This blog is part of a series on chemical ingredients that are commonly used in consumer products.
“Fragrance” is a common ingredient on consumer product labels that indicates the product is scented. Although it’s often noted as a single ingredient, “fragrance” is actually an umbrella term for a combination of chemicals that produces a desired aroma.
Understanding the nature of the chemicals in fragrances, their uses, and potential safety concerns can help you make informed choices about the products you bring into your home.
Here, we’ll explore the composition of fragrances, their applications, safety considerations, and ways to minimize your exposure.
Fragrance Ingredients and Safety
The term “fragrance” on ingredient labels is a catch-all for a mixture of chemicals designed to give products a specific scent. These mixtures can contain anywhere from a few to several hundred individual chemicals. Because the formulas can be considered trade secrets, companies often are not required to publicly disclose the specific chemicals used in their fragrances.
Green Seal reviews every chemical used in a product’s formula, including the chemicals used in fragrances, to ensure certified products meet a high standard for protecting people and the planet.
Fragrance ingredients commonly include synthetic chemicals that provide a distinctive aroma and that stabilize and prolong scents. Here are some common chemicals used in fragrances, and their associated health impacts. None of these are permitted in Green Seal Certified products:
- Phthalates, such as diethyl phthalate (DEP), are often used to help scents last longer. They are associated with endocrine disruption and other health issues
- Synthetic musks, like galaxolide and tonalide, provide products with a long-lasting scent. They are endocrine disruptors, which can affect human development, growth and metabolism
- Aldehydes are commonly used to produce fruity scents, but some, like Acetaldehyde, are known carcinogens
- Styrene is used to make fragrances last longer. It is a carcinogen, reproductive toxin, neurotoxin, and asthmagen
Fragrance blends may contain natural ingredients like essential oils, though these are often mixed with synthetic chemicals to enhance or stabilize the scent. Even on their own, many essential oils can be skin sensitizers that cause uncomfortable allergic reactions.
Overall, the complexity and lack of transparency around fragrance ingredients can pose a risk to consumers with chemical sensitivities by triggering symptoms such as headaches, respiratory issues, and skin irritation.
Where You’re Likely to Find Fragrance in Products
Fragrances are used across a wide range of consumer products. In personal care items, you can find fragrances in perfumes, colognes, shampoos, conditioners, lotions, and deodorants, to name a few. These scents are designed to provide a pleasant sensory experience and are a significant factor in the appeal of these products.
Fragrances also are prevalent in household products including cleaners, laundry detergents, fabric softeners, and air fresheners. Even products like trash bags and diapers can contain added fragrances to mask odors.
The pervasive use of fragrances in everyday items means that exposure to these chemicals is almost unavoidable.
How to Avoid Harmful Fragrance Chemicals
It is difficult to avoid fragrance altogether, but you can minimize your exposure to harmful fragrance chemicals by taking the following steps:
- Buy products from brands that prioritize transparency and disclose their fragrance ingredients.
- Look for Green Seal Certified products, which are formulated with safer ingredients.
- Look closely at “fragrance-free” marketing claims, as these claims are not regulated. Some of these products may contain essential oils or other fragrance ingredients.
Be wary of items labeled as “unscented,” as they may still contain masking agents that neutralize odors without imparting a noticeable scent.