Toxic Chemicals in Perfumes

The sense of smell is closely linked to our feelings and emotions. A specific perfume may remind you of your best moment in life, or the scent of warm yummy spices may remind your feeling with your favorite holiday baking. If you ask your family or friends, you’ll see everyone has their own personal preferences for the scents especially when it comes to choosing perfumes.

The scents of perfumes may range from vanilla to fruity, fresh to floral, and we all presume that these perfumes are harmless. Never do we imagine that within our favorite perfumes hides a variety of toxic chemicals. Though the label of ingredients seems harmless enough, most commercial perfumes use different synthetic substances that are toxic to humans.

In this article, we’ll discuss some most common toxic chemicals used in perfumes and how we can avoid them. Let’s have a look.

The toxic truth of commercial perfumes
Toxic chemicals commonly used in perfumes
Reactions to toxic perfumes in human bodies
How to avoid toxic perfume chemicals
Final words

The toxic truth of commercial perfumes

The main reason perfume manufacturers can use toxic chemicals in their products is the legal relaxation of listing ingredients on the labels. Regulations have provided a scope to hide their ingredients by simply putting them under a term called “Fragrance”. Indeed, by using this simple term, the perfume industry can legally include more than 400 ingredients in their perfumes just with the excuse of protecting their formulas. Although I admit there must be some options to protect one’s own creation, it should not be dealt with at the cost of a consumer’s health.

Popular perfume manufacturers often produce commercial perfumes by using a complex cocktail of toxic chemicals, majorly petrochemicals, that have been found to be dangerous for the human nervous system and immune system. Several extensive pieces of research have linked them to diverse medical conditions including cancers, asthma, allergies, neurological issues, miscarriage, autoimmune diseases, infertility, and a range of child behavior disorders such as hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and learning disabilities.

Toxic chemicals commonly used in perfumes

Today, on average, over 95% of perfume formulations are composed of harmful synthetic chemicals and they often contain carcinogenic chemicals, respiratory irritants, neurotoxins, narcotics, hormone sensitizers, and many more.

Here’s a list of toxic chemicals that are often used in synthetic perfumes.

Phthalates – Based on studies, phthalates are considered “endocrine disruptors“. It decreases IQ in babies when mothers are exposed to phthalates during their pregnancy. Studies have also found that phthalates are closely linked to sperm damage in adult men. Besides, they affect metabolism and promote obesity, making them known as “obesogens”.

Styrene – In 2011, styrene was declared a “human carcinogen” by the National Academy of Science and National Toxicology Program.

Benzaldehyde – benzaldehyde is considered a narcotic, which can cause lung and eye irritation.

Musk ketone – As per Environmental Working Group (EWG) reports, musk ketone is a possible carcinogen and immune-system disruptor, including allergies and sensitization.

Benzyl acetate – may cause lung and eye irritation along with coughing.

Ethyl acetate – may trigger respiratory and eye irritation.

Camphor – has neurotoxic effects and causes convulsions, muscle twitching, dizziness, nausea, and confusion.

Methylene chloride – FDA banned this ingredient due to its severe toxicity in human bodies, but the ban hasn’t been properly enforced yet.

These are some common toxic chemicals used in perfumes, but not limited to. There are many more.

Reactions to toxic perfumes in human bodies

A variety of toxic substances are used in commercial perfumes, including –

Hormone sensitizers, may cause hormonal imbalances and affect whole bodily functions.
Respiratory irritants, can cause inflammation in the air sacs (alveoli) of the lungs and trigger asthma attacks or wheezing.
Harmful ingredients, may affect human growth and the reproductive system.

Fortunately, numerous studies have exposed the truth of commercially used toxic chemicals that are found in perfumes. Most synthetic perfumes can induce allergic reactions that may include various symptoms such as headache, itchiness, sinus inflammation, runny nose, skin hives, and more. They can also contribute to worse health conditions such as kidney damage, nervous system damage, respiratory failure, intestinal infection, ataxia, and even cancer.

Perfume poisoning

If ingested, synthetic perfumes may cause perfume poisoning which may require emergency care. Symptoms of perfume poisoning may include –

Problem with balance
Nausea and vomiting
A hiking temperature
Large hives or boils
Rapid heart rates
Slurred speech
Drowsiness
Confusion
Dizziness
Sudden fall in energy

How to avoid toxic perfume chemicals

Now, here’s the good news for you. Protecting your health from the dangerous effects of these toxic chemicals in perfumes is quite simple. Once you become aware of them, you can easily avoid them by simply substituting them with natural perfumes.

Here are some of the best tips to avoid toxic chemicals in perfumes

Avoid large-scale commercial perfumes unless you’re sure about their naturality. Instead, try natural niche perfumes, as they are small-scale perfumeries and mostly dedicated to their purity and naturality.
Before you buy any perfume, always check the labels. If you see the term “fragrance” or “perfume” and the real ingredients are not disclosed, simply avoid them, as these terms are used for cocktails of toxic ingredients.
Check the company’s profile and manufacturing policies. If you find that they use only natural ingredients and have a strong code of ethics, only then you can consider buying their perfumes.

Final words

While synthetic perfumes are easily available and may produce various harmful effects on your body, natural perfumes are rare and packed with diverse healing properties. If you can switch to natural and non-toxic perfumes, you’ll experience a lot more satisfaction with their health benefits, both physically as well as emotionally.

La Via Del Profumo is a leading natural niche perfumer dedicated to producing only pure natural perfumes without using any toxic chemicals. We ensure a guarantee of naturality with our 100% transparency for fragrance ingredients.

Here you can check out our complete list of ingredients