The fragrance-free movement has a purpose: to wake people up to everyday odours that could be causing everything from allergies to endocrine disruption. Because ‘good’ smells are everywhere: in your detergent, floor cleaner, air-freshener, night cream, soap, and of course, in your perfume itself.
Up in the air
Synthetic (lab-made) fragrances dominate our products, even some of the most expensive perfumes, “because it’s not mandatory anywhere in the world to reveal every ingredient on the packaging — formulations are considered trade secrets,” says Dr Kiran Lohia, Delhi-based dermatologist. These chemicals, often petroleum-based, are detrimental to health: phthalates are endocrine disruptors: they play havoc with hormones, and studies have shown a link between them and PCOS, reproductive problems and more. “The EU has the most stringent norms, with companies being mandated to reveal ingredients that are possible allergens, so if a fragrance is sold there, it’s possibly as safe as it can be,” she says.
Then there are innocuous candles and agarbatti s that give off benzene derivatives, aldehydes, and toluene. It’s best to avoid these at home as kids who are allergy-prone and have asthma are particularly vulnerable. Besides, they are all known carcinogens, says the Children’s Environmental Health Network, a US-based organisation dedicated to protecting children from environmental hazards.
Fragranced products (cleaning supplies, air fresheners) emit terpenes, says a study of both fragranced and fragrance-free consumer products, the results of which were published in Air Quality, Atmosphere & Health . These are the predominant chemicals in volatile organic compounds (VOCs) found indoors. VOCs are gases that have both short- and long-term health ill-effects, including dizziness, fatigue, headaches and an allergic skin reaction, says the US Environmental Protection Agency. You may want to be careful of products labelled fragrance-free, as they may also contain certain chemicals that mask an odour of the ingredients in them. The option: opt for natural solutions, such as lime or soap nut instead of detergent.
Sniff, sniff
All this doesn’t absolve all-natural products. Often, what are said to be essential oils (extracted from plants) are processed with chemicals, changing their nature. The good ones are distilled with steam and/or water or mechanically pressed, and they are used in aromatherapy. This science is both as old as our civilisation and as young as a few decades, because research has not yielded significant results.
Aromatherapy works on the principle of messages being sent to the brain through the smell channel —the olfactory bulb. The National Cancer Institute, US, says that it can be used as a complementary treatment for cancer, to soothe symptoms of stress, anxiety, nausea and vomiting.
Brands that work with traditional practices may promise therapeutic benefits through smell. “Ayurveda does not talk too much about fragrances. There is a mention about being exposed to bad smells causing mood disturbance and a headache,” says Dr Jyotsna Makker, an Ayurvedic doctor at Kama Ayurveda. The traditional form of medicine speaks of the inherent benefits of an ingredient, but not specifically about its smell. “There is a mention of depression and the fact that the room must smell well to help cure it,” she says. So companies that do sell Ayurvedic products will add essential oils, which are highly volatile. This means the fragrance will not last. “To make a fragrance long-lasting, two or three chemicals are needed (usually phthalates),” she says.
However, essential oils may not be entirely harmless. For instance, bergamot oil can cause phototoxicity, and so the International Fragrance Association has regulated the amount in leave-on products applied to sun-exposed skin, says the book Cosmetic Dermatology: Products and Procedures . But if you just hope to get a good night’s rest, lavender oil has been proven to show a sedative quality, while peppermint oil may relieve a headache.
A study in the International Journal of Risk & Safety In Medicine found that essential oils did have some adverse effects. Subjects in a study experienced dermatitis, the most common health hazard. It also found that lavender, peppermint, tea tree oil and ylang-ylang were the chief offenders. “If you’re unsure or cannot fathom why you’re getting allergies, check the Cosmetic Ingredient Database,” says Dr Lohia.
Can’t sort through the jargon and keep track of scientific research? Try and eliminate as many ‘bought’ fragrances as possible. Let the smell of freshly-ground coffee waft through your home.
