Perfume / Cologne

Usually we think of perfume and cologne as something we put on to make us smell nice; it makes us feel good. We don’t think of it as a health concern. But millions of people report adverse reactions to perfumes and fragrances.

It used to be that perfumes were made from natural ingredients like flowers and herbs. Now most of the chemicals used in fragrances come from petroleum.

“Petroleum based products are being found to cause significant attritional effects to the nervous system and immune system after prolonged exposure. Illnesses identified in the medical research include adult and child cancers, numerous neurological disorders, immune system weakening, autoimmune disorders, asthma, allergies, infertility, miscarriage and child behavior disorders including learning disabilities, mental retardation, hyperactivity and attention deficit disorders.” 1   Remember we also mentioned that 100% of perfumes contain toluene, which can cause liver, kidney and brain damage as well as damage to a developing fetus. 2

In “The Invisible Chemical Poisons” it states that “Perfumes, colognes and many other scented products contain an abundance of harmful chemicals, many of which are listed on the EPA’s Hazardous Waste List. They also include numerous cancer-causing agents, neurotoxins, respiratory irritants, solvents, aldehydes, hundreds of untested and unregulated petrochemicals, hormone disruptors, narcotics and much more”. 3

Smells like something you might want to avoid for your own health and well-being as well as all the other people you are affecting.

1 – Richard Pressinger M.Ed. and Wayne Sinclair, MD. “Chem-Tox.com Researching effects of chemicals and pesticides upon health.”

2 – Guide to Less Toxic Products, Environmental Health Association of Nova Scotia

3 – Connie Pitts, “Get a Whiff of  This: Perfumes (Fragrances)-The Invisible Chemical Poisons”