By: Danielle
If your hand soap or laundry detergent has a name like Island Breeze or Fresh Countryside…..you know you may have some burden on your hands…literally!
When did we get so obsessed with fragrance? Did our great-grandmothers give a shit if their socks smelled like gardenias and papayas? No, they just wanted them to not smell like cheese!
As an 80’s kid I totally bought into those dryer sheet commercials. Of course we wanted our funky fresh jam shorts, Madonna gloves, acid washed jeans and leg warmers to smell like an island breeze. Hells yes I want that stinky gym towel to smell like a tropical paradise!
I, like, totally wanted to be that perfect specimen of a mom—with the sun in her face, breeze in her hair…folding a tropical paradise smelling bath towel while an
Adonis of a man named Sven rubbed my aching feet. *sigh*
Needless to say, I wasn’t pleased when my (clearly out of touch) mom hung our clothes on the line. What are we? Cavemen? Does she not know we have a dryer?!! Does she not know about dryers sheets?! How come there’s no Sven?! TF, Mom!
Little did I know, she was doing the healthiest thing for our family by skipping the island paradise scent in the dryer sheets.
So, what’s wrong with fragrance anyway?
Let’s think of the chemicals that are used in our personal care products. The chemicals used to make our dryer sheets, hand soap or our tampons literally STINK (yes, even our tampons! That go….there!! 😱). Chemicals are stinky and who would buy stinky trash-smelling tampons or hand soap? No one! Ewww! The hand soap makers think: “but all of these chemicals work so well together- how do we get them to not stink like burnt hair??’ Light bulb!! Fragrance! “Fragrance”, as it is called on the list of ingredients on the back of your bottle, is usually made with (more) synthetic chemicals and can have literally ANYTHING in them.
Fragrances are covered by the “Fair Packaging and Labelling Act of 1973.” This act does not require companies to list the ingredients of personal care items but allows them to simply lump them as fragrance.
As there is little to no regulation on the chemicals used for personal care items (see my post on body burden <here>) it’s pretty easy for the manufacturers to hide them. Companies don’t have to disclose “trade secrets” so when you think of it…what they aren’t telling you on the label is probably worse than what they are telling you.
What are the possible side effects of fragrance?
Allergic reactions
Asthma flare-ups
Headaches/migraines
Rashes (contact dermatitis)
And even the possibility of more serious side effects such as:
Cancer
Depression
Central Nervous System Disorders
Kidney Damage
Ok, now what about “unscented” or “fragrance free?” Sounds healthier, right? It doesn’t say fragrance, so I’m in the clear. Nooooooooooooo. The words “unscented” and “fragrance free” are just marketing BS meaning that there is no noticeable scent. More chemicals are then added to neutralize the scent. (*Audible sigh and eye roll*. F*ckers)
Fragrance has even been dubbed the new “second hand smoke” (see report here) with reports of it being just as damaging as second hand smoke, if not more. Because fragrance is not the visible threat that cigarette smoke is, we tend to not give it much thought or attention, even though it is especially damaging for growing bodies!
So WTF do we use then?
In a nutshell, choose products that use as little ingredients as possible. For cleaning purposes, vinegar is your best friend. It’s cheap. You can get a huge jug of it for under $3. For a little grit, use baking soda or Pure Haven’s scrubbing cleaser it’s my absolute fave. Essential oils can be used for anything from disinfectants to perfumes/colognes, to skin care (via use of carrier oils, of course- never put EO’s directly on your skin!). Read labels and get familiar with sites like “Think Dirty” and EWG’s “Skin Deep”. Become an ingredient detective!
Source clean companies with ethical business practices- they DO exist. Beautycounter is another one of my favorites. They have great products and are doing good things for cosmetic safety reform. You can check them out here.
Beware of “greenwashers”- companies who claim they are clean but their ingredients (aka “fragrance”) are down right dirty birdy (if you’re a movie junkie you’ll hear Kathy Bates in Misery in your head). Be wary of terms like “Natural” or “Unscented” like what was mentioned above.
Once you get the hang of it and find reputable companies it’ll be easy peasy.
You’ve GOT THIS!!!
Easy
fragrance has been dubbed as the new second hand smoke as leading researchers find it’s just as dangerous.
Peasy
fragrances can lurk almost anywhere- cleaning supplies, tampons, toilet paper, facial washes and moisturizers, baby products, etc.
Lemon
chemicals stink so more chemicals (aka fragrance) are used to cover the stink
Squeezy
become an ingredient detective and read labels!
Give Me the Sugar
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