My Golden Blogs

By Andrea DesJardins
Copyright 1997

Health & Environment Resource Center is pleased to present "Sweet Poison: What Your Nose Can’t Tell You About the Dangers of Perfume." The information provided in this document is intended to introduce the reader to human health issues related to the widespread use of fragrance products. 

Culturally, Americans are enamored with fragrances, whereas our European counterparts are not. Not only are many of the products we use scented, but many products also have a number of scents from which to choose. Thus, not only can you buy a certain product, but you can choose between 'spring fresh,' 'mountain fresh,' or 'lemon scented' versions of that product. 

Americans also love to wear fragrances. This love of fragrance has allowed advertisers to reach their audience by linking fragrance with a desired quality such as 'sexiness,' or 'freshness,' or 'innocence.' This message is so pervasive that many men and women feel it necessary to wear a fragrance in order to be desirable or feel sexy. 

Advertisers and marketers also know that there is a very powerful connection between scent and memory, as well as scent and emotion, and they use this frequently in their promotions. The result is that fragrance is considered a 'normal' component of our everyday lives. 

Many consumer products contain fragrances. These products include personal products (i.e. perfumes/colognes, shampoos, conditioners, hairspray, shaving cream, make-up, baby care products, deodorants, soap, feminine products, etc.), and household products (i.e. cleaners, air fresheners, bleach, laundry detergent, fabric softeners, etc.). 

Perfumes make their way into our mailboxes as well. Many magazines carry "perfume strip" advertisements which waft their odor into the noses of unsuspecting readers. Some companies use scented stationary for their mass mailings. Nobody seems to think that this use of fragrances is anything by pleasant and harmless. 

The problem is that fragrance products are not necessarily harmless, and many can cause some very unpleasant effects. 
Few people realize that there are at least 5,000 different chemicals used by the fragrance industry in the manufacture of fragrance products. Nor do they realize that a fragrance product such as perfume may contain as many as 600 individual