EVERYTHING TO KNOW ABOUT FRAGRANCE

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Fragrance in many personal care products has been clinically-proven to cause a number of health problems ranging from skin irritation to more serious health issues including allergic reactions and respiratory difficulties. These hidden ingredients can be especially harmful to more vulnerable consumers like pregnant women.And because the FDA doesn’t regulate ingredients that fall under the term, it can make it more difficult to determine which ingredient could be the cause of an allergic reaction.

WHAT IS FRAGRANCE

The FDA defines fragrance as a combination of chemicals that give products a distinct smell. Fragrance, not an actual ingredient but commonly listed as one, is considered to be a trade secret which means that companies are not required to disclose what’s in it. There can be hundreds of potentially toxic chemicals that cause fragrance to stick to your skin.

Brands are required to use the International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients (INCI) when listing the components of a product. This means that they legally cannot alter the names of certain substances how they please. For example, the INCI prescribed term for water is Aqua, and for Shea Butter it’s Butyrospermum Parkii. Companies cannot change these words, no matter how luxurious or unique their water or shea butter is.

Fragrance is the only ingredient that isn’t regulated by the INCI or FDA.

Here’s why.

FDA REGULATION LIMITATIONS

Fragrances are unique blends of a number of chemicals. Companies create these unique blends in order to appeal to their customers and stand out. These formulas are considered to be proprietary ideas and hence form trade secrets.

The FDA created the loophole of not requiring the breakdown of fragrance ingredients as an attempt to protect these trade secrets. According to the Fair Packaging and Labelling Act of 1996, this was an essential loophole as it protected many signature scents like Chanel No.5. But, in some cases, this loophole is to create unique signature scents, even at the cost of the customer’s health.

For more information on lotion bases, contact us and our team can help answer your questions.

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