Fragrance is the new secondhand smoke

Did you know the labels “fragrance” and “parfum” are umbrella terms for thousands of potential hormone disruptors, including phthalates, oxybenzone, BHT, Octinoxate, PEGs (forever chemicals), paraben, glutaraldehyde, hydroperoxides, oil of turpentine, heavy metals, and nitro musks? These are all known endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs.)

What’s even more concerning is that fragrance is a common ingredient in most personal care and household cleaning products.

  • laundry detergent
  • fabric softeners
  • plug-ins
  • air fresheners
  • dryer sheets
  • shampoo
  • body wash
  • and even makeup contains fragrance as an ingredient.

Our fragrance-laden lifestyles run parallel with rising rates of diabetes, cancer, neural ailments, and hormone imbalances. 

EDCs (endocrine-disrupting chemicals), also known as hormone disruptors, are chemicals that interfere with the endocrine or hormone system. Our hormones regulate bodily functions such as metabolism, sexual development, and growth. Exposure to even low levels of EDCs can play havoc with nature, particularly at crucial stages of development and during the complex developmental stages before birth. The impacts of EDCs on nature include egg-shell thinning in birds, feminization in fish, malformations of the genitalia in reptiles, and reproductive and immune problems in various mammals.

In humans, EDCs are linked to infertility and reproductive issues, obesity, heart diseases, and hormone-related cancers, such as breast cancer, prostate cancer, and testicular cancer.

How to avoid chemical fragrances:

  • Read labels carefully.
  • Use online databases and apps to know whether products are clean and safe to use or contain hidden fragrances. Some resources we love include ewg.org, ThinkDirty, and GoodFace.
  • Replace perfumes and colognes with natural scents such as essential oils or clean brands.
  • Encourage those around you to make the switch. You are exposed to fragrances that others wear and use.  We ask everyone to be fragrance free for ALL of our health and wellness.

Ways to detox from these chemicals we are all exposed to:

  • Halotherapy (Dray Salt Therapy) helps to clear your lungs of impurities and toxins that we inhale all day, every day, indoors and out.
  • Lymphatic Drainage flushes your body’s waste system to help remove toxins.
  • NanoVi helps reverse the oxidative damage caused by these toxins.
  • Red Light (including infrared Sauna) supports overall detoxification.
  • Chlorella helps bind and remove toxins from your system.  We stock Chlorella Recovery Bits at the Brain Spa or order them from their website and save 20% off with coupon code BAYAREABRAINSPA.
Fragrance is the new secondhand smoke
Dora Vandekamp is a Certified Holistic Health Coach and Emotional Freedom Technique Practitioner. Dora is trained in Holistic Health Coaching, Emotional Freedom Technique, Ancestral Eating, Nutritional Therapy, and Mindfulness-Based Ecotherapy. She is the Host of the Biohack Your Beauty Podcast.