Why it matters:

Most items found in our home have “fragrance” in them, which is the ubiquitous term used to describe any number of chemicals.

Recap:

Products disguised to freshen your home with strong fragrances, such as cleaning products, air fresheners, candles, liquid potpourri sticks, sprays, plug-ins, and deodorizers have artificial fragrances that contain a wide range of toxins such as VOC’s (volatile organic compounds), formaldehyde, phthalates, terpenes, and butane gas.

Solid deodorizers contain contacisn paradichlorobenzene, a pesticide and known carcinogen that causes liver and kidney damage.  Aerosol air fresheners release chemicals as tiny particles which can be inhaled into the lungs and transferred into the blood stream.  Plug in air fresheners break chemicals into even smaller particles and are also inhaled and absorbed by our skin.

Phthalates are a group of widely used chemicals that make plastic softer and help stabilize fragrance in personal care products.  It is found in soaps, lotions, perfumes, fragrances, deodorant, cosmetics, children’s toys, toothbrushes, infant care products, cosmetics, food packaging, vinyl flooring….ok I’ll stop.

Phthalates are known to cause adult infertility, birth defects and some studies indicate that phthalates may adversely affect male reproductive functions. Those most vulnerable to the potential adverse effects are infants and unborn babies.

The EU banned phthalates from some cosmetics and toys, while California banned the chemicals from just baby toys.  None the less, phthalates are legal to be used in personal care products sold in the United States and there are no requirements to label products for phthalate content.  An easy clue can be any  product with fragrance as one of the ingredients.

Commentary:

Indoor air quality is an overlooked problem in peoples’ homes, despite the average person spending 90 percent of their time indoors.  With the EPA estimating that indoor air can be two to five times more polluted than the outdoor air, it is critical that we are discerning about what we bring into our home environment.

Marketing has done an excellent job of convincing us that the natural aromas of nature can be captured in a chemical form with no repercussions.   Almost all odor emitting products are artificially made and should be used with extreme caution, if at all.

Creative Solutions:

• House plants as natural filters
• Use organic cosmetics
• Find safe cosmetics
• Use biodegradable organic soaps

Tagged as: designer, essential oils, fragrance oils, Home, indoor air quality, perfume, Phthalates, pollutants, pthalates, toxins, women's