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Lifestyle

Mystery in the mist

I love perfume. I have bottles and bottles of it. But a recent report from the Environmental Working Group (EWG) made me go sniffing around.

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It turns out that lab tests commissioned by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics and analyzed by the EWG revealed 38 secret chemicals in 17 name-brand products, topped by American Eagle Seventy Seven with 24, Chanel Coco with 18, and Britney Spears Curious and Giorgio Armani Acqua Di Gio with 17 each.

The report goes on to say the average product tested contained 14 ingredients not listed on the label. Among them are chems associated with hormone disruption and allergic reactions as well as many substances that have not been assessed for safety in personal care products.

Is my perfume going to kill me? Personally, I’m really sick of being told everything is going to do me in. But it’s not unreasonable to ask companies to list all ingredients, is it?

What the experts say

“The report found an average of 10 sensitizing chemicals per product – those triggering allergic reactions like headaches and wheezing. These were labelled. But then there were an average of 14 secret chemicals per product. About four per product were hormone-disrupting. A loophole in the regulations allows these to be listed as “perfume” or “fragrance.” We want all ingredients listed, and expansion of the Canadian cosmetic ingredient hot list – the list of substances that are prohibited or restricted. None of the chemicals found [by EWG] are on that list despite being associated with health effects. European regulations are our gold standard.”

JANELLE WITZEL, Toxic Nation, Environmental Defence, Toronto

“In the majority of cases, either the ingredient was listed on the label or identified as NQ – not quantified. This is because the amount is so small that testing wouldn’t detect it. Scents or perfumes can have hundreds of components. Regulators – Health Canada, the European Union, the FDA – recognize that it isn’t practical to add 200 to 300 substances to the ingredient list and that they are [present] in small enough amounts not to pose a risk. To have an allergy, you have to have a reaction to a protein. There are no proteins in these products, so people can’t be allergic to them. They may have a sensitivity.”

DARREN PRAZNIK, president of the Canadian Cosmetics, Toiletry and Fragrance Association, Toronto

“To make your own scent, start with vodka or jojoba oil. Then pick your scents. You want 50 per cent vodka or jojoba and 50 per cent essential oil. Sometimes you won’t like a scent on its own but it mixes very well with other scents. Labdanum smells like beeswax on its own but the other scents come out when it’s mixed with rose, jasmine or neroli. Once mixed, perfume has to be aged a few days.”

GLYN MORGAN, Aroma Shoppe, T.O.

“Pregnant women or people with respiratory issues should be careful with essential oils. Some, like clove and black pepper, can irritate the skin, and many can cause sensitivities. Good oils are sandalwood, bergamot, lemongrass, jasmine, rose, neroli, lemon verbena, vanilla, clary sage and sweet orange. Geranium rose is classic.”

BONITA BARTH, Essential Botanicals, Guelph

“Endocrine disruptors are also found in natural products, [not just in man-made chemicals]. A lot of natural or biochemical substances can have hormonal effects. Both lavender and tea tree oil have estrogenic activity.”

KEN KORACH, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, North Carolina

“It’s disturbing that people are being exposed to unregulated and hazardous chemicals. Consumers should choose products with no added fragrance and reduce exposure to fragrance when possible.”

STACY MALKAN, Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, Berkeley, California

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