Why Fragrances are Poisoning You
Some of my clients ask me why we require air fresheners, wall plug-ins, candle wax burners and Essential oil diffusers to be UNPLUGGED 24 HOURS BEFORE OUR ARRIVAL. This article explains just one facet of WHY we ask that of our clients.
Keep in mind, I am a certified natural health practitioner with plans to finish my Doctorate of Naturopathy. One of the advantages of my natural health education/background is the education I can offer our clients on preventive, natural health tips. That being said, one of my main goals as an employer is to keep my employee's safe.
Women love to smell pretty. They love their homes to smell pretty. Their cars to smell pretty. Their hair to smell pretty. Their lip gloss to smell pretty. Their skin to smell pretty. Their household cleaners to smell pretty. And its not just women...men are just the same (minus the "pretty" and more like "hubby-hubba!") Our children think its great fun to get a scented marker or a scratch-n-sniff sticker!
But do you really KNOW what these smells are doing to your body? Chances are, NO. You don't.
So how does a "pretty" smell POISON your body? Listen up. Tuck this bit of information in your brain and lock in the information because it could save your hormones! The biggest culprit is:
PHTHALATES. Yes, PHTHALATES. You may be wondering...what the heck are those?
Read below to find out WHAT phthalates are and WHY phthalates in synthetic fragrances puts you and your loved ones in danger of long-term health concerns.
To Good Health,
Misty
The article below is taken from Mindbodygreen.com.
1. Phthalates are hiding in synthetic perfumes.
Phthalates are associated with serious health issues, but you won’t find them listed on the labels. Ingredients in perfumes are considered a trade secret, so manufacturers can hide hundreds of chemicals under the term “fragrance.” The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics found phthalates in 70% of the perfumes they tested, but they weren't listed on any of the labels.
2. Phthalates are known hormone disruptors.
We’ve heard that hormone disruptors are bad, but what exactly do they do?
A hormone disruptor is a synthetic chemical that when absorbed into the body acts like a hormone. Phthalates effect our hormones by either mimicking or blocking our bodies natural hormones, which leads to disruption of the body’s normal functions. Our bodies produce small amounts of hormones every day, so even slight variations in hormone levels can lead to problems like infertility, metabolic issues, breast cancer, birth defects, diabetes, obesity and more. A recent study from Brigham and Women's Hospital linked phthalates to an increased risk for preterm birth.
For the men in our life, increased phthalate levels have been linked to infertility and decreased sperm count.
For our children, phthalates have been linked to obesity, asthma, behavioral problems, genital changes in boys and early puberty in girls.
A big price to pay for smelling pretty?
4. Avoiding perfume is the most effective way to decrease phthalate exposure.
A recent study tested the urine of pregnant women and found women who used perfume had phthalate concentrations 167 percent higher than non-users.
5. There are natural alternatives (that you will love!).
Avoiding phthalate-loaded perfumes doesn’t mean we have to forgo beautiful scents. Natural perfumes made from essential oils and botanical ingredients are free of synthetic fragrances and other chemicals. Read the labels and look for brands that list natural oils, plants, or specifically state they don’t contain phthalates. Any time you see the ingredient “fragrance” listed on a label, assume phthalates are also present.
Are synthetic perfumes worth the risk? Getting the phthalates out of our bodies means a reduced risk of serious health issues. By choosing natural perfumes we can make a big difference in our exposure to hormone-disrupting chemicals, and to those around us. Small changes in the products we use does make a difference.
Have fun exploring new, natural, signature scents!
MINDBODYGREEN.COM
