Fragrances are chock-full of toxic ingredients. Fragrance is considered a 'trade secret' so companies legally don't have to list the dozens or even hundreds of synthetic compounds it contains. According to EWG, fragrance secrecy is legal due to a giant loophole in the Federal Fair Packaging and Labeling Act of 1973, which requires companies to list cosmetics ingredients on the product labels but explicitly exempts fragrance. By taking advantage of this loophole, the cosmetics industry has kept the public in the dark about the 3,100 ingredients in fragrance, even those that present potential health risks or build up in people's bodies.
It gets worse. Fragrance usually contains some sort of animal urine, whale vomit, or even paste secreted from the anal gland of the civet cat. These are used as the base of the fragrance and act as odor carriers. Some companies stopped using animal ingredients in the 90's, but a lot still use them.
Fragrance mixes have been associated with allergies, dermatitis, respiratory distress, and potential side effects on the reproductive system. They are also linked to cancer, birth defects, and nervous system disorders.
If you can't part with your perfume, spray it on your clothes instead of on your skin. Stay away from roller balls and splash bottles. Stick to spray bottles and spray it on your shirt and never directly on the skin. Many cosmetics labeled "unscented" still contain fragrance so always be sure to read the label.
