is perfume safe?

[a.k.a.]

According to a recent

“Ecologist” article (Nov. - 2004):
“A typical perfume contains a mixture of fragrance chemicals (often between

50 and 100) mostly derived from petroleum. These include benzene derivatives, aldehydes and many other known toxins

capable of causing cancer, birth defects, CNS disorders and allergic and asthmatic reactions.”

The authors

of the article broke down Calvin Klein’s Eternity as “fairly represenative of ingredients found in all modern

perfumes.”
“Of Eternity’s 41 known ingredients, 33 have no relevant safety data. Of the rest, data suggests

they are toxic, irritant, sensitising, damaging to the CNS and carcinogenic.”

These ingrediants

include:
Diethyl Phthalate, which is used as a fixative, is a oestrogen mimic, and has been linked to sperm

damage and fetal abnormalites.
Eugenol. A synthetic clove oil substitute which is also a common pesticide

and insecticide ingredient. Linked to contact dermatitis.
Galaxolide 50 and Cyclopentadecanolide. Synthetic

musks and hormone disruptors.
Benzaldehyde, 4-Hydroxy-3-methoxy. Synthetic vanilla. Irritant, CNS

disruptor, linked to kidney damage.

I know nothing about perfumes and even less about toxicology. So I

hope to see a response from somebody with a little background in this stuff.
Do synthetic perfumes and

colognes pose a significant risk under normal usage? Or is this article just being alarmist?

[girlnextdoor]

Depends on how your body

can handle the carcinogens. Like smoking...some go at it like a chimney and never die, then you have people like

Peter Jennings who die inspite of quitting.

As for the chemicals themselves, some have definitely proven to be

carcinogenic. I'm not sure about the dosage though.

Google Phthalates for more.

[gabe1970]

No, perfume isn't safe.



But neither is using fluoride, deodorant, hair gel, antibacterial soap, teflon, ink, computer keyboards,

seatbelts, or airplanes for that matter.

Who do you listen to and where do you draw the line? That's the real

question.

[The Real FTR]

I'll croak before I'll

give up my perfume.

Many perfumes are being reformulated to exclude questionable substances, even if they're

just possible allergens. The industry doesn't want the liability.

I am not sure why there isn't more emphasis

on scents used in everyday products. The fragrance industry is ubiquitous. Everything we use is scented. I

imagine if you did away with detergent scents, household cleaner scents, scents for body care products and hair

products, you might be doing something. But I figure if I'm using all that, a spritz or two of "Come To Me" won't

make too much difference.

[gabe1970]

I'm looking at a potential

roommate who is very allergic to most scents. Even essential oils bother her. So I might have to give up my new

obsession...

[Lor]

I'm looking at a potential roommate who is very allergic to most scents. Even essential oils

bother her. So I might have to give up my new obsession...

OH FOR THE LOVE OF ME!
me thinks she is

allergic to life.

[Lor]

I'll croak

before I'll give up my perfume.

Many perfumes are being reformulated to exclude questionable substances, even

if they're just possible allergens. The industry doesn't want the liability.

I am not sure why there isn't

more emphasis on scents used in everyday products. The fragrance industry is ubiquitous. Everything we use is

scented. I imagine if you did away with detergent scents, household cleaner scents, scents for body care products

and hair products, you might be doing something. But I figure if I'm using all that, a spritz or two of "Come To

Me" won't make too much difference.

hey, if im going to die from this, im gonna die smelling GOOD! lol, i

aint giving mine up either....

[real_wiseman]

Thats why a natural essential

oilmix dilluted in a carrier oil would be much better IMHO. Of course all essential oils are not good for you.

A

very interesting book on this matter

is:
http://www.amazon.com/Essential-Oil-...e=UTF8&s=books

// w

[DrSmellThis]

I believe synthetic perfumes

are not good for you. It's no different than many of the other countless chemicals tht are part of our lifestyles.

When I've looked at the safety data, I've found a lot of concerning things, although you have to dig to get at it.

The perfuming industry is so secretive that it gets away with a bit more than it should.

Consider it a

"calculated", though unknown, risk. This is another argument for small doses of perfume.

I prefer essential oils

and natural substances; and synthetics judiciously, in small quantities. Some of the finer perfumes do take this

approach, but many don't, such as Chanel, which is full of alipathic aldehydes.

I'm not a big commercial

perfume guy, for this reason.

Synthetic musks, along with certain other perfume chemicals, can and will affect

hormone levels. That is cetainly one reason why some of them seem to function as analog pheromones, to greater or

lesser extents. (Galaxolide is a unisex, but fairly weak, example; as is ambrettolide.) To me it's a bad thing only

when overused.

Eugenol is in many, many perfumes, especially spicy ones (most all of them, such as carnation

scents) and men's aftershaves. But I don't worry about contact dermatitis so much, since you would know it, and

since amounts are so small.

I'm not a big fan of vanillin (Benzaldehyde, 4-Hydroxy-3-methoxy)and the other

synthetic vanillas, which are indeed toxic and way overused. It irks me that it is so popular. If you smell

synthetic vanilla up close, at a store or whatever, you'll notice you won't feel that great afterwards. Almost no

one uses real vanilla anymore (there is a lot of it in Pheros, however).

[Xotica]

Hi
I never knew that sweet

scented perfumes can be so dangerous.
Best of luck for all you ladies out there who use perfumes round the clock

[svpppljutf]

Also see

http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com

By the way, what about Chikara and some of the other

perfume/fragrance products available on LS -- are they synthetic?

[BraneLee]

Well it is a nice information and thanks for the sharing this pretty knowledge and i am glad to know this because knowledge must be shared with everyone and i got to know that perfumes are so dangerous.

[jaka tarub]

i think not at all perfume bad for our health...
if u buy perfume from chemical compounds like petroleum, n-hexane or etc of course this dangerous for our health.

i think there are two types about perfumes
1. natural perfumes
2. mixtures of chemicals perfumes

natural perfumes is totally safe for our health, and the aroma is very nice and u can make it by your self u can choose aroma what u like etc

but mixtures of chemicals perfumes, i don't recommended this

sorry for my bad english

[Bruce]

Stands to reason that natural scents are going to be better for you. Chemicals are not necessarily bad for you, but many essential (natural) oils are very good for mood and health IMHO. There was a discussion about ylang ylang oil in a separate thread. I love that stuff.

B