I am in an a savage, take down mood this morning after going for a workout and leaving with a raging headache and my asthma flaring up, I very rarely get headaches, and my asthma is extremely well managed. So this is unusual for me, as I take care not to use synthetic fragrances and things I know will cause a flare up.
So I asked at front desk what they were diffusing, they sent me the safety sheet of a product from Scent Australia, for Santal 66 oil.
Here’s a screen shot direct from Scent Australia’s website.
As you can see, they state directly, our essential oils are 100% pure and natural, free from synthetic additives or harmful chemicals.
Here’s part of the Material Data Safety Sheet on this product. Where it says a blend of essential oils, aromatic chemicals, solvents and fixatives.
Wait, didn’t they say before that their essential oils are 100% pure and natural?
Then on another part of their website I find this..
Right, so they’re 100% pure and natural on your home page, but then you tell us you stay away from ‘essential oils’ because they can be HIGHLY TOXIC (seriously!?) and you only use synthetic fragrance oils, deemed safe by the International Fragrance Association, which oh guess what, was set up by the GLOBAL FRAGRANCE INDUSTRY in 1973.
What an absolute joke.
In this study published on PubMed, Do Synthetic Fragrances in Personal Care and Household Products Impact Indoor Air Quality and Pose Health Risks?
It was found that-
The increased concentration of fragrances and fragranced-associated VOCs in the indoor air may cause adverse cutaneous, respiratory, and systemic effects such as headaches, asthma attacks, breathing difficulties, cardiovascular and neurological problems, mucosal irritation, and contact dermatitis, as well as distresses in workplaces and public places due to personal exposure to fragranced products [16]
This article on EWG gives great insight. Below is an excerpt-
According to the International Fragrance Association, there are more than 3,500 fragrance chemicals in use today. And exposure to some of these substances can lead to a wide range of health problems.
But companies aren’t required to disclose the individual ingredients that make up a product’s particular fragrance concoction.
Some fragrance allergens will have to be disclosed under a new federal law that passed in December 2022. But the Food and Drug Administration has not yet released the list of allergens that must be disclosed, and the requirements will not go into effect until at least 2025.
Some of the scents in these products originated in nature. But most are the result of a combination of synthetic chemicals, sometimes hundreds of them.
These chemicals are rarely, if ever, listed on the ingredients label. Companies aren’t required to list them, because they’re considered a trade secret. Instead, they’re simply grouped under the umbrella words “fragrance,” “perfume” or “parfum,” or “aroma,” among others.
How fragrance is regulated (it’s not)
The federal government should protect us from toxic chemicals, like some of those found in fragrance. The FDA regulates personal care products, including the fragrance they contain.
But the chemicals in fragrance mixtures aren’t required to go through FDA review before being put into use. Instead, the body that sets standards for fragrance is an industry trade group. Some fragrance allergens will have to be labeled on cosmetics in the future, but those regulations will not be in place for a couple of years.
Scent Australia- your advertising is EXTREMELY dishonest. You should be ashamed.
I have offered the place that I workout at, to drop in some diffusers and some 100% pure (actually, not just a fake labelling gimmick) peppermint and lemongrass essential oil, simply pure plant material, steam distilled, every batch third party tested. I use doTERRA as I know they are safe, effective and do NOT contain a long list of synthetic fragrances and chemicals. Keen to order? Shop here.
I hope they take me up on the offer so I can continue to train there without breathing in that shit!
I really wish we could just go about our days without having to breathe in synthetic fragrances and worse still have companies lie straight to our faces about their apparent purity and safety.
It’s not good enough.
Jessie Reimers
