Ingredient Spotlight: Fragrance

Have you ever walked outside and noticed the smell of laundry in the air? If the smell of laundry gives you pleasure, you’ll probably reconsider after reading this. 

The smell of clean isn’t nearly as clean as you think. 

What is Fragrance

Fragrance is a catch-all term to describe a combination of chemicals used to make a synthetic smell. This combination is considered a trade secret, so the individual chemicals won’t be listed, but about 4,000 chemicals are currently used to scent products. In fact, a single scent may contain anywhere from 50 to 300 distinct chemicals.

Why is “Fragrance” so dangerous? 

There are certain types of chemicals that are particularly egregious and one is phthalates, which are used to bind the smell throughout the formula. So when you think about fragrance in your shampoo or perfume, those are chemicals you would never want on your body.

About 95 percent of chemicals used in synthetic fragrances are derived from petroleum (crude oil). These include benzene derivatives (carcinogenic), formaldehydes, toluene and many other known toxic chemicals known to be carcinogens, neural toxins, endocrine disruptors, immunodeficiency, and have been linked to the increased rate of cancer, allergies, asthma, ADHD, autism, genital abnormalities, infertility, heart disease, metabolic disorders, and more.

Fragrance & Race

Black women and children have been found to have higher levels of endocrine-disrupting chemicals.

A 2018 study by the Silent Spring Institute assessing six types of African American hair products found 45 endocrine-disrupting or asthma-causing chemicals, with a fragrance marker called diethyl phthalate among the highest concentrations.

These higher chemical exposures at a young age could be linked to certain health disparities between black and white women.

Top Clean Swaps

Body Care & Cosmetics

I choose Beautycounter, because they test for safety, never use synthetic fragrance, and are 100% transparent about ingredients.

Laundry 

Swap wool dryer balls for the toxic dryer sheets and ditch the scents in your detergents.

Household Cleaner

Make your own or purchase cleaners that use organic essential oils or no scents at all