Natural Versus Synthetic Perfumes – The Toxicity Issue

In days gone by, all fine perfume was 100% natural and chemical free. In line with the great French perfume making tradition, it was made by combining organic flowers and plant extracts with 100% natural wine alcohol, distilled from organic grapes. 

With the chemical industry advancement post World War 2 however, chemicals became a key ingredient of perfumes and we saw the emergence of "fragrance" or synthetic perfume. The price of synthetic flower and plant extracts meant these new perfumes were able to be produced very cheaply and with a new level of consistency. This was great for commercial interests – but not great for the true perfume lover! Not only are we now subject to synthetic fragrances in our perfumes but also to cheap alcohol carriers made from petroleum instead of wine alcohol.

Not only is petroleum a nonrenewable resource but it is refined using harmful chemicals and additives that cause cancer. These synthetic chemicals can contain "hormone disrupters" which can cause cell damage and also mimic hormones in the body that promote tumour growth.

So, don’t go there girlfriend! Always use natural perfumes!

A VEIL OF CONFUSION

Cosmetic companies have created “consumer confusion” regarding the difference between fragrance oils, perfumes and essential oils. Many cosmetic companies are happy to create an atmosphere in which consumers believe that all fragrances are good. They do not want you to be aware of all the chemicals contained in the “Raspberry Fragrance (naturally derived)”, for example. The truth is that no fragrance oils have anything to do with nature, other than attempting to mimic nature. Fragrance oils are a blend of synthetically derived chemicals that impart aroma and odour to products. Often the names of the fragrance oils imply that they are natural, and they are not. For instance the label may read; Rose Fragrance, Vanilla Fragrance and even such absurd claims as Strawberry Essential Oil. Strawberries do not produce an essential oil, but how would the average consumer know that?

The following is an ingredients listing of raspberry fragrance and from this you can see how something that sounds so natural can cause adverse reactions and harm: 4-(4-Hydroxyphenyl)-2-butanone)1,5,6; 3-Hydroxy-2-methyl-4-pyrone (Maltol)1,5,9,12; 4-Hydroxy-3-methoxybenzaldehyde (Vanillin)2,5,9; 3-Ethoxy-4-hydroxybenzaldehyde (Ethylvanillin)2,7,8; Ionone3,9 Methyl sulfide1,4,5,9,10,11,12; 2,5-Dimethyl-N-(2-pyrazinyl)pyrrole9,12.
 
The synthetic fragrances that are used in cosmetics and household cleaning supplies can consist of many undisclosed ingredients and none of them are natural. The chemicals used in fragrances do not have to be listed separately from the other ingredients. The label simply reads “fragrance” or “perfume” or “parfum.” 

The consumer is being deceived into believing that one harmless ingredient is in their beauty product and not made aware of the cocktail of dangerous artificial fragrance chemicals that they are putting onto their skin and breathing in. Synthetic fragrance oils are used because they are more affordable then pure unadulterated essential oils.

The majority of adverse reactions to cosmetics and toiletries are caused by fragrance chemicals. Most hypoallergenic forms of cosmetics are fragrance free because the chemical cocktails are known irritants and allergens. The consumer can have such negative reactions to cosmetic fragrances because each artificial fragrance typically contains one hundred or more chemicals to produce just one fragrance. Over 5000 aroma chemicals are available for creating synthetic fragrances. 

THE NATURAL PERFUME DIFFERENCE

Natural perfumes are made from the pure essential oils of plants and flowers, which have the aromatherapy benefits you don’t get from synthetic fragrances. And they smell real, not fake! Aromatherapy is the therapeutic use of essential oils made from plants and flowers. They are also made with bases such as grape wine alcohol or jojoba or other oils that are all natural, with nothing toxic!

 Essential oils are highly concentrated and potent oils extracted from plants, leaves, flowers, roots, buds, twigs, rhizomes, heartwood, bark, resin, seeds and citrus fruits. According to the International Organization for Standardization, essential oils are a natural "product made by distillation with either water or steam or by mechanical processing of citrus rinds or by dry distillation of natural materials. Following the distillation, the essential oil is physically separated from the water phase."

The water phase, which is the by product is then sold as hydrosols or distillate waters. Each essential oil comes from just one source, a living plant. There are no chemicals involved. For the safest essential oils it is best to buy pure, organic or wild craft essential oils so that no chemicals or pesticides ever entered the life cycle of the plant source of the essential oil. By law you can claim that you use “essential oils” even if you use “reconstitutes, nature identicals, isolates, perfume compounds, aromas, synthetic fragrance or diluted essential oils.”

It is completely legal to claim that you only use essential oils, when in fact you add synthetics to your product, but it is unscrupulous and many brand name cosmetic companies do it. Read your labels carefully and make sure that only Essential Oils, Distillate Waters or Hydrosols are listed in the ingredient list and never “Fragrance”, “Fragrance Oils”, “Perfume” or “Parfum”.

Not that it will guarantee that they are using pure essential oils but it is more likely and of course the best way to know the difference, so that even a poorly labelled product will not sneak past you, is to educate your nose by smelling essential oils next to fragrance oils. Once you smell the difference you will never be mislead again. Nothing man made smells as perfect and just like the fresh cut plant as a true essential oil or distillate.

To see how your current perfume ranks on the toxicity front, check out SKIN DEEP from the Environmental Working Group.

Adapted from: aromatherapyoil.elearning-avenue. com