Fragrances: Toxic Or Not?

Fragrances are a common feature of many personal care and household products, from perfumes and colognes to shampoos and cleaning sprays. While they make these products smell appealing, the chemicals that comprise fragrances may be harmful to human health and the environment. Fragrances can contain a mix of over 3,500 chemicals, some of which are toxic. These chemicals are often undisclosed, as manufacturers are not required to list fragrance ingredients on product labels, and they are considered trade secrets. The potential health risks associated with exposure to fragrance chemicals include allergies, asthma, endocrine disruption, cancer, reproductive issues, and respiratory problems. In addition to health concerns, fragrance chemicals also pose environmental risks, contributing to ozone pollution and the formation of fine particulates.

Fragrances are made up of a mix of over 3,500 chemicals

The chemicals in fragrances are rarely, if ever, listed on the ingredients label. This is because companies are not required to disclose them, as they are considered trade secrets. Instead, they are simply grouped under the umbrella terms "fragrance", "perfume", "parfum", or "aroma".

However, some fragrance ingredients are toxic chemicals that can cause a range of health issues, including hormone disruption, reproductive harm, allergic reactions, and even cancer. For instance, phthalates, which are found in some fragrances, can harm the reproductive system. Another fragrance chemical, styrene, has been linked to cancer.

In addition to the potential health risks, fragrance chemicals can also be harmful to the environment. Chemical vapors in fragrances, called volatile organic compounds, can cause ozone pollution and form fine particulates, according to one study.

Due to the potential risks associated with fragrance chemicals, it is important for consumers to be aware of the ingredients in the products they are using. However, this can be challenging due to the lack of transparency in the fragrance industry.

Fragrance chemicals can cause a range of health issues, including allergies, endocrine disruption, cancer, and asthma

Fragrance chemicals can have a detrimental impact on human health, causing a range of issues, including allergies, endocrine disruption, cancer, and asthma.

Fragrances are composed of a combination of synthetic chemicals, sometimes hundreds of them, and these chemicals can trigger allergies. When someone with allergies breathes in a strong fragrance, they may experience symptoms such as sneezing, coughing, a stuffy or runny nose, headaches, and rashes. These symptoms are caused by either an allergic reaction or direct airway irritation.

Fragrance chemicals can also disrupt the endocrine system and the hormone system. Some fragrance chemicals, such as phthalates, can harm the reproductive system. Additionally, certain fragrance chemicals, like styrene, have been linked to cancer.

Asthmatics often report airway symptoms and increased asthma exacerbation upon exposure to fragrances. While the specific mechanisms are still being studied, it is believed that fragrance exposure can trigger both physiological and psychological responses in asthmatics, leading to increased inflammation and other asthma symptoms.

The potential health risks of fragrance chemicals are significant, and further research and awareness are needed to fully understand their impact on human health.

Fragrance chemicals are not regulated by the FDA and manufacturers are not required to list ingredients on labels

Fragrance chemicals are largely unregulated by the FDA, and manufacturers are not required to list ingredients on product labels. This is because they are considered "trade secrets".

The 1966 Federal Fair Packaging and Labeling Act (FPLA) prevents the FDA from compelling manufacturers to disclose the chemical compositions of their fragrances, and instead allows companies to claim trade secret protection for the specific chemicals used in their formulation. Trade secret protections are further codified in the 1979 Uniform Trade Secrets Act (UTSA), a legal framework that states can voluntarily adopt to clarify the definition of trade secrets and strengthen the awarded protections to businesses.

The UTSA defines trade secrets as "information... not generally known to or readily ascertainable through appropriate means by other persons who might obtain economic value from its disclosure or use". However, listing the chemicals on cosmetic labels would not reveal information that could not be derived by other means, such as through reverse-engineering, which is standard practice in the fragrance industry.

In addition, federal and state laws already require the disclosure of ingredients for over-the-counter drugs and cosmetics, and this has not adversely affected these industries. Some cleaning product companies, such as Seventh Generation and SC Johnson, already voluntarily label all or almost all of the chemicals that comprise their fragrances.

Despite the holes in the trade secret argument, the personal care product and cosmetic industries continue to use this logic to avoid full fragrance disclosure. Without full disclosure of pertinent chemical information, consumers cannot make informed decisions about products they are exposed to daily.

The fragrance industry has been trusted to "self-regulate" and test its chemicals for safety through its Research Institute for Fragrance Materials (RIFM). However, RIFM's findings and methods of analysis are kept secret, preventing verification of their findings by those outside the industry.

The UN Global Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (UNGHS) has identified over 1,000 chemicals currently used in fragrance that either qualify for a "danger" or "warning" level classification, and yet only 186 chemicals have been banned for use by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to date.

In December 2022, a new federal law was passed requiring some fragrance allergens to be disclosed. However, the Food and Drug Administration has not yet released the list of allergens that must be disclosed, and the requirements will not go into effect until at least 2025.

Fragrance chemicals are considered trade secrets and are self-regulated by the fragrance industry

The safety of fragrance chemicals is not determined, monitored, or safeguarded by any governmental agency globally in a comprehensive fashion. Instead, the fragrance industry has been trusted to self-regulate. The RIFM Expert Panel (REXPAN) has reviewed and published its findings on a select group of chemicals. However, there is a noticeable omission of expert panel reviews of any fragrance chemicals that are controversial due to their potential toxicity, including phthalates, synthetic musks, styrene, methyl eugenol, and others.

The fragrance industry claims that because of the intellectual effort used to create fragrance compositions, trade secrets are necessary to protect intellectual property. As a result, consumer product regulations globally have specifically exempted fragrance from ingredient disclosure requirements. However, this claim is disputed, as a simple list of ingredients (without the actual formula or percentage amounts) found in a fragrance no longer meets the definition of a "trade secret".

The Uniform Trade Secrets Act (UTSA) defines a trade secret as:

> "Information, including a formula, pattern, compilation, program, device, method, technique, or process, that derives independent economic value, actual or potential, from not being generally known to or readily ascertainable through appropriate means by other persons who might obtain economic value from its disclosure or use; and is the subject of efforts that are reasonable under the circumstances to maintain its secrecy."

Innovations in reverse engineering technology in recent decades have made it possible to create a list of ingredients found in a fragrance with incredible precision. Many manufacturers have the technology to analyze their competitor's products to better understand, imitate, or improve upon their scents. This fails to meet the definition of a "trade secret" because a list of a fragrance's ingredients is currently "readily ascertainable through appropriate means by other persons who might obtain economic value from its disclosure or use."

The self-regulation of the fragrance industry has been criticized for prioritizing trade secrets over public health. The lack of disclosure creates a state of ignorance for consumers, scientists, healthcare providers, and their patients regarding the chemicals they are exposed to from fragranced products. By keeping this information from the public, consumers and their doctors are unable to decipher which fragrance ingredients are leading to adverse reactions.

Fragrance chemicals pose environmental risks, contributing to ozone pollution and fine particulate matter

Fragrance chemicals are not only harmful to human health but also detrimental to the environment. Chemical vapours in fragrances, known as volatile organic compounds (VOCs), can cause ozone pollution and create fine particulate matter in the air. This is due to the reaction of VOCs with sunlight, which leads to the formation of ozone pollution and fine particulates.

A surprising NOAA-led study revealed that emissions from volatile chemical products like perfumes, paints, and other scented items now rival vehicle emissions as a source of pollution in greater Los Angeles. This is particularly concerning given that 15 times more petroleum is consumed as fuel than is used in industrial and consumer products. Despite this, the amount of chemical vapours emitted into the atmosphere from scented products is roughly the same.

The issue is further exacerbated by the fact that fragrance manufacturers are not required to list the individual ingredients that make up their products. This lack of transparency makes it difficult for consumers to make informed decisions and for researchers to fully understand the impact of these chemicals on the environment.

The environmental impact of fragrance chemicals is a serious issue that warrants further attention and regulation to protect our planet's health.

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