If it were not enough to know that what you see on your label may or may not actually be in your product it is unforgivable to also know that certain ingredients are “trade secrets” and are strategically used to deceive the public and potentially risk their health by hiding the most noxious industrial chemicals used in skin and body care.

Fragrance is not necessarily a scent. It is oftentimes dozens or even hundreds of synthetic chemical compounds covertly hidden under trade secret laws. Because most products, from shampoos and deodorants to lotions and shaving creams that you pick up these days will list fragrance on their ingredient label, one must be educated when choosing personal care products. Also, it is crucial that you understand that a product labeled on the front of a package as “unscented” only means that there may be no physical scent, but the manufacture of the product allows for the use of chemicals to mask the odor of  toxic industrial chemicals. You will definitely see “fragrance” on the back ingredient label.

Some of what you may find in a product listing “fragrance”  include:

• Allergens and sensitizers: Fragrances are considered to be among the top five known allergens. They are known to both cause and trigger asthma attacks as well as sensitize the surface of the skin. This weakens the surface immunity, leaving your skin with no protective barrier to fight external elements. As a result one is more prone to chapped, tight, red, itchy skin that is easily hyperpigmented and inflamed. It is also the reason why so many people have “sensitive” skin, experiencing negative and unhealthy reactions with the use of any other product.

• Phthalates: in January 2007  phthalates DEP and DEHP (which is banned in Europe) were found in each of eight popular perfumes tested and in 2002 and the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics founders revealed phthalates in more than 72 percent of personal care products tested, including fragrance-containing shampoos, deodorants and hair gels. Not surprisingly, not one of the 72 products listed phthalates on the label. Some good news is that a Campaign for Safe Cosmetics 2008 report “A Little Prettier,” noted that some leading companies are using fewer phthalates than in 2002. The sad thing is however that even though they are using less phthalates, they are stll adamant that they pose no significant health risk.

• Neurotoxins: As far back as 1986, the U.S. National Academy of Sciences identified fragrance ingredients as one of six categories of neurotoxins. For those of you that are unfamiliar with the term, a neurotoxin is a chemical that is toxic to the brain! ouch! Though this research has not been demanded or funded, please note that the cosmetic industry is a self regulated one that rarely funds or demands research for ingredients widely used within the industry. Please have a “better be safe than sorry” approach when purchasing skin care and follow your gut. It will be quite some time until the carcinogenic and noxious chemicals used in skin care are tested to their capacity and exposed for the real risks that they pose to adults and babies! 

In summation, please make sure to read your labels thoroughly and avoid any and all products that list fragrance on their label. As well, please know that European INCI standards are different and on these products the word fragrance is followed by a list of the fragrant source(s) used. Also please always use Environmental Working Group’s (EWG.org) Skin Deep as a resource to help you decipher any and all cosmetic ingredients. Also, if you have a child, please limit him/her to product in general. Use only food grade oils and soaps on their skin and remember, they have the ultimate virgin, untouched and perfect skin that we all attain to have again. They don’t need skin care and being that their excretory functioning is not fully developed they are better off without any of it!