Can Fragrance make you sick?

Many candles and cosmetic products available today feature beautiful, luxurious scents that can transport the mind and body to another realm. The connection between mind, body, and spirit is closely linked to the sense of smell, as discussed in previous blogs.

While exploring product ingredients, attention was drawn to the process of creating synthetic fragrances. Curiosity about how these captivating scents are crafted led to the discovery of a label listing the ingredient 'Phthalate.'

A significant proportion of scented candles and cosmetics on the market contain phthalates, chemicals added to enhance fragrance strength and longevity. Phthalates are also used to make plastics more durable. Research has shown that phthalates are associated with health concerns, including hormone disruption, mental health issues, sensory loss, and infertility. Despite these risks, many companies continue to use phthalates in fragrance oils, and some individuals making cosmetics or bath and body products may use them unknowingly due to a lack of research.

The issue with this chemical in products is that as the candle burns, the phthalates enter the air and can interfere with mental function and actually impact your health. It can trigger asthma and sinus irritation as well as allergies. If used in cosmetic products, it is absorbed into the skin. 

For those who use fragrance oils to manufacture product, ask your scent provider if the fragrance you choose contains phthalates. Hopefully they have this mentioned on their website or product labels already but if not a simple email or call to their head office will be an easy way to find out. 

For those who buy scented products, you can ask the manufacturer, hopefully they already have the answer from stringent research before making and selling that product.

Believe it or not, one whiff of a strong candle can send you backwards in mental health, emotions, motivation and mood, it can induce migraines and issues with your vision and can even impact how you taste food and fluid…. Can you imagine what it's doing to your body when it is applied to your skin??? See links below!!

• Link: Phthalates and human health-  https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9032/9/5/603 
  
  
• Link: International Fragrance Association-  https://ifrafragrance.org/about-ifra/introduction 
  
  
• Link: Centers for Disease control and Prevention-  https://www.cdc.gov/biomonitoring/Phthalates_FactSheet.html 
  
  
• Link: Screening for biomarkers- infertility and phthalates exposure. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41370-022-00517-7#:~:text=In%20couples%20attempting%20to%20conceive,1%20year)%20%5B12%5D. 

• Link: Australia Bans Phthalates in children's products- https://www.productsafety.gov.au/product-safety-laws/safety-standards-bans/product-bans/dehp-in-childrens-plastic-items#:~:text=Items%20containing%20more%20than%201,phthalate%20(DEHP)%20are%20banned.