Fragrance Sensitivity
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=9682# , Category: Headache/Migraine News,
Article
Date:
Fragrances are now used in almost every cleaning, laundry, and personal-care product
on the market. Since people have been using perfumes for hundreds of years. It's
reasonable to wonder why the problem of using scents has surfaced only recently.
Until the 20th century, perfumes were made from natural ingredients derived directly
from plants and animals, and as fragrances became cheaper and more widespread,
they also became more synthetic. The National Academy of Sciences reports that
95% of the chemicals used in fragrances today are synthetic compounds derived
from petroleum, including known toxins capable of causing cancer, birth defects,
central nervous system disorders and allergic reactions. We have been brainwashed
by the industry to feel we must cover up our natural scents with toxic chemicals.
Many of the same chemicals in perfumes are the same chemicals that are in cigarette
smoke.
You
would think the government would protect people by attempting to regulate the
industries that are causing harm; however, the cosmetic industry is self regulated
and isn't required to give formulations, test results, safety data or consumer
complaints to the FDA. When you use perfume or cologne, remember you are using
powerful chemicals regulated solely by the industry that sells them. Just because
they don't affect you now doesn't mean they won't affect someone in line next
to you (giving them a migraine or sinus problems), or that you will always be
immune to their effects. These chemicals go directly into the blood stream
when applied to our skin, and are also absorbed into the skin from our clothing.
We also inhale these chemical fumes that go straight to our brains where they
can do major harm, and many of these chemical fumes have a narcotic effect.
Smelling
Good But Feeling Bad, Synthetic Perfumes, Colognes and Scents Are Turning Up Noses,
Green Living Your Health, and The Health Risks of Perfume and Other Scented Products, emagazine.com - March 2002 Editor's comment: These
effects from scents can surface days after the exposure, and many people do not
connect the strong perfume/cologne smell on the lady or gentleman next to them
at the opera to their headache or upset stomach days later.
One of the
big toxic offenders is perfume and other scented products. Did you know that many
of the ingredients in your perfume are the exact same ingredients found in gasoline???
The scary thing is that the perfume industry is not regulated at all, and they
can put any number of chemicals in fragrance without revealing what those chemicals
are, and how they affect humans. We humans are all participating in a giant lab
experiment against our knowledge and against our will, and it is making some of
us very sick.
Fragrance-free policies are beginning to take
hold in work places
Fragrance-free
policies are beginning to take hold in work places across the
Many
businesses, at the request of their employees, are voluntarily creating fragrance-free
policies, says Tracie Saab, a consultant with the Job Accommodation Network, a
Stink-Free
Office Mates, Natural Health, Nov./Dec. 2000
Many migraineurs are
so sensitive to fragrance that people wearing perfumes and colognes around them
trigger an immediate and severe migraine attack. You can make your house a fragrance-free
zone, and if you have a visitor who is either not aware of this or forgets, most
of the fragrance can be removed with alcohol wipes if it has been put on the skin
and not the clothing.
Fragrance Triggers, Teri Roberts:
Beating Headaches, on Headaches/Migraines on About.com - Dec.
2001
Fragrance Sensitivity - A growing number of people are claiming that
exposure to certain fragrances, including perfumes and scented products, adversely
impacts their health. More than 5,000 different fragrances are in products that
are used on a daily basis. These products include health and beauty aids, laundry
aids, household cleaners, paper products, oils and solvents, drugs, paper products,
plastics, industrial greases, and even foods. Since fragrance formulas are considered
trade secrets, manufacturers only have to state fragrance on the label and do
not need to identify the chemical makeup.
How fragrances can affect the body - Fragrances can enter the body through the
nose by inhalation, the mouth by ingestion, or the skin by absorption. Fragrance
chemicals can affect many parts of the skin. The lungs, the nose, the skin, the
eyes, and the brain can all be affected. Studies have shown that shortness of
breath or asthma-like symptoms have been caused by fragrances. Most of the fragrance
chemicals consist of volatile organic compounds that are known to be respiratory
irritants. Being a chemical receptor, the nose can also be affected with
sneezing and sinus problems. Studies have shown that inhaling fragrances can also
cause circulatory changes and electrical activity in the brain. These changes
can trigger migraine headaches, the ability to concentrate, dizziness, and fatigue.
The number one cause of adverse skin reactions to cosmetics and laundry products
is fragrance. The skin reactions to fragrance chemicals can produce rashes, hives,
dermatitis s, or eczema. Other symptoms can include watery eyes, nausea, sore
throat, cough, and chest tightness. Some fragrance materials, studies have shown,
are absorbed by the skin and then broken down into materials that are stronger
sensitizers than the original chemicals.
Fragrance free or unscented does not guarantee they do not contain fragrance chemicals:
they imply they have no perceptible odor. A product labeled "unscented"
may contain a masking fragrance. If fragrance is added to a product to mask or
cover up the odor of other ingredients, it is not required to be put on the label.
A product must be marked "without perfume" to indicate that no fragrance
has been added. Ninety-five percent of the chemicals used in fragrances are petroleum-based
synthetic compounds. Here are some principal chemicals found in scented products
and the health risks that can be involved:
Acetone
- when inhaled, it can cause mild central nervous system disturbances such as
dizziness, nausea, lack of coordination, slurred speech, and drowsiness. It can
irritate the eyes, nose, throat, and skin.
Fragrance
Sensitivity, allergies.about.com - Sep. 2001
Six hundred or more
chemical ingredients may be used in a single scent, and ninety-five percent of
chemicals used in scents are derived from petroleum. Many chemicals used in scents
(many designated as hazardous waste disposal chemicals) cause allergies and irritation,
as well as cancer, nerve damage, and birth defects. Petroleum chemicals in perfumes
are less expensive than the natural ingredients, so guess which one you get? Buy
unscented or fragrance-free household products and cosmetics. Even pet products
should be fragrance-free, such as kitty litter which may be perfumed.
I Smell a Rat, in the book, Living Healthy in a Toxic World,
by David Steinman 1996
Studies in
"Recognition
of Multiple Chemical Sensitivity," MCS - Immune, 1996
Even
if you choose unscented products, they may still contain fragrances that could
trigger a rash or allergic reaction. In a product is labeled unscented there may
actually be blocking fragrances used in the manufacturing process to cover up
unpleasant ingredient odors. The product has no scent that you can smell, that
doesn't mean that there aren't fragrances in it, explains Amy Newburger, MD, Prevention's
dermatology advisor and Associate Professor of Clinical Dermatology at
When
'Unscented' Labels Are True, Prevention magazine, Aug. 2001
Although
fragrant materials have been used for centuries, up until the 1800's the primary
uses were medicinal, religious, and ceremonial but were mainly from plant and
animal sources. Modern fragrances are primarily synthetic materials developed
since World War II. Up until the 1800's fragrance was used to mask the stench
of unwashed bodies during a period when bathing and personal hygiene were greatly
lacking. However, in dermatology, fragrances rank as one of the most common allergens
and the number of people with skin allergies to fragrance continues to rise. Fragrances
are volatile compounds that add to indoor air pollution and there are growing
numbers of people who feel that it is the user's place to refrain from using perfumes.
It causes no harm to refrain from using a scented product, but when it triggers
illness in another person and prevents their access to health care, work, and
essential services, then whose rights are being violated? By its own admission,
the fragrance industry has tested less than half of the 3,000 raw materials it
uses. The
Industry Motivation: Personal Rights or Profits,
Our Toxic Times, July 2000
A double-blind perfume challenge test has been
shown that asthma -like symptoms similar to symptoms of MCS can be provoked even
when the subject cannot smell the perfume.
New Research Finally
Addressing MCS Data Gaps, Our Toxic Times, August 1999
Our culture
encourages women to use many chemically-based cosmetics filled with hundreds of
ingredients for which Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDA) say, Do not inhale vapors,
or Avoid contact with skin, but women are then exposed to one another's fragrances
in small working spaces. Trying to avoid chemicals in the workplace can lead to
increased stress in relationships with co-workers because they may not be as cooperative
when asked to discontinue fragrances.
Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, Pamela
Reed Gibson, PhD, 2000. Pamela Gibson is a Clinical Psychologist and Assistant
Professor of Psychology at
Many Material Safety Data Sheets
(MSDS) for common perfumes and cosmetic ingredients specifically warn: “Irritant,
do not inhale vapors, and avoid contact with skin. These same ingredients are
then mixed together and sold as creams, lotions, and perfumes. Even if you are
reading labels carefully, it still may be impossible to determine all of the ingredients
in a product because the vast majority of cosmetic and body care manufacturers
do not prepare all the ingredients in their products themselves. For example,
a company that uses vitamin A may be using BHT as a preservative, but if a body
care item obtains this vitamin A to use in its product it is not required to include
BHT in the ingredients. The preservative BHT (butylated hydroxytoluene) can cause
allergic reactions and toxicity, and may convert some ingested substances such
as oral contraceptives, into toxic or cancer-causing chemicals.
Fragrance
formulas are considered trade secrets, which means the companies do not have to
tell anyone, including the FDA what is in those formulas.Only about 1,300 of the
more than 5,000 materials for use in fragrances have been tested, and the testing
did not include respiratory, neurological, or systemic effects. Are you getting
the picture here? At last count in 1996, there were at least 40 million chemically
injured people in the
Perfume is composed of many of the same toxic chemicals found on the EPA's and
CERCLA's hazardous waste lists, and one or all of which in combination with one
another, cause when inhaled: central nervous system disorders, dizziness, nausea,
lack of coordination, slurred speech, drowsiness, irritation to the mouth, throat,
eyes, skin, lungs and GI tract, kidney damage, headache, respiratory failure,
ataxia, and fatigue, among other symptoms and illnesses, Material Safety Data
Sheets on each chemical confirm these findings. Many of the chemicals in perfumes
have been shown to cause serious health problems and death in animals. In
1989, the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health recognized 884
poisonous substances (many synthetically derived from petrochemicals) from a list
of 2,983 chemicals used in the fragrance industry capable of causing cancer, birth
defects, central nervous system disorders, allergic respiratory reactions, and
skin and eye irritations. According to the National Institute of Health, in view
of the escalating incidence of cancer, as well as a 58% increase in asthma over
the past decade, this information is crucial. Did you know that benzaldehyde,
a chemical known to cause kidney damage in humans is used in fragrances, and that
benzyl acetate used in fragrances is linked to a cause of pancreatic cancer? That
ethyl acetate is on the EPA Hazardous Waste list known as a carcinogenic, causing
kidney and liver failure and it is used in fragrances?
Food
For Thought, Colognes - Perfumes - Pesticides, Are They Slowly Killing You? by
columnist David Lawrence Dewey, www.dldewey.com/columns/perfumef.htm - Oct. 1999
Did you know that perfume is made of toxic materials that can injure your
health? Many of the chemicals in perfume are the same chemicals in cigarette smoke,
and yet there is no regulation of the fragrance industry. Many have gotten sick
or have been disabled from wearing (or being exposed to) fragrances or using other
scented products. Fragrances are now being used in almost every cleaning, laundry,
and personal-care product on the market. We also inhale the chemical fumes which
then go straight to our brains where they can do major harm.
Health
Risks of Perfume, www.ourlittleplace.com - April 2002
Most of the
fragrance chemicals consist of volatile organic compounds that are known to be
respiratory irritants. Studies have shown that inhaling fragrances can also cause
circulatory changes and electrical activity in the brain, triggering migraine
headaches, the inability to concentrate, dizziness and fatigue. Products that
are labeled fragrance free or unscented do not guarantee they do not contain fragrance
chemicals, they imply that they have no perceptible odor. A product labeled unscented
may contain a masking fragrance, and if the fragrance is added to a product to
mask or cover up the odor of other ingredients, it is not required to be put on
the label. Most fragrances have not been tested for safety.
Fragrance
Sensitivity, allergies.about.com - April 2002
Through out history,
humans have drawn fragrances from the natural environment for a variety of purposes,
including use in religious and burial rituals, in aphrodisiacs, and to cover foul
odors. In the late 1880's the first fragrance-containing synthesized ingredients
were introduced. Since then, people have used chemicals extensively to mimic scents
from nature. There are more than 1,000 body fragrances on the market today, according
to The Fragrance Foundation, and scents are now added to many commercial products
ranging from cleaning products to tissues, from candles to diapers.
While
many people enjoy wearing perfumes and using scented products, there is a growing
outcry from some people who claim that exposure to certain fragrances, including
perfumes and scented products, adversely impacts their health. They report a host
of symptoms. The chemicals in perfumes, colognes, and deodorants worn by employees
add to the chemical mixture in indoor air, as do fragrances in cleaning products.
Some
buildings owner's pump certain fragrances through office ventilation systems.
Several studies indicate that 15-30% of the general population
reports some sensitivity to chemicals, including fragrances, and 4-5% report that
chemical intolerance has a major impact on their quality of life. Of these people,
more than 80% report that exposure to fragrances is bothersome.
Synthetic
ingredients are less expensive than natural ingredients, and can be created year-round,
while the supply of natural ingredients depends on season and availability. It
is estimated that there are more than 3,000 chemicals used in the manufacture
of fragrances. Synthetic organic chemicals constitute more than 80-90% (by weight
and value) of the raw materials used in flavor and fragrance formulations. A single
fragrance may contain as few as ten chemicals or as many as several hundred, and
little is known about the impact these fragrances have on human health.
The FDA's office of Cosmetics and Colors does
not require an approval process or pre-market clearance for perfumes or cosmetics
containing fragrance. The manufacturer is simply required to list the collective
term "fragrance" in the ingredients, a term that usually means a complex
mixture of chemicals.
A study, published in the March-April issue of Archives
of Environmental Health showed that the emissions of the fragrances produced various
combinations of sensory irritation, pulmonary irritation, decreases in expiratory
airflow velocity, and alterations of the functional observational battery indicative
of neurotoxicity. Neurotoxicity was more severe after mice were repeatedly exposed
to the products.
Children may be more susceptible to the effects
of fragrances because of their smaller size, their higher respiratory rate, and
their thinner skin. Some patient groups claim that during the next decade, the
issue of fragrance will be as controversial as today's tobacco smoke issue. They
say the debate over people's right to smoke versus others' right to breathe clean
air could also be applied to fragrance.
Many organizations are taking the fragrance sensitivity
issue seriously. At an American Chemical Society meeting held in August 1998 in
Many manufacturers are now removing fragrance from products and touting fragrance-free
and unscented versions of products such as laundry detergent and fabric softeners.
However, even though a product is labeled unscented or fragrance-free, it doesn't
necessarily mean that it contains no fragrance chemicals, because as studies have
documented, manufacturers will often add masking chemicals to cover the scent
of other chemicals in the product, resulting in a product that does not produce
a detectable scent. But manufacturers are supposed to list the term fragrance
when any fragrance is used, even when it masks the ingredients. It is amazing
how many fragrances can invade your home through the mailbox. If you are sensitive
to fragrances, your mail may become contaminated from mail inserts, special mailers,
and samples. The U.S. Postal Service passed a regulation in April 1990 stating
that a fragrance-advertising sample must be sealed, wrapped, treated, so as not
to expose anyone to the sample. There is a huge population who get sick from these
products, and to help solve the problem, people should use less-toxic, unscented
products.
Scents and Sensitivity, Environmental
Health Perspectives, the research journal of the National Institute of
Environmental Health Sciences, www.herc.org - Nov. 1998 Source: United States
39 Code 3001g, Postal Bulletin - Bulletin no. 21969, pg. 26
As a courtesy
to the people around you, it is wise to carefully consider how your fragrance
might impact others. Just because you can't smell a fragrance doesn't mean it
can't cause symptoms in others. If someone asks you to refrain from wearing fragrances
around them, understand that medical evidence is on their side and respect their
request. There is absolutely no way to know what you are being exposed
to in any given fragrance. Since there are 5,000 different chemicals used in making
fragrances, any given fragrance may have as many as 600 different chemical ingredients,
yet only a fraction of those chemicals have been tested for their health effects.
Furthermore, there is ample evidence that fragrances are responsible for a variety
of health effects, from allergic reactions to the triggering of asthma attacks
and migraine headaches. Going fragrance free doesn't mean you have to live a totally
unscented life. A safe alternative is to use essential oils to scent your body
and the products you use. For example, you can buy a fragrance-free laundry detergent
and then add a few drops of an essential oil to the detergent when you do laundry.
Essential oils are naturally derived from plant materials. If you get a
lot of resistance at work when you try to make your area fragrance free, try to
respond with positive actions such as obtaining a letter from your doctor stating
that you must avoid fragrances for reasons of health. If other methods fail, you
can contact your state's Office of Civil Rights. If you have fragrances, essential
oils, that are not problematic for you, then maybe you could introduce others
at work to them.
Make the Connection: Health and Environment,
Health and
Americans are enamored with fragrances,
whereas our European counterparts are not. Advertisers have linked fragrances
with a desired quality such as "sexiness," "freshness," or
"innocence." The result is that fragrance is considered a normal component
of our lives. You can even choose a variety of scents for a certain product: "mountain
fresh," "lemon scented," etc. However, the problem is that fragrance
products are not necessarily harmless, and many can cause some very unpleasant
effects. Studies show that fragrance chemicals can cause health effects,
primarily the skin, lungs, and brain. Some data suggests that as many as 75% of
known asthmatics (approximately 9 million people in the
Children are even more susceptible than adults to the effects of fragrance chemicals,
yet fragrances are added to nearly every baby product on the market. A parent
who wears perfume or uses scented products may well be poisoning the air their
children breathe. Exposure to fragrances may result in the child having difficulty
concentrating, learning disabilities, hyperactive behavior, and even growth retardation
and seizures in extreme cases. It is prudent to avoid fragranced products as much
as possible until the time when they have all been tested and the harmful ones
removed.
Sweet Poison: What Your Nose Can't Tell You About The
Dangers of Perfume, by Andrea DesJardins,
Fragrance is a common indoor air
pollutant, and synthetic fragrance compounds accumulate in human tissue and are
found in breast milk. The
Phthalates: Fragranced Products Information Network Web site,
www.ameliaww.com/fpin/fpin.htm - provided by Betty Bridges, RN - 2002
Chemicals
in Cosmetics Phthalates, which are chemical substances that are used to make plastic
more flexible without reducing its strength, are also common ingredients in beauty
products, nail polish, hair spray, etc.; however, there have been animal studies
that linked these additives to birth defects, which include liver and kidney damage
and malformation of the testes. The Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR), which is
funded by the Cosmetic, Toiletry and Fragrance Association, said there is no evidence
to suggest that there are health risks to women and their offspring. [What a surprise - HCBB Editor Note] The Consumer Product Safety Commission.
Compiled by Julia Kendall, Co-Chair, Citizens for a Toxic-Free Marin. Reference: Lance Wallace, Environmental Protection Agency; Phone: (703) 341-7509. Excerpts from "Health Hazard Information", References: Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS)
Principal
chemicals found in scented products are:
Unable to secure MSDS for the following chemicals: 1,8-CINEOLE; b-CITRONELLOL; b-MYRCENE; NEROL; OCIMENE; b-PHENETHYL ALCOHOL; a-TERPINOLENE
Relevant Facts: