Something doesn't smell right, and not just in the Gulf. The horrifying destruction of life caused by the oil spill has everyone's attention; what many people don't realize is that the toxic effects of oil addiction are hitting much closer to home.
Humans have found many uses for oil, but one thing we can't do with it is process it with our bodies to use as food or nourishment. So it's not really a surprise, then, that synthetic chemicals made from oil byproducts don't mesh so well with human health.
You may notice it in the funny, unpleasant feeling you get when standing in an enclosed space with somebody who is wearing too much perfume. If so, you're not alone: adverse reactions to fragrance exposure are reported by a significant percentage of the population.
A new report out today by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics illustrates why. The analysis of 17 top-selling fragrances -- from Britney Spears Curious and Hannah Montana Secret Celebrity to Calvin Klein Eternity and Abercrombie & Fitch Fierce -- reveals the products contain many secret petrochemicals not listed on labels and multiple toxins that can disrupt hormones or trigger allergic reactions such as asthma, headaches, wheezing or skin rashes.
The majority of the chemicals in these products have not been assessed for safety by the cosmetics industry's self-policing review panels.
The study comes on the heels of last week's report by the President's Cancer Panel (see the must-read NYT piece), which sounded the alarm about the cancer risk of unregulated and unstudied chemicals used by millions of Americans in their daily lives. The panel recommended that pregnant women and couples planning to become pregnant avoid exposure to hormone-disrupting chemicals due to cancer concerns.
Many of the fragrances contained these suspect ingredients: Halle by Halle Berry, Quicksilver (for men) and Glow by JLO each contained six different chemicals with the potential to act like estrogen in the body. Synthetic estrogens are a concern because of the science linking estrogen to higher risk of breast cancer.
One wonders if these celebrities even know what's in their products (click here to send these celebs a letter). Average consumers are certainly in the dark, thanks to a loophole in federal law that allows companies to keep fragrance ingredients secret. The companies will argue that they've always kept fragrances secret. But, obviously, it's a new day.
The oil spill is an ever-present reminder that it's time to start doing things differently than we've been doing them. It's time to rethink the petrochemicals we put on our bodies, too -- and to require cosmetics companies to be honest about what's in their products and to use the safest ingredients possible.
It's time to shift every industry away from the toxic, polluting practices of the past; to kick the oil habit once and for all and move the entire economy toward renewable energy, clean production and green, safe chemistry.
Stacy Malkan is co-founder of the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics and author of the award-winning book, "Not Just a Pretty Face: The Ugly Side of the Beauty Industry."
Follow Stacy Malkan on Twitter: www.twitter.com/safecosmetics
It is, of course, shameful on the part of the overseers (the FDA) that they don't do anything to protect the health of the consumer. We spend billions of dollars to 'fight cancer,' but we don't do anything to keep horrible products out of our homes to prevent it.
Even worse is that perfumes and colognes don't only go up our noses, which is horrible for folks with asthma and those with sensitivities to these products, but they are actively distributed by ourselves on our skin, through which they then wind up in our bloodstreams! Ever wonder why so many people wind up suffering from cancer?
Yes, kudos to those legislators who are seeing the light, and who publicly are willing to acknowledge that these products represent a danger to our health. Let's get more of them on board!
WC and MC from Arkansas
Please everyone, help spread the new fragrance report at http://www.safecosmetics.org/notsosexy far and wide.
Also check out this bit of irony: US Center's for Disease Control and Prevention establishes fragrance free policy in all its offices to protect health and prevent indoor air pollution: http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/view/154089
Ann Garrity
President and Founder
Organic Diva, LLC
www.organicdivas.com
Thank you for this blog and for passing on your knowledge. Your book single handedly made me switch my company from synthetic fragrance to essential oils. Most of which are certified organic. The cosmetics industry needs to change and needs to change fast. Having dealt with a partner who went through a testicular cancer battle and won, we now have no toxins in our house. Especially because the mother can pass on these harmful toxins found in fragrance via the umbilical cord to a baby boy which can cause an undescended testicle and in turn be at greater risk for testicular cancer. Which is EXACTLY what happened to my partner. All of this is real and people need to wake up. Thank you again for everything you do.
Jordan Pacitti
http://jordansamuelfragrances.com