , carrot, Ylang Ylang, and Nutmeg essential oils with pure Sunflower oil.
So be healthy !! stay tuned guys !!
