Sweet Poison: the dangers of Perfume

Sweet Poison: What Your Nose Can't Tell You About The Dangers of Perfume, by Andrea DesJardins, Health Environmental Resource Center, www.herc.org - 1997
Fragrance is a common indoor air pollutant, and synthetic fragrance compounds accumulate in human tissue and are found in breast milk. The Institute of Medicine placed fragrance in the same category as secondhand smoke in triggering asthma in adults and school age children. According to the latest information from the National Institute of Health, 26.3 million people in the U.S. have been diagnosed with asthma. An estimated 5.72 million people in the U.S. have a skin allergy to fragrance, and fragrance is the number one cause of allergies to cosmetics and laundry products. Sinus problems and migraine headaches may be negatively impacted by exposure to scented products. Though scented products directly impact the health of many, there is little public awareness of this impact. The ingredients in the fragrance portion of products do not have to be revealed. People generally perceive scented products as pleasant; a harmless means of self-expression and certainly not a significant health concern.