Why You Should Avoid Fragrances In Personal Care Products & Cleaners
*Originally published October 4, 2020, updated May 5, 2023
Fragrances are added to many products to create a desirable scent. Buyers associate a product’s smell with a specific feeling or function.
When it comes to cleaning, we associate a strong chemical smell with being clean, when in reality “clean” has no smell at all.
Fragrance Facts
Fragrance is one of the 5 common allergens found in cosmetics and can trigger asthma attacks, skin irritation and skin allergies, and allergic reactions. [1][2][14]
There are thousands of chemicals that may make up fragrance even though it is listed as one on a product’s ingredient list. While some chemicals in fragrance are considered low risk, they still may have secondary pollutants with adverse health effects. Undisclosed fragrance chemicals can not only worsen or cause allergies, headaches, and cardiovascular diseases, but can also interfere with the neuroendocrine-immune axis promoting cancer and developmental problems.
Other adverse health effects from fragrance include respiratory, neurological, cognitive, gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, immune, and musculoskeletal problems, migraine headaches, and mucosal symptoms. [3]
Despite these facts, companies are not required to disclose the fragrance ingredients in their products as they are considered trade secrets. Under the new 2022 Modernization of Cosmetics Regulations Act, if there is reasonable grounds to believe fragrance or flavor has caused an adverse event, the Secretary can request a list of the fragrance ingredients to be provided within 30 days. Unfortunately, companies are still not required to list fragrance ingredients on packaging. Read more about cosmetics regulations and the MOCRA legislation here.
If you see “fragrance,” “aroma,” or “parfum" in the ingredient section of a product, you do not know the full extent of chemicals in that product and whether or not it is safe. Even “unscented” products may contain fragrance that is used to mask other odors. [14]
Toxic Ingredients Found In Fragrance
Endocrine disrupting fragrance ingredients include phthalates, octoxynols, and butylphenol methylpropianol. In addition, fragrances emit harmful volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
Phthalates
Phthalates are a group of widely used toxic chemicals. In personal care products, phthalates are used to fix fragrance, hold color, or denature alcohol.
Phthalates have adverse effects on the reproductive, neurodevelopment, and respiratory systems, as well as carcinogenic effects. Dr. Shanna Swan’s research of phthalates over 20 years found phthalate exposure associated with reduced sperm count, infertility and decreased anogenital distance.
A study of women’s uses of personal care products and urinary concentration of phthalates showed fragrance as the “strongest, most significant predictor of MEP urinary phthalate metabolite concentrations.”
Phthalates are included on Proposition 65 List of Chemicals that cause cancer or reproductive toxicity. [12][13][14][15][16][17][18]
Octoxynols
A study by the Environmental Working Group found octoxynols hidden in fragrance ingredients. Octoxynols are a group of ethoxylated alkyl phenols used in personal care items, cosmetics, hair products, and spermicides. [4] They are considered to be estrogenic because they mimic the effects of estradiol. Because they are ethoxylated ingredients, there is a risk of having the carcinogenic byproducts 1,4-dioxane and ethylene oxide. [5] To learn more about 1,4-dioxane check out this post.
Butylphenyl Methylpropional
Butylphenyl methylpropional is a fragrance ingredient that is a skin and eye irritant and potentially an endocrine disruptor. [19][20][21] The Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety has regulated that it must be listed in rinse off products in concentrations greater than 0.01% and leave on products greater than 0.001%. [10][11]
Fragrances Emit Volatile Organic Compounds
Fragrances can emit VOCs that impact indoor air quality and are associated with adverse health effects. [6] Health effects from exposure to VOCs include the following: [7]
Eye, nose and throat irritation
Headaches
loss of coordination and nausea
Damage to liver, kidney and central nervous system
Some can cause cancer in animals, some are suspected or known to cause cancer in humans.
A 2018 study of fragranced baby products (including shampoo, body wash, lotion, ointment, oils, etc) found over 684 VOCs, with 207 of those being classified as hazardous and only 5% of the VOCs were listed on product labels. 88% of the hazardous VOCs were undisclosed. [8]
Moreover, the study included products marketed as green, natural, or organic and found no significant difference in the VOCs between green or regular products.
In November 2019, The California Air Resource Board proposed amendments to its Consumer Products regulation that would require reduced VOCs in products like dry shampoo, air freshener, and personal fragrance products. [9]
““Companies with natural and safe products are transparent about their fragrance ingredients. If a label isn’t upfront about their fragrance, it’s a good sign to avoid that product.””
A Safe Alternative To Fragrance is Essential Oils
Many products have a pleasant smell and no fragrance ingredients at all. The scents occur naturally from essential oils. Essential oils are a fantastic way to enjoy scented products without the harmful effects from unknown fragrance ingredients.
Oftentimes, essential oils can be added to unscented products. For example, Branch Basics concentrate does not have a scent, and I often add lavender or peppermint essential oil when mixing Branch Basics foaming hand soap. Your favorite essential oils can also be added to Branch Basics laundry detergent.
Companies with natural and safe products are transparent about their fragrance ingredients. If a label isn’t upfront about their fragrance, it’s a good sign to avoid that product.
References and Resources
[1] https://www.fda.gov/cosmetics/cosmetic-ingredients/allergens-cosmetics
[2] https://ec.europa.eu/health/scientific_committees/opinions_layman/perfume-allergies/en/index.htm
[3] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5093181/
[4] https://cosmeticsinfo.org/ingredient/octoxynol-9
[5] https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1080/10915810490274306
[6] https://www.epa.gov/indoor-air-quality-iaq/technical-overview-volatile-organic-compounds
[7] https://www.epa.gov/indoor-air-quality-iaq/volatile-organic-compounds-impact-indoor-air-quality
[8] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6097056/
[9] https://www.cosmeticsandtoiletries.com/regulatory/region/northamerica/Will-VOC-Limits-Change-for-Fragrance-and-Hair-Care-568699481.html
[10] https://ec.europa.eu/health/sites/health/files/scientific_committees/consumer_safety/docs/sccs_o_213.pdf
[11] https://www.obelis.net/news/sccs-final-opinion-on-the-safety-of-butylphenyl-methylpropional-p-bmhca
[12] https://oehha.ca.gov/media/downloads/proposition-65//p65list091319.pdf
[13] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4097177/
[14] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14572300
[15] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27714658/
[16] https://www.cdc.gov/biomonitoring/Phthalates_FactSheet.html
[17]https://www.epa.gov/assessing-and-managing-chemicals-under-tsca/risk-management-phthalates#:~:text=Phthalates%20are%20used%20in%20many%20industrial%20and%20consumer,the%20most%20sensitive%20health%20outcomes%20from%20phthalate%20exposure.
[18]https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412018303404#:~:text=Phthalate%20exposures%20at%20levels%20seen,effects%2C%20particularly%20DEHP%20and%20DBP.&text=The%20effects%20with%20the%20strongest,and%20testosterone%20in%20adult%20men.&text=For%20DIBP%20and%20DINP%2C%20there,sensitivity%20in%20the%20available%20studies.
[19]https://biorius.com/european-regulatory-developments-on-endocrine-disruptors/
[20]https://endocrinedisruption.org/popup-chemical-details?chemid=1011
[21] https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S143846392030540X
[22] https://cosmeticsinfo.org/ingredient/octoxynol-13
[23] https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/10915810490274306
[24] https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/02/150219084916.htm
