You don’t have to look very hard to come across the word “fragrance” on labels for cleaning or personal care products. Law regulations allow companies to list “fragrance” on everything from laundry detergent and surface cleaners to shampoo and deodorant. But what can be difficult to locate on product labels are the ingredients found in fragrance blends. The label “Fragrance” alone can often be a catch-all for multiple chemicals, some of which may be linked to allergies or other potential health effects.
In fact, the Public Interest Research Group says that approximately 3,000 chemicals can be used to make a fragrance, some of which have been linked to cancer, reproductive and respiratory problems, and allergies.
So, when you look for what fragrance ingredients are being used in a product—whether you want to avoid them or learn more—you probably won’t find them. Fragrance formulas are often protected as trade secrets, and their ingredients tend not to be listed on product labels. Furthermore, the law does not require companies to disclose ingredients on cleaning product labels, including details about fragrance.
The Right to Know
It’s important to remember that listing fragrances on product labels won’t enhance a product’s safety. But what ingredient disclosure will do is give consumers the right to choose what they use in their homes and around their families. When it comes to fragrances, disclosure allows consumers to avoid ingredients they are not comfortable using. Consumers have the right to know which what exactly they are being exposed to, and how to stay away from ingredients that may cause allergic reactions or other health effects.
We all have a right to know what’s in the products we use around our homes, families, pets and ourselves, this is why we at Simple Living Eco list all the ingrdients on our sheets. We have nothing to hide.
So do you know excatly what is in your products when they list something as parfum or fragrance.