SCENTS AND SENSIBILITY
When it comes to fragrance, something stinks.
When I was young, my mother had to buy special personal care products because of my sensitive skin. I experienced allergic reactions at the faintest hint of synthetic fragrance. At the time, it made me angry; I couldn't wear the lotions, makeup and perfumes my friends wore. But today, I am grateful to my skin for sending me a warning.
Why do manufacturers put fragrance in personal care products? Well, because it's cheap, cheap, cheap. It wasn't until the last hundred years that companies started adding these less expensive, man-made synthetic chemicals, which also lend a longer shelf life than their nature-made counterparts.
More than 90 percent of the chemicals used in fragrances today are synthetic compounds synthesized from petroleum. A few of the usual harmful suspects are acetone, benzene, phenol, toluene, benzyl acetate and limonene. But that's just a sampling. About 4,000 different chemicals are used to make certain types of fragrances and it is not uncommon to find a few hundred in just one item.
With all these intimidating elements, manufacturers are smart enough to wrap them up into just one word: fragrance. The American Academy of Dermatology estimates there are more than 5,000 different fragrances used in cosmetics, skin care products and mainstream personal care products such as perfume, lotion, shampoo, conditioner, detergents, soap and makeup [1]. If you buy mostly mainstream personal care products, start looking at the ingredients and see how many times you find the word “fragrance”. The more of these items you can eliminate, the closer you are to a fragrance-free home.
As frightening as it is, the fragrance industry is essentially self-regulated. Until all of these chemicals can be tested, it’s best to avoid fragrance altogether. To date, individuals have reported symptoms such as headaches, dizziness, allergies, rashes, skin discoloration, coughing and skin irritations due to fragrance use. Scientists don’t know the long-term effects. It has also been suggested that fragrance could impact the central nervous system and suppress the immune system, which could lead to a number of diseases. Much more research is needed to uncover the truth about these risks.
There are many organic products on the market that use ingredients strictly derived from plants, botanicals and organic essential oils, all of which smell and feel wonderful. You can purchase these products at health food stores, online or at many mainstream companies, which are now developing organic lines to meet consumer demand.
Reference:
1. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=940DE2DE173CF937A15752C1A96E948260
Other Trusted Sources:
WebMD
