Fragrance Stinks

​​In my previous posts, I've talked about all these different chemicals and why they're so bad for you. The most common ingredient I have come across is fragrance. I guarantee most (if not all) of your products will have this listed on the label. Fragrance is all around us, whether it's that cookie dough candle in your living room or the body spray your teenager showers herself in. Synthetic fragrance seems to be something we just can't stay away from. I propose we look at why we should actually be avoiding these fragrances and how even just being around them may be harmful to our health. Some even suspect exposure to fragrance is more harmful than secondhand smoke.

Have you ever walked into a Hollister or Abercrombie and as soon as you enter you feel a little light headed? Maybe you left with a headache? Turns out it's not just the obnoxiously loud music thats causes this to happen. That fragrance they cover everything with is actually highly toxic to humans. I personally get a major headache whenever my sister and her friends get into my car wearing their Victoria Secret and Bath & Body Works "body spray". It's overwhelming, especially in such a small space.

Did you know "fragrance" and "parfum" are just terms companies use to hide hundreds of chemicals? If they use one of these words, they don't have to list any other ingredient within them. Most fragrances are made up of chemicals called phthalates (pronounced thah-late). The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, and the National Toxicology Program's Center for the Evaluation of Risks to Human Reproduction all suspect these chemicals to be harmful to us. While they are still doing research and have found that not all phthalates are toxic, there are some listed as "reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen." Again, a carcinogen is something that causes cancer. I'm wondering why we are still using these in our products even if theres just the slightest doubt that they could have harmful effects to humans. Some of these phthalates have been linked to endocrine disruption and even infertility. So let's go back to my water analogy from my previous post... If there is a chance something could kill us-- why are we even risking it? Why are these companies treating us as guinea pigs in their toxic experiments?

How do I avoid it?

I've said it once, I'll say it again-- read your labels! Before you can determine what contains harmful fragrance, you have to know where to look. So where is this stuff even hiding?

- Laundry Detergent: you know that wonderful smell of fresh laundry you get when walking through the suburbs? You're inhaling toxins with every breath. That doesn't sound so pleasant anymore, does it? I'm going to include dryer sheets in this category too because I think they go hand-in-hand.

- Candles: my mom is a Yankee Candle fanatic. I don't say that lightly either, I mean she orders them in bulk through the catalog multiple times a year. Every time you light one of those suckers you're exposing your family and pets to a number of toxic chemicals, whether is be from the wax, the wick, or the fragrance. Most candles are made with paraffin wax which is residue from the bottom of barrels.... yuck.

- Air Fresheners: this one made me really bummed me out because I used to love my Glade Plug-ins. I've stopped buying them but I bet if you go through my apartment right now, you can probably still find a few empty ones plugged into an outlet somewhere.

- Fragrance Sprays: my sister and her friends are totally guilty of this one. I always know when they are over because I can smell their body sprays from across my parents' house. Like many companies, Bath & Body Works and Victoria Secret target young women to buy their products and unfortunately, most fall victim. I theorize this is one of the main reasons allergy levels have risen among young people. Inhaling this stuff (especially in such large amounts) can't be good for anyone. Please be courteous of others around you if you still intend on spraying these products in public. Many people have allergies (myself included) which can be made worse in the presence of synthetic fragrances.

- Scented Soaps/Lotions/Body Wash: have you ever used a public restroom and you just can't seem to get that smell of soap off your hands after washing them? I am somewhat of a compulsive hand washer so I can't seem to avoid this (I blame the CNA training). In addition, most antibacterial soaps contain triclosan which we mentioned before. Almost all lotions and body wash contain fragrance as well. These things are generally supposed to clean us yet somehow our toxicity levels are increasing every time it touches out skin. There's nothing clean about that.

This is just a few example of where you will find synthetic fragrance-- hair spray, shampoo, car air fresheners, makeup, potpourri to name a few more. Read your ingredients and if you see the word "fragrance" I suggest you take off running!

Once you know where to find synthetic fragrance, you can start avoiding them. Buy

unscented laundry detergent or make your own using essential oils. There are hundreds of DIY recipes on Pinterest. Look for candles made with natural ingredients such as bees wax or coconut oil. You can probably find a locally owned company in your area (check farmers markets) or visit a site like Etsy for homemade goods. Not only are they going to be safer for you but you're supporting local businesses! I just avoid body sprays all together. If I do wear a little perfume, I avoid skin contact. I do not buy any product that list "fragrance" as an ingredient because that word alone can contain any number of chemicals. I also recommend purchasing an essential oil diffuser to replace air fresheners and other smelly stuff in your home.

There was once a time when people thought tobacco wasn't harmful to humans. Look how that turned out. It's important to remember that there was no way to know about this until people started doing research and noticing the signs. Nobody expects you to throw away every single product all at once, although I know of some people who've done so. I'm not one of them, theres no way I could afford to replace everything in one sitting on my college student budget! Nobody expects you to be an expert in this subject, even I'm still learning things. It's going to take time and patience. As long as you find a starting place, you'll have the opportunity to learn as you go. Before you know it, it'll be a second nature.

References

"Phthalates." Tox Town. U.S. National Library of Medicine, 15 Dec. 2015. Web. 1 Apr. 2016.