Thank you to everyone who participated in our first Fragrance Fee Day on August 13, 2010!
For those who were able to forgo fragrances today, this is the first step to better health! For those who spread the word about Fragrance Free Day, you have helped to get the word out! For those who were able to participate in the Q&A, I hope this was helpful!
To our great panelists — Dr. Carol Osborne, veterinarian holistic pet health expert and Dr. Steve Ziman, organic chemist — thank you for taking the time to participate in the panel answering questions from the community!
The great news is there were a lot of great questions and it was great seeing all the Tweets that came in. Due to technical problems with the Twitter feed, the responses to questions were not appearing on the #fragrancefreeday feed. So…. we have recapped the questions and answers below, and in some cases, have provided further elaboration.
Q: Anyone know natural, non-harmful to pets or humans air fresheners? We’re not using any more chemical ones!
A: @seayu Natural fragrances in nature R fine bcause how they oxidize thr, indoors lavender, lemon or rose oil cn bcome irritants.
@carolonpets says make ur own potpouri w 1 whole lemon peel, 1 spring rosemary, 1 tbspn whole cloves 1 tbspon cardamom pods.
A-Elaboration/Clarification.
Natural fragrances are fine outdoors because they react quickly with outdoor air, and disperse rapidly which dramatically reduces their concentration and exposure.
Indoors there is little dispersion but they still react to form compounds that can irritate and have health impacts. For example as sited in the recent study on fragrances, components in lavender, rose and citrus oil react with ozone to generate hazardous pollutants such as formaldehyde, acetaldehyde and ultra-fine particles.
Q: I clean a lot with vinegar. Does the fragrance or smell of the vinegar impact dogs and cats?
A: @carolonpets says vinegar is a great safe & natural cleaning alternative 2 toxic chemicals and bleach products! @carolonpets reco’s mixing= parts vinegar & H2O 4 an effective cleaning solution 4 anything from oven2 bathtub
Q: Are there chemicals that are safe for people but bad for pets?
A: @seayu Yes – the chemical in chocolate (pheobromine) and sugarless candies (xylipol) are examples.
A-Elaboration and Correction. Yes, the chemical in chocolate (theobromine) and sugarless candies (xylitol) are just a few of many. Check out other chemicals/foods that are safe for people but not dogs or cats at http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/poison-control/a-poison-safe-home.html
Q: Are my kids being harmed by sharing a house with a perfume-wearer?
A: @seayu According to studies, fragrances r irritants 4 adults – if they’re irritants 4 adults they are 4 kids and pets,2!
A-Elaboration/Clarification. Fragrances contain many different chemicals, even those which occur in nature. They can react with the air indoors and form other chemicals which can be irritants and have adverse health impacts. Because this happens indoors, the concentrations do not decrease rapidly and lead to higher exposure than would occur outdoors.
Q: Leftover perfume in hand-me-downs. Harmful?
A: @seayu As long as they’re emitting fragrances, they could be.
Q: Recommendations for how to remove fragrances from fabrics?
A: @seayu If you can launder the fabrics, it should do the trick – it may take repeated washes though!
A-Elaboration. Natural fragrances should come out fairly quickly. Synthetic fragrances may be more of a challenge. In either case, just make sure that you use a fragrance-free laundry detergent.
Q: Is it true that chemicals in things like air freshener can cause organ damage?
A: @seayu ETHYL ACETATE in perfume and air freshener can cause liver and kidney damage! http://bit.ly/8IJ5Vo
Q: Are essential oils considered fragrance? Any to watch out for?
A: @seayu Essential oils are essentially mixtures of things. Each oil contains multiple chemicals. Some of those chemicals can react in the atmosphere and form irritants when in high enough concentration!
@seayu They R used in fragrances, some can be irritants when used indoors because of higher exposure levels. Citrus oil is a good example – check out my blog for more info! http://bit.ly/bEL503 #fragrancefreeday
A-Elaboration. Essential oils are really a mixture of different naturally occurring chemicals that are produced by plants like roses and oranges. They are used in fragrances, and some can be irritants when used indoors because their concentrations are much higher than outside and they react with the indoor air to form different compounds which may be irritants. Citrus oil is a good example.
Q: I’m a new dog owner – we just rescued a dog last week. Is there anything specific to dogs to be worried about?
A: @seayu New pets in a new enviro will have accidents, so be aware – make sure all products in home are anti-freeze and fragrance free.
Q: What chemical(s) are antifreeze?
A: @seayu Propylene glycol -
@carolonpets says it causes liver and kidney failure which is fatal in most cases in 4 hours.
@carolonpets suggests that new brands contain ethylene glycol – sold as Sierra, less toxic to pets!
A-Elaboration. Propylene glycol is the active ingredient which is harmful for cats and dogs, as well as humans. It is also sweet which is why many pets like to lick it up!
Q: R there different types of aerosols? Air fresheners put out gas space heater pilots in winter. Would any spray can?
A: @seayu There R different aerosols that use different propellants – hydrocarbon ones are flammable, and inert ones like nitrogen R not.
A-Elaboration. Hydrocarbon propellants like isobutane and 1,1difluroethane are flammable. Inert propellants like nitrogen are not.
Q: Clean+Green uses nitrogen.(C+G told me) How can consumer tell which one is safe to use? Printed on can?
A: @seayu Sometimes they are printed on the cans but not always.
@carolonpets says many new products have that info on the label.
Q I know phthalates in “fragrance.” What other chemicals labeled “fragrance”?
A: @seayu There are many! – limonene, linalool, geraniol, alpha-pinenes – all chemicals that are in fragrances.
A-Elaboration. There are many the most common being limonene, linalool, geraniol and alph-pinenes. For a larger list, see Appendix D of the study Not So Sexy The Health Risks of Secret Chemicals in Fragrances at http://www.ewg.org/notsosexy.
Here is to many more fragrance free days…So, breathe again. The world is a safer place. And life just got easier
Quncy and Simon
It’s Woof Wednesday, September 1, 2010! Our giveaway product is one (1) can of Clean+Green Wood & Tile. 
