CLEAN+GREEN

Fragrance is now considered among the top five allergens in North America and European countries and is associated with a wide range of skin, eye and respiratory reactions according to the study commissioned by The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics. 

The more I discover about the health effects of fragrances, the more fervent I get about getting information in front of people!  Fragrances are ubiquitous in personal beauty products and cleaning products that we use in our homes.   It is almost impossible to find products that are fragrance free!  Last year, we organized a Fragrance Free Day and brought together a veterinarian, a chemist and moi to answer questions posed via Twitter…and I want to continue providing information through my blog so people (especially women) start to wake up about this health risk to ourselves, our pets and our family.

Here is another article,  “Scents & Sensitivity” [EHP 106:A594-A599 (1998)], that  provides a good summary of the issues involved in concerns and controversies over fragranced products.   Here arethe  highlights of several points:

Allergic disease affects 20% of the population and is the sixth leading cause of chronic disease. There are an estimated 17 million asthmatics, and migraine headaches affect as many as 25 million people in the United States. Individuals with nonallergic rhinitis, chronic respiratory disease, and chemical sensitivities should also be included in these numbers. Fragrances are known to trigger and exacerbate all of these conditions. The impact of fragrances on health is a general health issue.

Fragrance chemicals are volatile by nature. This means some of each fragranced product used ends up in the air. The result is complex mixture of chemicals that is constantly changing. Fragrance chemicals are often air, heat, and light sensitive. Very often the compounds that result from the reactions and breakdown that occurs in the air are more irritating than the original compounds. In indoor environments where air exchange is poor, the problems are compounded.

Fragrance chemicals are not removed from wastewater by present sewage treatment methods. Synthetic musk compounds are being found in waterways and in aquatic wildlife. The implications are not known because so little research has been done in the area of fragrance chemical safety. These materials are now in the food chain.

The main focus of safety testing in the fragrance industry has been adverse skin effects. Fragrance materials penetrate the skin, are absorbed into the bloodstream, and are distributed to other organs. Other routes of exposure, such as respiratory and neurologic exposure via olfactory pathways, have been ignored. Ingestion is another route of exposure because many of the same materials are used as flavors in foods.

Some fragrance materials are known to act as haptens in the skin. Although there is significant respiratory exposure to these materials, the possibility of respiratory sensitization has not been addressed. In some individuals with asthma, fragrances are primary triggers, whereas other irritants do not initiate a response. This suggests that there may be respiratory sensitization involved. If fragrance materials have the ability to sensitize the respiratory system in the same manner as the skin, the implications are serious and could be one factor in the unexplained increase in asthma rates.

Even with the limited method of collecting data, there was an increase in records of complaints from 1995 to 1997. These complaints included respiratory and neurologic effects. The FDA suspended the Voluntary Cosmetic Registration Program in March 1998 because of budget cuts; it was reinstated 1 January 1999. This program is totally voluntary, and the industry is not required to participate.

The FDA only addresses the safety of materials in cosmetics. Fragrances in household products come under the jurisdiction of the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Once the products volatilize, air quality falls under U.S. Environmental Protection Agency jurisdiction. The fragrance industry does not have a centralized data collection program in place. This means that there is no method in place for accurately collecting data on the negative impact of fragrances.

The “trade-secret” status of fragrances makes it difficult, if not impossible, to pinpoint substances that cause problems. Present labeling is misleading, as “fragrance-free” and “unscented” products often contain fragrance chemicals. Avoidance is not possible when labeling does not reflect the contents.

When types of substances used by the fragrance industry are used in other industries, they are heavily regulated because of their known health effects. Whereas these substances are generally used at low levels in fragrance materials, the sheer numbers of fragranced products used and the constant exposure causes concern, especially in children. In addition, many of the materials have synergistic effects that cannot be ignored. A much more prudent course of action would be to gather reliable data, do further safety testing, pinpoint the substances causing problems, and eliminate them from use. Further information can be found at the web site of the Fragranced Products Information Network.

Please keep reading and getting educated on why you should NOT purchase and use fragranced products in our home around your pets and family.

Quincy