Get a "Whiff" of This: Air Fresheners and Other Fragrances
By Dr. Liza Aberle
Does anyone in your family suffer from health problems that aren't responding to typical medical therapies? Consider air fresheners. I don't use air fresheners, for reasons I will mention below, but we can't control every environment we are in. And maybe we should.
I was recently exposed to different types of air fresheners at work for a few weeks. Someone in the building was using something nasty. Our first goal was to find who was doing it and help them learn more about safer options. It's always best to be neighborly.
During this exposure, I noticed that I started feeling off, experiencing brain fog and headaches, which prompted me to look into information on this topic and to share what I found. Especially at this time of year, when season scents are all over. But did you know that those holiday scents you are tempted to buy might be causing health problems for your family?
What I found was shocking. Usually, people check the label and expect accurate ingredient listings. However, with fragrances, accuracy or even honesty is optional. I already knew how to limit exposure to environmental toxins, but did you know that in the United States, no laws mandate the disclosure of all ingredients in fragrance products?. Companies can omit or even lie about what is in their products.
This absence of regulation allows companies to conceal hazardous chemicals potentially. This lack of transparency extends beyond air fresheners, encompassing cleaning supplies and personal care products. These products can emit a range of volatile organic compounds, including terpenes, formaldehyde, phthalates, and 1,4-dichlorobenzene, to name a few. For example, exposure to VOC vapors can cause a variety of health effects, including eye, nose, and throat irritation; headaches and loss of coordination; nausea; and damage to the liver, kidneys, or central nervous system. Some VOCs are suspected or proven carcinogens.
One study revealed that fewer than 3% of toxic or hazardous chemicals were disclosed on labels, Material Safety Data Sheets, or websites. These compounds are known to cause various symptoms, including but not limited to headaches, loss of coordination, neurological problems, mucosal symptoms, nausea, asthma, wheezing, contact dermatitis, and disruptions to the endocrine system by mimicking the body's hormones in addition to their potential to cause cancer.
Even scarier is that even when a product is labeled as "fragrance-free," it can still contain phthalates. This affects adults and children, whose developing brains, lungs, immune systems, and other bodily defenses are less developed than adults due to their still-developing body pathways.4 Children also have increased exposure due to hand-to-mouth behaviors and spending more time playing on floors.
Research suggests that the rising levels of environmental exposure may be contributing to the increase in childhood cancer, asthma, and autism in America.
In my quest for answers, I came across a nonprofit organization, the EWG(Environmental Working Group), which has a website where over 2,100 products with fragrances are rated from A to F. This organization research labels, websites, disclosure documents, and Material Safety Data Sheets from the companies producing these products. You can visit their website to search for specific products and view their ratings. Within the rating system, the products are decoded to show the chemicals present and the potential adverse effects they may cause. This is a valuable tool to identify hazardous products in your household. The website is https://www.ewg.org/guides/cleaners/.
So, what else can be done? Essential oils are an excellent way to deodorize spaces, so consider getting a good diffuser and your favorite oil scents. Making your own cleaning supplies with vinegar, baking soda, and other natural ingredients is another way to reduce fragrance exposure. Replacing dryer sheets with dryer balls to reduce static in clothes or using soap nuts as an alternative to laundry detergent can also help.
As a bonus, these simple suggestions also save money over the long run. Look at it as a win-win-win. You save money. You save your family's health. You save the environment. And honestly, creating your own scent "landscape" and personal scent palette you love is more fun.
Please see below if you are interested in the science behind my recommendations. I am always available to chat with patients at my clinic, so call us if you have questions about any of your health issues. FYI, our clinic uses powerful filtration, and we have also added nighttime ozone due to our recent scent issues.
References:
Steinemann A. Fragranced consumer products: Exposures and effects from emissions. Air Qual Atmos Health. 2016;9(8):861-866. doi: 10.1007/s11869-016-0442-z. Epub 2016 October 20. PMID: 27867426; PMCID: PMC5093181.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency | US EPA. Accessed November 4, 2023. https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2017-10/documents/niehs_epa_childrens_centers_impact_report_2017_0.pdf
Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs). Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. Accessed November 4, 2023. https://www.pca.state.mn.us/pollutants-and-contaminants/volatile-organic-compounds-vocs
Air fresheners: What you need to know - the official website for the... Accessed November 4, 2023. https://nj.gov/health/ceohs/documents/ccc-toolkit/ccc_air fresheners.pdf
NIEHS/EPA Children's Environmental Health and Disease Prevention. Accessed November 4, 2023. https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2017-10/documents/niehs_epa_childrens_centers_impact_report_2017_0.pdf
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