Shop ‘til you drop

    Toluene is just one of many culprits. In fact, up to 400 different toxic chemicals are used in a single perfume manufactured today. Here are some other side effects of the fragrance chemicals found in the products you use every day:

     Impacted brain and nervous system. Because the olfactory pathways provide the most direct connection to the brain, they also provide a fast tract for toxins to reach the brain. Studies have proven that fragrances can impact mood and emotions as well as overall alertness. Chemically sensitive people show signs of anxiety, irritability, fatigue and even hypoglycemia when exposed to certain fragrances. Fragrances can also trigger our immune systems, creating a fight-or-flight response that weakens the adrenal glands and impacts other hormonal communication in our bodies.

    Allergies and asthma. Studies by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration indicate that fragrances not only cause about a third of all allergic reactions, they trigger respiratory problems in three out of four people with asthma. In other words, it only takes one person entering a building wearing a scented product to affect the air quality. Employees in the perfume industry are among those with the highest rates of asthma. Even children who live near perfume factories are impacted: studies found a higher rate of childhood asthma in these communities than in the normal population.

    Hormone irregularities. Many fragrance ingredients are known to have estrogenic characteristics. For example, citral, a common ingredient in fragrances, causes prostate gland enlargement. Not surprisingly, men working in at least one perfume factory in Sweden were found to have a higher-than-normal incidence of prostrate cancer. Another dangerous ingredient is Diethyl phthalate (DEP), a hormone-disrupting plastic commonly found in the tissues of women. When one popular perfume was analyzed, it was discovered that DEP made up more than 10% of this product.

Resources to help you look—and feel—your best

    Protecting yourself from toxins starts with getting the right information. Once you know which products contain the most toxins, you can make healthier choices. Skin Deep, a website of the Environmental Working Group, provides safety ratings and comparisons of more than 14,000 beauty and personal care products and the nearly 7,000 ingredients that form them. Click here to see how your favorite products rate!

     Replacing toxic products with healthier brands may be easier than you think and they often cost the same or even less than toxic brands. Often, healthier, safer products that may not be available in your supermarket are available online. The following websites offer a host of safer products that me and my family use every day—from skin care to cosmetics to household cleaners and everything in between:

• Aubrey Organics (www.aubrey-organics.com) –an incredible line of completely natural, organic hair and skin products devoid of synthetics or petrochemicals.
  
• Burt’s Bees (www.burtsbees.com) – high quality and reasonably priced natural personal care products from cosmetics to hair care.
  
• Evan’s Garden (www.evansgarden.com) –offers makeup and facial care products derived from live plants, pure essential oils, trace minerals and antioxidants, often in whole-food form.
  
• Bee Alive (www.beealive.com)--natural skin care products