You walk into the beauty section, grab the latest ‘green’ product and open the tester to inhale the natural scent of Lavender. Er, wait, no…Lemongrass and Lavender….Ginger and Lavender?….Clary Sage then? What is it!? Flip back to the ingredients to see “perfume/fragrance” lingering toward the bottom of the list, hidden shyly between Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract and Ginkgo Biloba Extract. Boo! Not the essential oil listing you were hoping to find. Yet another company latching onto the popularity of the organic buzz by green washing their products using clever marketing and our own consumers negligence for their gain.
So why is scent so important to us?
Scientists have found that the limbic system is the part of the brain that controls the emotional responses of humans. It decodes the information of scent molecules that trigger these emotional responses. Scents are very potent mood enhancers. They bring back memories, tell us if something is good or bad, increase or reduce appetite, excite, relax or repulse us. As an example, Aromatherapists have used the essential oils of citrus fruits to aid people with depression and anxiety. The oils have been used as medicinal aides for hundreds of years
The main differences between essential oils and synthetic fragrance is that essential oils are aromatic compounds derived from plants, stems, flowers and leaves (others are resin from sap and bark) prepared for therapeutic use. They are extracted though distillation, expression or through solvents. Essential oil scents don’t last as long as the synthetic fragrances but have the benefit of helping people therapeutically. Fragrances don’t.
Fragrance has been said to be the leading cause of allergic reactions in cosmetics. Most of these toxic cocktails contain phthalates and other harmful chemicals that can cause of slew of health problems. Virtually everything we find on the shelves nowadays is scented!! According to the book “Beauty and the Toxic Beast” by Julie Gabriel, of the 5,000 materials currently available for use in fragrances, only 1,300 were tested for safety. Scientists believe fragrance contributes to the sharp increase in allergies and respiratory illnesses; not to mention skin irritation and reoccurring headaches.
Our skin absorbs approximately 60% of what you put on it, so why purposely poison yourself when there are healthier, safer options? Mind you, wearing a spray of the latest celebrity perfume or slathering on the “to-die-for” chocolate cherry body butter now and then isn’t a crime! If you can’t handle the thought of never wearing your signature perfume again, keep it! Just wear it out on special occasions.
How can you avoid harmful synthetic fragrances?
- Start by reading labels. Look for essential oils individually or in a blend. Scents are usually found hanging out at the bottom of the ingredient list, so check carefully when scanning through.
- If you are one of those people who are truly sensitive to all scents, then you might want to opt for a scent free product.
- For moisturizing, you can buy Shea butter on it’s own to use as an all over moisturizing balm or try unrefined virgin coconut oil if you are needing something a little bit lighter. Both can usually be found at your health food store.
- Try to become more savvy by utilizing ingredients in your kitchen .Need an eye make-up remover? Grab the olive oil. Chapped lips? Leave a layer of honey on overnight. swollen eyes? Cucumbers!!! Nature has provided us will the tools we need to look and feel our absolute best.
- How about cleaners? Seventh Generation has a great selection of scent free cleaning products if you are looking to switch up your pine-sol and other harsh detergents and cleansers. Another Great idea, especially if you are sensitive to laundry soap, is an awesome new product called Miracle Wash Balls or Eco-Friendly wash Balls. They clean efficiently and you never have to use detergent!! You can find them on-line and in various stores. I got mine at the Bargain Shop for $5.95! Great deal and no synthetic anything! Just goes to show you that “less is more”.
Remember, every person is different, so always perform an allergy test when choosing a product. It doesn’t matter if it’s fragrance, perfume or essential oils. Any person can be sensitive or allergic to any one of these, so always test it out on your wrist and wait 24 hrs. If no redness or irritation appears, then the product should work for you.
I encourage you to research synthetic fragrances for yourself so you too can become a knowledgeable green shopper. Refuse to become the negligent consumer green washed companies are relying on to sell their products. Educate yourself, it’s worth it!
Green washing is everywhere – you are right, we need to be more educated and diligent so that we don’t just grab the same old same old on the grocery store shelf just because it now “looks” green – new packaging and design.