As the holidays grow closer, one gift that will be on many a shopping list is perfume. I used to think that this was the perfect gift for my relatives and friends. There’s no better way to show you care than with the lovely gift of scent. Unfortunately rather than giving a thoughtful gift, I was giving a bottle of trouble. Have you ever thought about what it is that makes  fragrance smell that way?

When I finally found out about the term “fragrance” I had to give up my favorite scents…because my heath and my hormones are much more important to me than smelling good!

When you see the word “fragrance” on an ingredient list of a perfume or cologne, that word alone can mean thousands of  chemicals that the perfume manufacturer isn’t even required to tell you about. Such information is considered “trade secrets.” Well it is time to let the secret out!

Phthaltes are toxic chemicals that mix to create your special perfume scent. These are the ingredients known to you as “fragrance.” Phthalates are hormone disruptors which mimic estrogen and interfere with testosterone in our bodies. Excess estrogen can cause fibroids, cysts, and cancer. Phthalates  also alter and disturb the thyroid, which controls metabolism and all the hormone production in the body. Phthalates are  especially dangerous for pregnant women! One phthalate, DEP or di-ethyl phthalate, has been shown to cause damage to reproductive health in male babies.

Perfume may smell nice but it  really isn’t all that pleasant. In addition to many toxic chemicals that it contains, perfumes  trigger asthma, allergies, and irritation.  It can cause migraines in some people who are simply affected by smelling it.  I few years ago (before I knew all this) I bought a well known fragrance from Sephora. After using for a few weeks, I started to develop itchy red bumps on my arms where I applied the perfume. So as you can see, the chemicals in perfume can also irritate the delicate skin. Speaking of the skin, when you apply perfume all these hormone disruptors enter into the bloodstream directly. All this risk just to smell nice. Now that you know, make an educated decision. There are many wonderful and much safer alternatives available. Stay tuned…I will discuss these in my next blog post.

Stay natural…stay beautiful…go green!

Robin

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