Christmas is only weeks away and perfume is one of the more popular gifts on the present list. Yet, despite the beautiful bottle, celebrity endorsement and alluring scent, something sinister lurks in the mists of the commercially made.
Depending on the quality of ingredients perfume like poison can cause allergic reactions and pollute the environment. Perfumes of today reflect nothing of their illustrious past, when deep luxurious notes were developed from botanical extracts which evolved slowly on the skin and lasted for hours. Ingredients were of the highest quality to maintain the integrity and longevity of the scent.
In the 19th century perfume had lost its exclusivity and was no-longer reserved for special occasions. Advances in organic chemistry and the high demand lead to the production of perfumes made from synthetic ingredients. Once perfume was made from approximately 78% to 95% specially denatured ethyl alcohol and a remainder of essential oils. Today perfumes are far less refined, with 5,000 different chemicals used to manufacture current fragrances.
A single perfume may consist of as many as 600 different chemical ingredients, and approximately 84% of these have never been tested for human toxicity, or have been tested only minimally. N. Ashford, Phd and C. Miller, M.D. Chemical Exposures: Low Levels and High Stakes 1991, p. 61.
“Many of these substances are capable of causing cancer, birth defects, central nervous system disorders, breathing and allergic reactions.” (National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health report.)
Patch testing using fragrance mix and Balsam of Peru detects approximately 75% of fragrance allergy cases. A fragrance mix consists of 8 common allergy-causing ingredients. If you wish to conduct a allergy test yourself, it is best consult a doctor first then try dabbing a small amount of the suspect scent on a sensitive part of your body (ie. bend of arm), cover and leave for several days. Examine the area each day and if no reaction occurs, it is unlikely you are allergic to it.
Multiple Chemical Sensitivity or MSC, is the term being used to describe conditions that result from these types of allergic reactions. As the incidence of MSC grows consumers are being warned to avoid any potential compromise to their health by reading labels. The most toxic chemical is petroleum, with a reported 95% of compounds used in fragrances being derived from this substance.
For a more comprehensive list of toxic ingredients found in your favourite fragrances download the Safe Cosmetics Guide!
Beyond the health safety ramifications of synthetic formula’s our environment is also at risk from residue run-off. Take a shower, wash your face or hands and chemicals that effect biological processes travel downstream into the environment. The science of ecotoxicology recently linked exposure to musk fragrances with a decline in the natural defence system of sea mussels.
After exposing mussels to water containing low concentrations of six commercial musks, researchers washed the gills and put the mussels in clean water that also contained a red dye. Cells have a mechanism to detect a foreign substance, such as the dye, and keep it out. But, cells in the gill tissue took up the dye, indicating their natural defence mechanism had been compromised.
That finding has a disturbing global implication, notes the California Sea Grant program, which provided part of the funding for the study. Cells in many animal species, including humans, use the same protective mechanism to ward off foreign substances.
These musks, used to improve the smell of everything from detergents and soap to air fresheners and shampoo, are pouring into our environment. So are other synthetic fragrances. Sewage treatment does not remove them. They build up in human tissue as well as in fish and invertebrates such as mussels.
If you still want to give perfume as a gift this Christmas there are safer alternatives. Botanical blends of essential oils and alcohol can be purchased from stores like the Body Shop. Or you could make your own scents using botanical ingredients, essential oils, petals, herbs and spices. Google for how to articles like this one: How to make your own perfumes.
