| Here's the scenario: you are on an | | | | products" which are used not only in |
| elevator. The elevator stops and in | | | | perfumes but to scent shampoos, soaps, |
| walks someone with WAY too much cologne | | | | deodorants, lotions, creams and other |
| on and the smell overpowers you. Your | | | | beauty products. Here's the list - it |
| sinuses start to hurt and you get a bit | | | | speaks volumes on its own: |
| sick to your stomach. The smell of the | | | | ACETONE, BENZALDEHYDE, BENZYL, BENZYL |
| cologne stays with you, in your hair, | | | | ALCOHOL, CAMPHOR, ETHANOL, ETHYL |
| clothes and nose for quite a while after | | | | ACETATE, LIMONENE, LINALOOL, METHYLENE |
| - hence the sick feeling does too. Yuk. | | | | CHLORIDE, a-PINENE, g-TERPINENE, |
| It's hard not to think how inconsiderate | | | | a-TERPINEOL, 1,8-CINEOLE, b-CITRONELLOL, |
| this person is. | | | | b-MYRCENE, NEROL, OCIMENE, b-PHENETHYL |
| It's not just the smell that is | | | | ALCOHOL, a-TERPINOLENE |
| inconsiderate. Have you ever thought | | | | There are relatively few studies |
| about the chemicals that are used in | | | | available concerning the use and |
| fragrances? Many of them are not good | | | | exposure to fragranced products. Testing |
| for you to breathe or to put on your | | | | by the cosmetics/fragrance industry |
| body! | | | | focuses on skin effects without taking |
| This week Time Magazine did an article | | | | into account respiratory, neurological, |
| on air fresheners and how many brands | | | | or systemic effects. There is little |
| have been removed from the market due to | | | | regulation of fragrance by regulatory |
| high levels of phthalates. Phthalates | | | | agencies. Not only is too much perfume |
| are estrogenic in nature, which is | | | | often offensive to many, more and more |
| believed to contribute to certain | | | | people consider it to be an indoor air |
| cancers. Phthalates are used to dissolve | | | | pollutant. Some are quite vocal about |
| and carry fragrances and soften | | | | their opposition to the use of perfumes. |
| plastics, sealants and similar | | | | For years, I thought I was the only one |
| compounds. They are commonly found in | | | | who got headaches from strong perfume! |
| cosmetics, paint, nail polish and | | | | There is a movement afoot to curtail the |
| plastics. | | | | use of fragrances in the work place. |
| This peaked my interest on fragrances in | | | | Many businesses, at the request of their |
| general - so, as usual, I did some | | | | employees, are creating fragrance-free |
| research. Although fragrances have been | | | | policies. Given that many people are |
| used for centuries, they were made from | | | | highly affected by allergies, this makes |
| plant and animal sources. Modern | | | | sense (pun intended, get it? ... |
| fragrances are primarily synthetic | | | | sense...scents...). |
| materials developed since World War II. | | | | But seriously, given that we are |
| Did you know that 600 or more chemicals | | | | bombarded by more and more hazardous |
| may be used in a single fragrance, and | | | | chemicals and pollution, having less on |
| 95% of chemicals used in them are | | | | our bodies, homes and in our workplaces |
| derived from petroleum? Why? | | | | must be better for ALL of us. Breathe |
| Petro-chemicals in perfumes are less | | | | deeply and live well! |
| expensive and more easily available than | | | | Sources: |
| the natural ingredients. | | | | Neurotoxins: At Home and the Workplace, |
| Many chemicals used in fragrances are | | | | (Report by the Committee on Science & |
| considered hazardous waste disposal | | | | Technology, U.S. House of |
| chemicals! Synthetic fragrance | | | | Representatives, Sept.16, 1986. (Report |
| compounds accumulate in human tissue and | | | | 99-827). |
| are found in breast milk. | | | | "Living Healthy in a Toxic World," David |
| An EPA study in 1991 listed the 20 most | | | | Steinman 1996. |
| common chemicals used in "fragrance | | | | |