Could your air freshener be more toxic than cigarette smoke? Some experts think so, citing the fact that 95 percent of the ingredients used to create fragrances are compounds derived from known toxins. Trade secret laws have kept these chemicals unregulated—if a company provides an ingredient label, it only need list the catchall term fragrance, even though hundreds of chemicals may make up one formulation.
To keep your home synthetic fragrance free, remember the following when buying scented products:
• Examine the list of ingredients to check that the word fragrance does not appear. Essential oils are usually listed separately.
• Even if the label advertises “unscented,” some manufacturers use masking agents that block our ability to perceive odors; so not only is fragrance still in the product, but even more chemicals are present.
• Since no legal definitions exist for natural, nontoxic, and hypoallergenic, those words don’t always signify a healthier product.
December 2007. Extracted from Alternative Medicine, www.alternativemedicine.com
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