Perfumes pose health hazards?
Number 9 in the “Top Ten Unfounded Health Scares of 2011”[1]
What are fragrances?
There are a couple of different ways in which the term “fragrance” is used.
“Fragrance” can refer to products such as perfume and cologne.
Fragrance is also defined as “a substance used solely to impart an odour”.[2] By this definition, fragrances refer to the individual ingredients that impart odour. Typically, products contain several fragrance ingredients that are blended together to produce a desired scent, but only as a small percentage, about 2%, of the product.
What’s the myth?
North American activist groups are the primary source of myths surrounding perfumes. There have been suggestions that perfumes contain chemicals that:[3]
Myth #1: Perfumes contain secret chemicals
FACT: Fragrance ingredient listing 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 requires that all intentionally added ingredients must be listed on the product label. This is enforced by the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC).
There is no legal requirement that each individual component of a fragrance be listed on the product label. However the presence of a fragrance/fragrances in a cosmetic 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]
Another important point is that products can often contain “incidental ingredients”. These are ingredients that are not intentionally added, but that are present at trace levels as an ingredient of another ingredient or as a result of their use during manufacture. With modern analytical techniques becoming ever more sophisticated, it is increasingly possible to detect tract quantities such as these, but they will not be listed on the product label as they were not intentionally added.
FACT: The fragrance industry has responded to calls for information about ingredients
In recognition that many consumers want to know what is in the products they use, the fragrance industry has published the list of over 3000 fragrance ingredients[4] from which fragrances are formulated, and which are used in consumer products worldwide. 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, which take considerable time and financial investment to develop.
This initiative complements Accord’s ‘What’s in it?’ initiative, whereby companies voluntarily disclose ingredients in their cleaning products, air care products, automotive care products, polishes and floor maintenance products.
Myth #2: Perfume ingredients have not been thoroughly tested for safety
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”.[5]
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.”[6]
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: IFRA undertakes regular compliance audits
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.[7]
The bottom line? You can continue to use perfumes with confidence.
However, highly sensitive individuals may wish to avoid perfumes, or 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 fragrances for the body are highly individual. This of course includes the 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] www.ifraorg.org/en-us/Ingredients_2
[5] International Fragrance Association (IFRA) 2006, IFRA Code of Practice, Section 4.1
[6] International Fragrance Association (IFRA) 2006, IFRA Code of Practice, Appendix 5
[7] International Fragrance Association (IFRA) 2012, Sixth IFRA Compliance cycle is 100% clear. www.ifraorg.org/view_document.aspx?docId=23023
What are fragrances?
There are a couple of different ways in which the term “fragrance” is used.
“Fragrance” can refer to products such as perfume and cologne.
Fragrance is also defined as “a substance used solely to impart an odour”.[2] By this definition, fragrances refer to the individual ingredients that impart odour. Typically, products contain several fragrance ingredients that are blended together to produce a desired scent, but only as a small percentage, about 2%, of the product.
What’s the myth?
North American activist groups are the primary source of myths surrounding perfumes. There have been suggestions that perfumes contain chemicals that:[3]
- Myth #1: are not disclosed to the consumer (“secret chemicals”)
- Myth #2: have not been thoroughly tested for safety and have serious health implications (including hormone disruption, allergic reactions, health effects resulting from accumulation in the body)
Myth #1: Perfumes contain secret chemicals
FACT: Fragrance ingredient listing 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 requires that all intentionally added ingredients must be listed on the product label. This is enforced by the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC).
There is no legal requirement that each individual component of a fragrance be listed on the product label. However the presence of a fragrance/fragrances in a cosmetic 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]
Another important point is that products can often contain “incidental ingredients”. These are ingredients that are not intentionally added, but that are present at trace levels as an ingredient of another ingredient or as a result of their use during manufacture. With modern analytical techniques becoming ever more sophisticated, it is increasingly possible to detect tract quantities such as these, but they will not be listed on the product label as they were not intentionally added.
FACT: The fragrance industry has responded to calls for information about ingredients
In recognition that many consumers want to know what is in the products they use, the fragrance industry has published the list of over 3000 fragrance ingredients[4] from which fragrances are formulated, and which are used in consumer products worldwide. 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, which take considerable time and financial investment to develop.
This initiative complements Accord’s ‘What’s in it?’ initiative, whereby companies voluntarily disclose ingredients in their cleaning products, air care products, automotive care products, polishes and floor maintenance products.
Myth #2: Perfume ingredients have not been thoroughly tested for safety
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”.[5]
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.”[6]
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: IFRA undertakes regular compliance audits
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.[7]
The bottom line? You can continue to use perfumes with confidence.
However, highly sensitive individuals may wish to avoid perfumes, or 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 fragrances for the body are highly individual. This of course includes the 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] www.ifraorg.org/en-us/Ingredients_2
[5] International Fragrance Association (IFRA) 2006, IFRA Code of Practice, Section 4.1
[6] International Fragrance Association (IFRA) 2006, IFRA Code of Practice, Appendix 5
[7] International Fragrance Association (IFRA) 2012, Sixth IFRA Compliance cycle is 100% clear. www.ifraorg.org/view_document.aspx?docId=23023
