I had a thought earlier on today that I'd like to share with you.
We are all gathered here today in this digital olfactory sanctum because we share a collective obsession, we like fragrances. Whether they are for our benefit or of another is irrelevant for the common thread is we purchase products that we like the smell of and then apply them to our skin.
And that's what got me thinking - Our skin is permeable and this is partly what makes fragrances work and gives them that individual appeal but have you ever thought of what goes into that bottle? Is there a difference between what the nose perceives and the body receives?
I came across this article that warns pregnant women not to wear perfume during pregnancy as the research suggests it could cause cancer or fertility issues later in life for the children.
Interesting stuff, eh? Warnings for pregnant ladies but its AOK for the rest of us? Makes you think, doesn't it? Hold onto your scrotums, lads, its goes deeper:
I then found this website that lets you look up whats inside your favourites. Unfortunately there isn't much on there but items like Issey Miyake and Joop score very highly on the toxic scale. Maybe we could flesh out their database to get a clearer picture of whats going on?
My Fu then lead me this way where I picked up this little gem:
Before a digital hop skip and jump landed me here where I read:
Unstudied and unregulated you say? Why those filthy little scoundrels, at least they ensure I get my daily dose of formaldehyde, toluene, methylene chloride, benzaldehyde, petroleum, and phthalates according to here. Mmmm, just what a growing boy needs.
But, boys will be boys - or soon girls as endocrine disruption seems to be the main problem caused by these chemicals according to this source:
Forbes go as far as to say that there are dangers in every day products, including the alleged "green" ones. But they say pictures are worth a thousand words, so feast your eyes:
Graphics source and more info.
See, it wasn't always this way.
Like many other things in this twisted world things have been flipped turned upside down and I'd like to thank you for taking these minutes out and sitting right there as I explain how we got here:
We picked this habit up from the French who used to concoct their fragrances from natural ingredients for the benefit of the landed and titled gentry, who liked to differentiate themselves from the filthy peasants in every way possible. Come the 1940s and thanks to Hitler's efforts many new industries were born thanks to the chemical boom and voilÃ*, the modern era begins with a synthetic overload of toxic poisons, advertising starlets and horny teens attempts to grabs the bosoms of harlots by way of their nostrils.
Ching, ching, ching go the tills as the modern peasants attempt to smell more pleasant and the equivalent gentry of yore now have their names emblazoned above the door and the latter laugh all the way to the bank as the former douse themselves in petrochemical based olfactory equivalents that have never seen a plant but do a damn good impersonation whilst simultaneously poisoning the nation.
Makes you wonder if the real reason behind these silent reformulations is more due to certain chemicals changing their status and no longer being allowed to be used as opposed to "refreshing the range to change with the times" or whatever other PR spin or (usually) silence is forthcoming from the behemoths behind the till.
Now you know why he smiles so, vanity always was the devils favourite sin.
Chin chin and happy trails...
We are all gathered here today in this digital olfactory sanctum because we share a collective obsession, we like fragrances. Whether they are for our benefit or of another is irrelevant for the common thread is we purchase products that we like the smell of and then apply them to our skin.
And that's what got me thinking - Our skin is permeable and this is partly what makes fragrances work and gives them that individual appeal but have you ever thought of what goes into that bottle? Is there a difference between what the nose perceives and the body receives?
I came across this article that warns pregnant women not to wear perfume during pregnancy as the research suggests it could cause cancer or fertility issues later in life for the children.
Quote:
Sharpe, who will unveil his findings at a major conference on fertility in Edinburgh this week, has discovered a "time window" at 8 to 12 weeks' gestation  before some women even know they are pregnant  during which certain hormones in the foetus are activated and the male reproductive system is established.
Sharpe has found that future problems with male fertility including undescended testicles, low sperm count and the risk of testicular cancer could be determined at this time if these hormones, such as testosterone, do not work properly.
Sharpe has found that future problems with male fertility including undescended testicles, low sperm count and the risk of testicular cancer could be determined at this time if these hormones, such as testosterone, do not work properly.
Interesting stuff, eh? Warnings for pregnant ladies but its AOK for the rest of us? Makes you think, doesn't it? Hold onto your scrotums, lads, its goes deeper:
I then found this website that lets you look up whats inside your favourites. Unfortunately there isn't much on there but items like Issey Miyake and Joop score very highly on the toxic scale. Maybe we could flesh out their database to get a clearer picture of whats going on?
My Fu then lead me this way where I picked up this little gem:
Quote:
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 chemical ingredients.
Of the 5,000 different chemicals used in fragrance products, less than 20% have been tested and reported as toxic. Many of those chemicals that have been tested are regulated by the federal government as hazardous materials. The remaining chemicals have not been toxicity tested, so the health effects and regulatory potential are unknown.
Of the 150 highest volume chemicals used in fragrance products, more than 100 can be identified in the air of a room using sophisticated testing techniques. Most of these 100 chemicals are known to be toxic.
Of the 5,000 different chemicals used in fragrance products, less than 20% have been tested and reported as toxic. Many of those chemicals that have been tested are regulated by the federal government as hazardous materials. The remaining chemicals have not been toxicity tested, so the health effects and regulatory potential are unknown.
Of the 150 highest volume chemicals used in fragrance products, more than 100 can be identified in the air of a room using sophisticated testing techniques. Most of these 100 chemicals are known to be toxic.
Before a digital hop skip and jump landed me here where I read:
Quote:
"Companies are allowed to put nearly any chemical into fragrances, with no required safety assessments, and they can keep the ingredients secret from consumers," said Stacy Malkan, a spokesperson for the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics.
Unlike food and drugs, cosmetics can make it to the counter without pre-approval, according to the FDA. These existing regulations predate public awareness on just how hazardous low-level toxins can be, said Malkin. Researchers found an average of 14 hidden chemicals, in group of popular fragrances that included Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue, Coco Mademoiselle Chanel, Calvin Klein Eternity, and American Eagle's Seventy-Seven. The report highlights just how many chemicals have been both unstudied and unregulated.
Unlike food and drugs, cosmetics can make it to the counter without pre-approval, according to the FDA. These existing regulations predate public awareness on just how hazardous low-level toxins can be, said Malkin. Researchers found an average of 14 hidden chemicals, in group of popular fragrances that included Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue, Coco Mademoiselle Chanel, Calvin Klein Eternity, and American Eagle's Seventy-Seven. The report highlights just how many chemicals have been both unstudied and unregulated.
Unstudied and unregulated you say? Why those filthy little scoundrels, at least they ensure I get my daily dose of formaldehyde, toluene, methylene chloride, benzaldehyde, petroleum, and phthalates according to here. Mmmm, just what a growing boy needs.
But, boys will be boys - or soon girls as endocrine disruption seems to be the main problem caused by these chemicals according to this source:
Quote:
Researchers uncovered 40 different chemicals in the perfume samples, in addition to the 51 listed on product labels. Of the 40 ingredients found, only two were listed on the label of every product containing them; the other 38 were unlisted on at least one of the 17 labels.
Each product contained roughly equal numbers of listed and unlisted chemicals, averaging 14 secret chemicals per product. Products including more than the average number included Britney Spears Curious (17), Giorgio Armani Acqua Di Gio (17), Chanel Coco (18) and American Eagle Seventy Seven (24).
The average perfume contained 10 known allergens that can trigger reactions from asthma to headaches to contact dermatitis. Giorgio Armani Acqua Di Gio contained the most known allergens, at 19.
Even more seriously, researchers uncovered 10 chemicals known to disrupt the hormonal (endocrine) system, with each perfume containing an average of four. The perfumes Halle by Halle Berry, Quicksilver and Jennifer Lopez J. Lo Glow all contained seven different endocrine disruptors -- six estrogen mimics and a thyroid disruptor.
Among the endocrine disrupting chemicals were sun-blocking chemicals, the synthetic musks Galaxolide and Tonalide and diethyl phthalate (DEP). Galaxolide and Tonalide, which have been shown to accumulate in human and animal bodies, were found in more than eight of the products. DEP was found in 12 products in concentrations from 30 to 30,000 parts per million, the latter in Eternity for Women. It has been linked to reproductive defects in male infants, sperm damage in men and, more recently, hyperactivity in children.
Each product contained roughly equal numbers of listed and unlisted chemicals, averaging 14 secret chemicals per product. Products including more than the average number included Britney Spears Curious (17), Giorgio Armani Acqua Di Gio (17), Chanel Coco (18) and American Eagle Seventy Seven (24).
The average perfume contained 10 known allergens that can trigger reactions from asthma to headaches to contact dermatitis. Giorgio Armani Acqua Di Gio contained the most known allergens, at 19.
Even more seriously, researchers uncovered 10 chemicals known to disrupt the hormonal (endocrine) system, with each perfume containing an average of four. The perfumes Halle by Halle Berry, Quicksilver and Jennifer Lopez J. Lo Glow all contained seven different endocrine disruptors -- six estrogen mimics and a thyroid disruptor.
Among the endocrine disrupting chemicals were sun-blocking chemicals, the synthetic musks Galaxolide and Tonalide and diethyl phthalate (DEP). Galaxolide and Tonalide, which have been shown to accumulate in human and animal bodies, were found in more than eight of the products. DEP was found in 12 products in concentrations from 30 to 30,000 parts per million, the latter in Eternity for Women. It has been linked to reproductive defects in male infants, sperm damage in men and, more recently, hyperactivity in children.
Forbes go as far as to say that there are dangers in every day products, including the alleged "green" ones. But they say pictures are worth a thousand words, so feast your eyes:
Graphics source and more info.
See, it wasn't always this way.
Like many other things in this twisted world things have been flipped turned upside down and I'd like to thank you for taking these minutes out and sitting right there as I explain how we got here:
We picked this habit up from the French who used to concoct their fragrances from natural ingredients for the benefit of the landed and titled gentry, who liked to differentiate themselves from the filthy peasants in every way possible. Come the 1940s and thanks to Hitler's efforts many new industries were born thanks to the chemical boom and voilÃ*, the modern era begins with a synthetic overload of toxic poisons, advertising starlets and horny teens attempts to grabs the bosoms of harlots by way of their nostrils.
Ching, ching, ching go the tills as the modern peasants attempt to smell more pleasant and the equivalent gentry of yore now have their names emblazoned above the door and the latter laugh all the way to the bank as the former douse themselves in petrochemical based olfactory equivalents that have never seen a plant but do a damn good impersonation whilst simultaneously poisoning the nation.
Makes you wonder if the real reason behind these silent reformulations is more due to certain chemicals changing their status and no longer being allowed to be used as opposed to "refreshing the range to change with the times" or whatever other PR spin or (usually) silence is forthcoming from the behemoths behind the till.
Now you know why he smiles so, vanity always was the devils favourite sin.
Chin chin and happy trails...
