Secret fragrance ingredients...
Number 9 in the “Top Ten Unfounded Health Scares of 2011”[1]
What are fragrance ingredients?
There are a couple of different ways in which the term “fragrance” is used.
“Fragrance” can refer to a product such as a perfume or cologne.
“Fragrance” is also defined as “a substance used solely to impart an odour”.[2] By this definition, “fragrance” refers to an individual ingredient that imparts odour. Typically, products contain many fragrance ingredients that are blended together to produce a desired scent, but only as a small percentage, about 2%, of the product.
Many household products, as well as cosmetic and personal care products, contain fragrance ingredients. Fragrance can make products more pleasurable to use and enjoy, can enhance mood, and provide opportunities for personal expression.
What’s the myth?
A report released by North American activist groups suggested that fragrance chemicals are kept secret from the consumer, and have not been thoroughly tested for safety.[3]
FACT: Fragrance ingredient labelling is governed by Australian labelling laws
In Australia, cosmetics and personal care products must be labelled in accordance with the Trade Practices (Consumer Product Information Standards) (Cosmetics) Regulations 1991. This is enforced by the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC).
Briefly, all intentionally added ingredients must be listed on the product label. The presence of a fragrance or fragrances in a cosmetic or personal care product must be shown by including the word ‘fragrance’, ‘fragrances’, ‘parfum’ or ‘parfums’; or by listing all the ingredients in the fragrance or fragrances.[2] There is no legal requirement that each individual component of a fragrance be listed on the product label.
In consumer products, such as household cleaners and laundry products, there is no legal requirement to label any product ingredients, unless labelling for a particular ingredient is specified in the Standard for Uniform Scheduling of Medicines and Poisons (SUSMP).
However, many leading consumer product manufacturers are voluntarily disclosing ingredient information via Accord’s ‘What’s in it?’ initiative. ‘What’s in it?’ requires that companies voluntarily disclose ingredients in cleaning products, air care products, automotive care products, polishes and floor maintenance products.
FACT: The fragrance industry has published the list of fragrance ingredients
In recognition that – more and more – consumers want to know what is in the products they use, the fragrance industry has published the list of over 3000 fragrance ingredients from which fragrances are formulated, and which are used in consumer products worldwide: www.ifraorg.org/en-us/Ingredients_2. All ingredients on this list have passed the International Fragrance Association (IFRA) safety standards and are used in consumer goods worldwide.
This initiative provides consumer information whilst protecting proprietary details of specific fragrance formulae, and showcases the fragrance industry as a responsible and accountable industry.
FACT: Fragrance ingredients are subject to risk-based safety assessment
All fragrance ingredients on the IFRA list have been evaluated for safety. These ingredients have been concluded to present “no unreasonable risk to human health and the environment, and to be safe under their intended conditions of use”.[4]
The Research Institute for Fragrance Materials (RIFM) is the international scientific authority for the safe use of fragrance materials. RIFM's Expert Panel, an independent and international group of dermatologists, pathologists, environmental scientists and toxicologists, evaluates scientific fragrance data to make sure that there is no risk for the consumer or environment as the ingredient is currently used. Evaluation of fragrance ingredients takes into consideration possible effects on the skin, including skin irritation and sensitisation, the effect of sunlight on the ingredient, and toxicity to body systems.
According to the IFRA Code of Practice, “Safety data for all fragrance ingredients that are commercially available and offered for sale as such must be submitted by the ingredient manufacturer to RIFM for inclusion in the Fragrance Ingredient Database.”[5]
When warranted by the data, the RIFM Panel instructs IFRA to issue a Standard either restricting or banning a fragrance material. To date, 174 substances have been banned or restricted.
FACT: Regular fragrance compliance audits show high compliance
Every year, a random compliance audit is undertaken on fragranced products. In 2012, 50 randomly-selected products from 10 countries were tested for compliance with the IFRA Code of Conduct. These products spanned different categories including perfumes, cosmetics, personal care products and household products.
The independent auditing body found 100% compliance with the IFRA Code.[6]
The bottom line? You can continue to use fragrance-containing products with confidence. However, highly sensitive individuals may wish to avoid perfumes and products containing ‘fragrance’ or ‘parfum’. This approach would be on par with individuals who have sensitivity to peanuts avoiding peanut-containing foods.
In the end, decisions about perfumes or other fragranced cosmetic and personal care products, and household products, are highly individual. This of course includes the personal preference for no fragrance.
Sources
[1] The American Council on Science and Health
[2]Trade Practices (Consumer Product Information Standards) (Cosmetics) Regulations 1991
[3] Campaign for Safe Cosmetics and Environmental Working Group 2010, “Not so sexy: The health risks of secret chemicals in fragrance”
[4] International Fragrance Association (IFRA) 2006, IFRA Code of Practice, Section 4.1
[5] International Fragrance Association (IFRA) 2006, IFRA Code of Practice, Appendix 5
[6] International Fragrance Association (IFRA) 2012, Sixth IFRA Compliance cycle is 100% clear. www.ifraorg.org/view_document.aspx?docId=23023
What are fragrance ingredients?
There are a couple of different ways in which the term “fragrance” is used.
“Fragrance” can refer to a product such as a perfume or cologne.
“Fragrance” is also defined as “a substance used solely to impart an odour”.[2] By this definition, “fragrance” refers to an individual ingredient that imparts odour. Typically, products contain many fragrance ingredients that are blended together to produce a desired scent, but only as a small percentage, about 2%, of the product.
Many household products, as well as cosmetic and personal care products, contain fragrance ingredients. Fragrance can make products more pleasurable to use and enjoy, can enhance mood, and provide opportunities for personal expression.
What’s the myth?
A report released by North American activist groups suggested that fragrance chemicals are kept secret from the consumer, and have not been thoroughly tested for safety.[3]
FACT: Fragrance ingredient labelling is governed by Australian labelling laws
In Australia, cosmetics and personal care products must be labelled in accordance with the Trade Practices (Consumer Product Information Standards) (Cosmetics) Regulations 1991. This is enforced by the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC).
Briefly, all intentionally added ingredients must be listed on the product label. The presence of a fragrance or fragrances in a cosmetic or personal care product must be shown by including the word ‘fragrance’, ‘fragrances’, ‘parfum’ or ‘parfums’; or by listing all the ingredients in the fragrance or fragrances.[2] There is no legal requirement that each individual component of a fragrance be listed on the product label.
In consumer products, such as household cleaners and laundry products, there is no legal requirement to label any product ingredients, unless labelling for a particular ingredient is specified in the Standard for Uniform Scheduling of Medicines and Poisons (SUSMP).
However, many leading consumer product manufacturers are voluntarily disclosing ingredient information via Accord’s ‘What’s in it?’ initiative. ‘What’s in it?’ requires that companies voluntarily disclose ingredients in cleaning products, air care products, automotive care products, polishes and floor maintenance products.
FACT: The fragrance industry has published the list of fragrance ingredients
In recognition that – more and more – consumers want to know what is in the products they use, the fragrance industry has published the list of over 3000 fragrance ingredients from which fragrances are formulated, and which are used in consumer products worldwide: www.ifraorg.org/en-us/Ingredients_2. All ingredients on this list have passed the International Fragrance Association (IFRA) safety standards and are used in consumer goods worldwide.
This initiative provides consumer information whilst protecting proprietary details of specific fragrance formulae, and showcases the fragrance industry as a responsible and accountable industry.
FACT: Fragrance ingredients are subject to risk-based safety assessment
All fragrance ingredients on the IFRA list have been evaluated for safety. These ingredients have been concluded to present “no unreasonable risk to human health and the environment, and to be safe under their intended conditions of use”.[4]
The Research Institute for Fragrance Materials (RIFM) is the international scientific authority for the safe use of fragrance materials. RIFM's Expert Panel, an independent and international group of dermatologists, pathologists, environmental scientists and toxicologists, evaluates scientific fragrance data to make sure that there is no risk for the consumer or environment as the ingredient is currently used. Evaluation of fragrance ingredients takes into consideration possible effects on the skin, including skin irritation and sensitisation, the effect of sunlight on the ingredient, and toxicity to body systems.
According to the IFRA Code of Practice, “Safety data for all fragrance ingredients that are commercially available and offered for sale as such must be submitted by the ingredient manufacturer to RIFM for inclusion in the Fragrance Ingredient Database.”[5]
When warranted by the data, the RIFM Panel instructs IFRA to issue a Standard either restricting or banning a fragrance material. To date, 174 substances have been banned or restricted.
FACT: Regular fragrance compliance audits show high compliance
Every year, a random compliance audit is undertaken on fragranced products. In 2012, 50 randomly-selected products from 10 countries were tested for compliance with the IFRA Code of Conduct. These products spanned different categories including perfumes, cosmetics, personal care products and household products.
The independent auditing body found 100% compliance with the IFRA Code.[6]
The bottom line? You can continue to use fragrance-containing products with confidence. However, highly sensitive individuals may wish to avoid perfumes and products containing ‘fragrance’ or ‘parfum’. This approach would be on par with individuals who have sensitivity to peanuts avoiding peanut-containing foods.
In the end, decisions about perfumes or other fragranced cosmetic and personal care products, and household products, are highly individual. This of course includes the personal preference for no fragrance.
Sources
[1] The American Council on Science and Health
[2]Trade Practices (Consumer Product Information Standards) (Cosmetics) Regulations 1991
[3] Campaign for Safe Cosmetics and Environmental Working Group 2010, “Not so sexy: The health risks of secret chemicals in fragrance”
[4] International Fragrance Association (IFRA) 2006, IFRA Code of Practice, Section 4.1
[5] International Fragrance Association (IFRA) 2006, IFRA Code of Practice, Appendix 5
[6] International Fragrance Association (IFRA) 2012, Sixth IFRA Compliance cycle is 100% clear. www.ifraorg.org/view_document.aspx?docId=23023
