Summary of Concerns Related to Fragrance
Betty Bridges, RN

Multiple scented products are used on a daily basis by most. In addition to perfumes and colognes, scented products include most toiletries and cosmetics, household cleaners, laundry products, candles, air fresheners, as well as a host of consumer products. In spite of widespread use and exposure there is little publicly available health and safety data on the over 3000 materials in use by the fragrance industry. Fragrance formulas are considered "trade secrets" and the ingredients that make up the fragrance portion of the product do not have to be revealed. There is little scrutiny of fragrances by regulatory agencies such as the FDA, EPA, and Consumer Product Safety Commission. By all accounts the fragrance industry is primarily self-regulated.

Safety evaluation by the industry primarily focuses on skin effects. Testing is not routinely conducted to determine respiratory, neurological, systemic, or long-term effects. Most of the testing data remains in confidential files of the companies and are not made publicly available. Companies are not required to keep or make public records of consumer complaints. Testing by the Research Institute for Fragrance materials, part of the self-regulatory system of the industry focuses on singular raw materials and not complex mixtures that actually make up scented products. Materials may be in widespread use for 15-20 years before they are evaluated for safety by anyone other than the company manufacturing them. Self-regulatory measures are voluntary and not enforceable by the industry or regulatory agencies.

While generally the fragrance portion of a product is only a small percentage, fragrance is the most common cause of allergic and irritant reactions to cosmetics and laundry products. An estimated 1-2% of the population has skin allergies to fragrance; it is the second most common skin allergen. There is a direct correlation between the use of scented products and the development of skin allergies to fragrance. Consumers have no way of ascertaining which products contain known skin allergens. While skin effects are the best known, there are other health concerns related to scented products.

Fragrance is frequently cited as triggering and exacerbating respiratory disorders such as asthma. Many of the materials used in fragrance are respiratory irritants. Levels much lower than those tolerated by the general population will trigger problems for those with both upper and lower respiratory problems. There are over 17 million asthmatics, 35 million with chronic sinus infections, 9 million with rhinitis, and millions more with various types of respiratory disorders. When these populations are combined, irritants such as scented products impact a very large number of people.  Unlike other known airborne irritants such as tobacco smoke, there is no restriction on use. Many asthmatics report fragrances as an important trigger of attacks. Avoidance of exposure to scented products is almost impossible. A review of the medical literature by the Institute of Medicine placed “second hand” smoke and fragrance in the same category for triggering and exacerbating asthma.

Scented products are frequently marketed as being able to alter mood. Current research indicates that there are neurological effects that occur via physiological mechanisms. It is suggested that fragrance chemicals can act on the same receptors in the brain as alcohol and tobacco. Other research measures physiological effects by evaluating autonomic nervous system parameters such as blood pressure and pulse during exposures. Fragrance is a known trigger for migraine headaches. Animal studies indicate that some fragrance chemicals can have drug-like sedative effects. AETT, a material in widespread use for about 20 years was voluntarily withdrawn from use by the industry because it caused bluish discoloration of the organs of lab animals and was severely neurotoxic.

It has been found that synthetic musk compounds accumulate in body tissue, cross the placental barrier, and are found in breast milk. Citral, a common fragrance material causes enlargement of the prostate gland in animal studies. Musk ambrette, a fragrance material in common use for over 60 years was found to cause atrophy of the testicles in lab animals. Phthalates are common in scented products as solvents and fixatives and are used at relatively high levels. There is evidence that some phthalates may be hormone disruptors. A recent study by the CDC found that there is greater exposure to phthalates used in cosmetics than many of the other phthalates in use.

There are environmental concerns as well. Synthetic musk compounds have been found to contaminate waterways and aquatic wildlife at levels as high or higher than pesticides. Many of these materials persist in the environment. Even those that do no persist may act as they do because the supply is constantly being replenished. The fragrance in laundry products, cleaners, and toiletries often end up going down the drain and are not filtered out by wastewater treatment. The long-term impact is not known.

In spite of widespread use, there is little known about the materials that are used in fragrance. When all concerns are considered, fragrance has the potential to widely impact both human and environmental health. While there is limited data available, what is available and the widespread exposure strongly supports further study and research regarding the health and environmental impact of scented products.