That fragrance you wear, perhaps named after a celebrity, may make you feel sexy and irresistible, but chances are the label isn't telling you everything that's in it, according to a new report.
And that could spell trouble, says Jane Houlihan, co-author of the new report, issued by The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics in partnership with the Environmental Working Group (EWG). Some chemicals found in fragrances may be hazardous to your health, she says, yet makers of popular colognes, perfumes, and body sprays often don't disclose all the ingredients found in their products.
''The fragrance mixture itself can be comprised of dozens, even hundreds, of individual chemicals, and those don't have to be listed on the label," says Houlihan, senior vice president for research for EWG.
The report, "Not So Sexy: The Health Risks of Secret Chemicals in Fragrance," includes test results on 17 fragranced products. On average, Houlihan says, the researchers found 14 "secret" chemicals not listed on the label, and she says some of them have been linked to allergic reactions or hormone disruption.
Not surprisingly, industry officials took strong exception to the new report. The new findings, according to John Bailey, PhD, chief scientist for the Personal Care Products Council, is ''another example of a group releasing information without providing all of the information that's relevant. There may be a bit of selective science going on here."
The tests revealed that 38 ''secret'' chemicals were in the 17 name-brand products, with an average of 14 chemicals per product. American Eagle Seventy Seven had the most unlisted ingredients, with 24; Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue had the least, with seven.
When they looked closer, Houlihan and colleagues found an average of 10 chemicals linked with allergic reactions such as headaches, wheezing, or asthma. The researchers found 12 different chemicals they describe as potentially hormone-disrupting, such as benzyl benzoate, diethyl phthalate, and tonalide.
Of the 91 ingredients found, the researchers report, only 19 have been reviewed by the Cosmetic Ingredient Review, which is industry-funded, and only 27 have been assessed by the International Fragrance Association and the Research Institute for Fragrance Materials, which have developed voluntary standards for chemicals used in fragrance products.
According to the report, the fragrance industry has 3,100 stock chemical ingredients to choose from.
Source:http://www.webmd.com/healthy-beauty/news/20100512/does-perfume-have-hidden-health-risks?page=2
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