Everyone loves a great scent. It might remind you of cleanliness, a tropical vacation or homemade baked goods. We can all appreciate the beautiful images and instant mood-lifting powers of scent. However, what exactly is in your candle that smells like fresh linen or sugar cookies? It is a dark and harmful industry secret that the FDA allows to keep you in the dark about.
The answer is fragrance oils. Sounds innocent enough right? Oils are natural like olive or coconut and those never harm you. Well, fragrance oil is different. It is actually a mixture of 10 to 100+ chemicals that the FDA does not require fully listing. Instead, you might see names like fragrance, perfume, parfum or natural identical fragrance. This is code for, lots of unnamed chemicals that are potentially dangerous to your health.
Fragrance oils are synthetic compounds that are created to produce a particular scent. There is a huge array of various fragrance oils with scents ranging from blueberry cake and almond biscotti to fresh linen and musk cologne. They can also smell more natural like vanilla, coconut, lavender or lime. Doesn’t matter if the smell is decadent or natural, fragrance oils are synthetically made and are not sourced from nature.
Beauty Tip: Anyone with sensitive skin, asthma, allergies, or other related health problems should try their best to avoid fragrance oils.
So why are they prominently used within the cosmetic or household industries? The short answer is that they are a hugely inexpensive way to offer consumers an intense scent. It costs next to nothing to use fragrance oil and with this, companies are putting consumers at risk. Should you care? The answer is yes. If you are truly interested in a more natural lifestyle, care about chemicals within your household and are concerned about the effects of chemicals then you should absolutely care.
There are no therapeutic benefits to fragrance oils as they are not natural and contain chemicals. They are a cheap way to add scent to either a product or environment. With the new wave of health-conscious consumers and a more natural lifestyle trending a lot of companies want to jump on board. They market products as natural, aromatherapy or non-toxic when this might not be entirely true. If any product contains fragrance oils and marketed as natural then it is false.
Greenwashing
Falsely advertising a product as natural, recyclable or non-toxic is known as greenwashing. Companies use marketing tricks to lure in health-conscious consumers making them believe it is a better choice, more natural or eco-friendly. Don’t get too mad though because tricking consumers with marketing is kind of the main objective of companies. They want your money and they want it all the time.
The power is actually in the hands of consumers. You determine what you spend your money on and why. Consumers have the power to look through ingredient lists, google unknown names and make decisions based on information. If you see an item in the store and are drawn to it then investigate why. Is it the colors, does it look natural, is it promoting eco-friendly packaging, is it a name that you can trust?
What is in fragrance oil
Fragrance oils are made using petroleum by-products such as:
Toluene/ Toluol- Found in crude oil and a by-product of the making of gasoline. It is a solvent commonly found in nail polish, cement, adhesives, rubber, lacquer, paint and paint thinner. Toluene affects the nervous system and causes headaches, dizziness, and unconsciousness. Excessive exposure can lead to cognitive impairment, vision and hearing loss, and loss of coordination. Excessive exposure to pregnant women can result in retardation, immune disorders, and growth problems. There are conflicting results as to whether or not toluene is carcinogenic (cancer-causing).
Benzene derivatives- A base chemical in the making of drugs, plastics, lubricants, rubbers, dyes, detergents, and pesticides. It is found in crude oil, gasoline and cigarette smoke. It is one of the 20 most widely used chemicals in the USA and is known to cause cancer in both lab animals and people. The primary type of cancer it causes is leukemia. In low-level exposures, this chemical affects the nervous system causing dizziness, disorientation, and headaches. Consuming contaminated food or water results in vomiting, stomach pain, sleepiness, and rapid heart rates. Excessive exposure can result in reproductive issues, low blood platelet count, anemia and low white blood cell count.
Aldehydes- A member of the formaldehyde family and is released into the atmosphere during the combustion of wood, coal or paper. It has also been found to be released when sunflower oil is heated to high temperatures. Aldehydes are commonly found in tobacco smoke, engine exhaust, and contaminated water. This chemical damages cells and is known to cause nasal tumors in lab rats. Excessive exposure can narrow airways, restrict breathing, cause fluid to enter the lungs, and lead to cancer.
Phthalates- This chemical is primarily used to manufacture plastics, solvents and personal care products. It is banned in the EU, Canada, Japan, and China. They are commonly found in vinyl flooring, adhesives, detergents, lubricating oils, automotive plastic, and inflatable toys. Phthalates are endocrine disruptors that disrupt female sex hormones and alter male sexual development. This chemical is known to cause reproductive and genital defects, early puberty, low testosterone, low sperm count. It is commonly found in soft plastics, hair gel, nail polish, perfume, and body lotion. It helps to add lubrication for other ingredients and carry fragrance. If this chemical is one of the ingredients in its fragrance oil, the company does not need to legally disclose it’s presence.
No Regulation
The FDA does not regulate fragrance oils and consumers are easily lead astray with alternative ingredients list names such as natural fragrance, perfume, parfum, fragrance, and natural identical fragrance. Any of these items are just alternative names for synthetically made scents. None of them are actually natural or have the benefits of natural scents.
With a lack of regulation, you have no idea how many chemicals are in fragrance oil and exactly which ones. This should be scary to any consumer since they are openly inviting toxins into their homes, workspaces, and vehicles. Still think there is no need to worry?
Second-hand smoke is when a smoker nearby releases chemicals and addictive additives into the air and someone nearby inhales it. Second-hand smoke causes approximately 41,300 deaths each year. Inhaling chemicals cause harm to the lungs, cells and can cause cancer. You are directly inviting toxins into the body via the respiratory system. If you light a candle that contains fragrance oil and inhale the scent, you are inhaling chemicals. If you are spraying yourself with perfume and inhaling the scent, you are inhaling chemicals. If you are spraying your house with air freshener and inhaling the scent…. you get the point. As long as fragrance oils are in the products you are using, you are ingesting harmful and UNKNOWN chemicals into your system.
Your Role
Be a conscious consumer and read labels, google unknown words and find out exactly what you are inviting into your environment. If a label indicates the use of fragrance oil then there really is no way of knowing the exact chemicals but there are chemicals present. Anyone who has breathing problems or is sensitive to scents should try to stay away from fragrance oils. Opt for natural alternatives such as essential oils, natural extracts or natural perfumes. Being aware is the first step and taking action is the second. Protect your health and your family with information and educated choices.
