Toxic Chemicals Found in Fragrance

Have you heard of the movie STINK! yet?  

It’s a pretty incredible movie that has been dubbed “the movie the chemical industry doesn’t want you to see”. I watched it three times in just 2 short days… pretty moving.

The first time, I watched it on my own. Then, the second time around my husband saw it… he thought the kids should watch it so we saw it a third time. Hands down one of the top 5 documentaries I have seen yet.

The movie screened across the U.S. over the year 2015, and then came out on platforms in February 2016 – so it has been out for just over a year.  It’s available to stream on Amazon Prime starting at $2.99, or head to their site and watch it for free.

STINK! opens with a foul smell and a pair of kids pajamas. And a single father trying to find out what that smell could possibly be. But instead of getting a straight answer, director Jon Whelan stumbles on an even bigger issue in America, which is that some products on our store shelves are not safe — by design.

Stop to think for a second about how many fragrance products you come into contact with every day. What you may not realize is that the word “fragrance” can be made up of hundreds of synthetic chemical ingredients that can have a profound effect on your health.

These products include things that you may use daily – on your body, in your laundry, or perhaps even wear on you personally.

What’s the real problem with fragrance?

For as long as you can remember, you have probably been purchasing items with fragrance – from lotion to shampoo, deodorant, perhaps even sunscreen. Many of these items you purchase automatically – they smell good & the packaging looks great, so they get tossed in the cart.

If you talk walk through your house, on any given day, and pick up the bottles that line your shower or back of the sink, somewhere in the ingredients list is probably the word “fragrance”.

While these items are serving a purpose in your life, they are also triggering reactions from allergies to harmful effects that you may not even be aware of.  

What you probably may not realize is that the simple fragrance”is something that is made up of over 100 secret chemicals of which are considered to be trade secret to companies.

Aren’t these items regulated?

That’s the tricky part…

Under U.S. regulations, fragrance and flavor ingredients can simply be listed as “Fragrance” or “Flavor”.  And since this cocktail of synthetic chemical ingredients is considered to be “trade secrets”, companies are not required to disclose the ingredients.

In fact… under the Fair Packaging and Label Act, companies are not required to disclose “trade secrets” at all. Manufacturers don’t want to disclose these ingredients because it may lead to a more educated public, which could (in turn) affect their sales.

Fragrance chemicals have been linked to everything from hormone disruption to cancer to asthma, even skin irritation….. yet companies do not want to disclose for fear that an educated public would put the company at fault for the health issues that follow.

These toxic synthetic chemicals can build up in your bloodstream – they can affect you, and even more… they can affect your baby, especially for those mammas that are pregnant.

What can you do?

Scented or unscented, these toxic synthetic chemicals can build up in your bloodstream and affect you and your unborn baby.

There are better alternatives…. but it starts with your willingness to realize that this is something that can affect you and your family, and that there are ways to reduce your toxic burden.

1. Look for better items (grab the Think Dirty app and scan to find better products).

2. Vote with your money – avoid buying these items in favor of better items.

3. Make efforts to purchase better, or DIY your own safer, non-toxic items.

Being willing to recognize that this is a problem is the first step.

If you haven’t seen the movie, please… I encourage you to be willing to sit down and watch it. It’ll be the best 90 minutes of your time, and it would be a great movie to allow your older kids to see to. 

Being an informed consumer is priceless.  Grab the Think Dirty app for your mobile device – it allows you to scan products in store to check their toxicity rating – on a scale of 1 to 10, 10 of which is toxic to your body/health. 

Have you seen the movie?