By Lydia Wallie, Nutrition Director

If you have ever had a headache from someone’s cologne/perfume, the scented candle aisle, or an air freshener, you may have experienced the neurotoxic impact of “fragrance” or, “parfum.” Fragrance is actually a misleading ingredient name for undisclosed chemicals...potentially hundreds of them in one single product.

Here’s an excerpt from the FDA website:

“If a cosmetic is marketed on a retail basis to consumers, such as in stores, on the Internet, or person-to-person, it must have a list of ingredients. In most cases, each ingredient must be listed individually. But under U.S. regulations, fragrance and flavor ingredients can be listed simply as “Fragrance” or “Flavor.”

Here’s why: FDA requires the list of ingredients under the Fair Packaging and Labeling ActExternal Link Disclaimer (FPLA). This law is not allowed to be used to force a company to tell “trade secrets.” Fragrance and flavor formulas are complex mixtures of many different natural and synthetic chemical ingredients, and they are the kinds of cosmetic components that are most likely to be “trade secrets.” (1)

Next steps: Replace one product in your home with a healthier alternative free of fragrance and parfum.

For more info on fragrance, watch the documentary, “Stink!”

Sources:

(1) https://www.fda.gov/cosmetics/cosmetic-ingredients/fragrances-cosmetics#labeling