IZI Beauty - Jan 29 2022
Fragrance in Beauty: Good or Bad?
When it comes to the world of beauty and skincare products, fragrance is one divisive topic. Whether it’s a fruity body wash, a floral body spray or a musky cologne, it’s safe to say we live in a scented world. Many of us have a love affair with fragrance and its ability to transport us to a specific time and place and conquer up a memory. A lot of us are drawn in by rich and sweet aromas and if there’s a product that infuses our favourite scent we are likely to buy it. However, how much do we really know about the ingredients and chemicals that go into scenting a product? Sadly, there is more than meets the eye (or nose).
Did you know that fragrance formulations are considered a ‘trade secret’? This means that companies do not have to disclose what goes into these products, not even to regulators or manufacturers. And because of this, countless cosmetics, personal care and cleaning products have gotten away with including the word ‘fragrance’ and nothing else when in reality a single scent may contain anywhere from 50 to 300 distinct chemicals.
A 2018 BCPP study of personal care and cleaning brands found that three-quarters of the toxic chemicals detected in a test of 140 products came from fragrance. The study outlines all the mainstream products tested and how many carcinogens, hormone disputers, asthmagens, and developmental toxicants found in each product. The chemicals identified were linked to chronic health issues, one of which included cancer. Materials such as petroleum and petrochemicals are often found in shower gels and lipsticks, scent is added to mask the unpleasant smell of all the chemicals that make up the product.
As companies do not have to disclose full ingredient lists in fragrance, a loophole is created. Through this loophole a blend of hundreds of potentially damaging chemicals are allowed to hide under a fruit aroma listed as ‘fragrance’ or ‘parfum’. More than 1,200 fragrance chemicals currently in use have been flagged as ‘chemicals of concern’ according to Women’s Voices For The Earth. No state, federal or global author is regulating the safety of fragrance chemicals despite being linked to allergies, encoring disruption and more. In fact, nobody can tell what fragrance chemicals appear in which products! With chemicals of concern allowed to hide behind the word fragrance, consumers are unknowingly inviting a potential number of damaging effects on their bodies.
Smelling and feeling good shouldn’t come at the cost
of your health.
Here at IZI Beauty, we are proud to be part of a growing movement that is clean beauty. Consumers are wising up to mainstream brand’s antics and clean beauty standards allow 1% of fragrance to use in products. Beauty is never worth exposing ourselves to toxins for and this is one of the many motivators behind why we do what we do.