Just imagine, the sound of a match striking against a box, the pop as it ignites, the sizzle as the candle wick catches flame. The smokey smell of the match burning out is quickly replaced by the strong aroma of the candle. The fragrance quickly permeating the room and wafting down the hall. The soft sound of someone discarding the match and curling up next to the cozy candle, completely unaware of the hidden dangers the sweet-smelling candle actually contain. The dangers of synthetic fragrance.
This post contains affiliate links. I make a small commission from qualifying purchases, with no extra charge to you.
The reach of fragrance
Everything around us is scented, and I don’t say that to be dramatic. Some are obvious, like the candles, the wall plug-ins, the car air fresheners. Then there are the things like shampoo, hand soaps, and cleaning products, because we have been brainwashed into believing that when things smell like pine, lemon, or cherry blossoms, that means they are fresh and clean. But there are also the cosmetics, the laundry detergents, dishwashing pods, even new clothes. The list goes on and on. They really are everywhere and most hide in plain sight.
But why does it matter? How is it a bad thing that we smell nice, that the laundry smells like a fresh breeze, the dishes smell like citrus, and the floors are wafting an aroma of pine? It’s bad because these smells are made up of a whole cocktail of chemicals, some as upward of 3,000 separate ingredients. And the worst part? The company producing these products doesn’t have to tell you what that long list of ingredients even is!
What is synthetic fragrance?
Synthetic fragrance. The lab-made concoctions created from synthetic materials and ingredients.
In 1966 the Fair Trade and Labeling Act came to be. It was designed to protect consumers and make it easier to compare value. It requires that labels for most products need to include any information that is necessary or truthful. This includes a list of ingredients, the maker, and the identity of each product. However, the companies do not have to list out every ingredient if it could be classified as a trade secret. This is where the “fragrance loophole” comes in.
Because the list of ingredients used to make a Yankee candle smell like “pink sands” or give the perfume “Daisy” its popular aroma, is considered a trade secret. They are private property of the company and so the only thing required to be added to the ingredients list is a simple, umbrella term such as “fragrance”, “parafume”, or “eau de toilette”. Because of this loophole your shampoo might say “only 9 ingredients”, but if fragrance is one of them, it’s probably a whole lot more.
The down and dirty
These chemicals are just in lotions or on dishes, the clothes, the floor, its not as if we are eating them so what’s the problem? Our skin is our biggest organ. It easily absorbs these chemicals and they make their way into the bloodstream. Think about someone who uses steroid cream for a rash or someone who is trying to quit smoking and uses a nicotine patch. These are things that take advantage of the body’s ability to dermally absorb things. Many of these chemicals found in fragrance can accumulate over time in our tissues, and there have even been studies which have found them in breastmilk!
There are way too many chemicals to get into all of them in just this one blog post but let’s take the time to cover a few of them.
Phthalates
This salt or ester of phthalic acid has been linked to a number of health concerns. Included in that list are testicular damage, abnormal sperm counts, reduced fertility, and increased risk of miscarriage and birth defects.
Alehydes
These are formed by the oxidation of alcohols. These can be ethanal (also referred to as acetaldehyde) and methanal (also known as formaldehyde). There have been clinical and animal studies done, both of which show there are numerous human health risks relates to the exposure of aldehydes. Including, respiratory allergies, embryo toxicity, diabetes and hypertension, neurodegenerative diseases, and increased risk of allergies and cancer. Many of these issues are the result of natural mechanisms the body has to fight against molecular toxicity.
Acetonitrile
This is a toxic solvent which can trigger headaches, agitation, sleepiness, nausea, and dizziness. This chemical is dangerous when inhaled, ingested, and is easily absorbed through the skin.
Styrene Oxide
A styrene derived epoxide which has a whole list of health concerns on top of being a well-known and potent carcinogen. Extended exposure can lead to depression, headaches, and can weaken the central nervous system. It is also known for causing irritation in the eyes, skin, and respiratory tract. It can cause a heightened risk to fertility and can cause birth defects.
Musk Tetralin
Musks are commonly added to fragrance and other perfumed items to extend the life of the scent. In other words, it slows the rate in which the perfume evaporates. Exposure to this can cause allergic reactions, and major hormone disruption.
Of course, this isn’t all the chemicals that can be included under the umbrella term “fragrance” but it was enough to motivate me to purge them from my home as much as possible.
How to purge from synthetic fragrance
If you are new to this, then I’m sure your head is spinning, just like mine was when I first started learning about all these toxins. It can be beyond overwhelming to look around your home, place of work, and even your car, and see things that could be causing health problems. You have one of two options when it comes to purging and switching to cleaner options.
The first is to throw everything away and just buy new and toxin free products. I’m talking a complete overhaul. It gets fragrance out of the home almost immediately. However, this can get very expensive when you start looking into each and every product that you interact with. Cleaning products, laundry products (yup, even those dryer sheets), make up, hair products, candles, air fresheners, and so forth. To be honest, this isn’t something I recommend doing. Clean living isn’t a fad diet, its a lifestyle and trying to adjust to everything being different can be so overwhelming it may cause you to give up.
The other option is to start slow. This is by far much less overwhelming and less stressful. Start by throwing out your candles and air fresheners. Either open a window, bake something like cinnamon rolls, start up a simmer pot, or fill up an essential oil diffuser to get the house smelling nice. Then as you run out of a product, just replace it. Used up the last of your summer lemon scented dish soap? Order a few bottles of clean soap from Amazon. Need to replace your Clorox kitchen cleaner? Get this fragrance-free cleaner that works for your whole house. Little baby steps are what will keep you consistent.
Look out for greenwashing
Avoiding products with “fragrance” or “parafum” on the label is a great place to start. However, some brands can be very deceiving. They make it seem as though their products are clean and green. These companies do what is known as greenwashing.
A prime example of this is Mrs. Meyers. They have a claim on the label that says their products are scented with essential oils, but if you check the ingredient list you will find fragrance right alongside a few oils. There are other companies that will market something as “unscented” but there is a fragrance to cover up the chemical smell of the product and may still have fragrance in it, just not one that smell like flowers.
There are also some labels that say “all-natural fragrance” but there is still something off about them. Go with your gut, if you smell something and it smells too chemically, then pass on it until you have time to do more research. And just because the label is green, or has a tag that says natural doesn’t mean that it is actually clean or fragrance free.
How to deal with gifts
I cannot tell you the number of gifts I have been given that have given me a headache within a few minutes of simply opening the package. Candles, bath bombs, lotions, and so on.
Personally, I don’t like wasting things or throwing things away if I don’t have to so if the fragrance is light enough, I will try to use it. If the gift came with a receipt I will return it and buy something I will use more frequently. If not, I will try to regift it to someone who already uses heavily fragranced items, I’ll drop it at a thrift store, and if it is bad enough, there are times it makes its way to the trash.
A way to avoid this uncomfortable-ness all together is to let friends and family know how excited you are to be detoxing from fragrance. Not in a “I’m better than you” way, but where you share something, you are actually passionate about.
DIYs
My favorite way to avoid fragrance is to make my own products. Now, I do know that DIYs aren’t everyone’s cup of tea, and that’s totally fine. If you aren’t someone who gets excited about the thought of making your own (clean and fragrance free) household cleaner, then don’t feel bad about picking some up next time you are at the store. It also does take time to make each recipe so some of you may find worthwhile, and for others it makes more sense for you to just get a premade option.
Some of my favorite DIYs are:
Final thoughts
All this might be making your head spin. Thats ok. It is a lot. Just take it one day, and one product at a time. You got this and if you ever have any questions, feel free to ask me! Leave a comment, reach out on Instagram, or email me at [email protected].
Leave a Reply