Does Your Perfume Include Toxic Chemicals?

A Source of Toxic Chemicals, Carcinogens and Indoor Air Pollution Fragrances and perfumes in cosmetics, personal and household products are leading causes of allergy,sensitization, breathing irritation and physical distress symptoms which can include serious consequences such as brain damage. Animal toxicity studies have found many fragrances to be hazardous to human health. Fragrances are essentially “indoor air-pollutants” and can be especially toxic tochemically sensitive individuals.

The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health reported that the fragrance industry uses up to 3,000 ingredients, predominantly synthetic, some 900 of which were identified as toxic. However, the fragrance industry is not required to disclose ingredients of fragrances and perfumes on their labels due to trade secrecy considerations. The FDA supports this non-disclosure on the grounds that ?consumersare not adversely affected ? and should not be deprived of the enjoyment? of these products.

An analysis of 6 different mainstream perfumes by Scientific Instrument Services, released in 1998,
identified over 800 ingredients with distinctive patterns for each perfume. These ingredients include a
wide range of volatile and semi-volatile organic chemicals which are thus significant contributors to
indoor air pollution and are hazardous to humans.

In 1999, the California Environmental Health Network filed a Citizen Petition with the FDA requiring warning labels on all fragrances which are marketed without prior adequate safety testing. For example, two independent laboratories, Scientific Instruments Services and the cosmetic industry?s Research Institute of Fragrance Materials Laboratory, analyzed Calvin Klein?s ?Eternity Eau de Parfum” (Eternity) and found 41 ingredients which included some known to be toxic to the skin, respiratory tract, nervous, and reproductive systems by routes including skin absorption and inhalation, and others known to be carcinogens such as phenylmethyl acetic acid ester and 2,6?bis (1,1?dimethylethyl) –4? methyl–phenol. No toxicity data are available on several ingredients, while data on most are inadequate.

The petition requested that the FDA take administrative action and declare Eternity ?misbranded? or “adulterated? since it does not carry a warning label as required by the terms of the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act and the Fair Packaging and Labeling Act. Grounds for requesting the warning label include FDA regulation 21CFR Sec. 740/10: ?Each ingredient used in a cosmetic product and each finished cosmetic product shall be adequately substantiated for safety prior to marketing. Any such ingredient or product whose safety is not adequately substantiated prior to marketing is misbranded unless it contains the following conspicuous statement on the principal display panel: Warning: the safety of this product has not been determined.”

Many consumers with health problems from exposure to various brand name fragrances have written to the FDA supporting EHN?s petition. However, the FDA responded saying they were unable to reach a decision on the grounds of “other priorities and the limited availability of resources.” Thus, this petition is thus still open for further public complaints and comments.

A wide range of mainstream fragrances and perfumes, predominantly based on synthetic ingredients, are used in numerous cosmetics and toiletries, and also soaps and other household products. Currently, the fragrance industry is virtually unregulated. The toxic harm is compounded by FDA?s refusal to set standards for toxicity. The FDA still takes the position that consumers are not adversely affected. The

Cancer Prevention Coalition and EHN take the unequivocal position that the FDA should implement its own regulations and act belatedly to protect consumer health and safety.