Ever wonder what a "fragrance" is comprised of? As consumers, most of us trust that the products we buy contain safe ingredients. Why wouldn't they? But fragrance is considered a trade secret, which means your perfume could contain a blend of any number of 3,100 chemical ingredients used by the fragrance industry, AND the maker doesn't have to list any of them on their product label. So, the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics and Environmental Working Group joined forces to find out what secret ingredients are hiding in a variety of popular fragrances - and you don't want to miss these results.
Independent Testing of Popular Fragrances
The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics commissioned independent tests, and partnered with the Environmental Working Group to analyze the data and product labels, of 17 popular fragrance products. Among the tested fragrances were celebrity scents Jennifer Lopez J. Lo Glow, Britney Spears Curious, Halle by Halle Berry, and Hannah Montana Secret Celebrity.
What They Found
The analysis revealed that nearly half of the ingredients in the products tested were not listed individually on labels, due to the trade secrets loophole. These ingredients are allowed to hide under the vague ingredient "fragrance".
Among these are chemicals associated with hormone disruption, allergic reactions, and a propensity to accumulate in human tissues and even be passed on to newborn babies.
And, the analysis revealed that these products contained, on average:
- 14 hidden chemicals not listed on labels due to a loophole in federal law that allows companies to claim fragrances as trade secrets.
- 10 sensitizing chemicals associated with allergic reactions such as asthma, wheezing, headaches and contact dermatitis.
- 4 hormone-disrupting chemicals linked to a range of health effects including sperm damage, thyroid disruption and cancer.
The Good News
There are companies out there that are committed to being open about their product ingredients and are dedicated to crafting safe, natural fragrances without all these harmful chemicals, including:
Pacifica - free of Parabens, Sulfates, Propylene Glycol, Phthalates, GMOs, Triclosan and Petro-chemicals. All are cruelty-free and 100% vegan. Shop Pacifica
ACORELLE - free of Phthalates, Petro-chemicals, Musks and other contaminants such as pesticides, chemical fertilizers and synthetic molecules. Shop ACORELLE
Lavanila - free of Parabens, Sulfates, Propylene Glycol, Phthalates, PEGs, Synthetic Fragrances and Petro-chemicals. Shop Lavanila
TSI-LA - free of Parabens, Sulfates, Propylene Glycol, Phthalates, GMOs, Petrochemicals, Dioxins and Synthetic Fragrances. Shop Tsi-La
How You Can Help
You don't have to settle for not knowing what harmful chemicals might be hidden in your fragrances. To find out more about this study and what you can do to protect yourself, your loved ones and future generations from unnecessary exposure to toxic chemicals in personal care products, visit safecosmetics.org.
Source: Campaign for Safe Cosmetics
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