How to Avoid Harmful Synthetic Fragrances

You have to be pretty savvy at reading labels these days in order to really know whether a “green” product is really as natural and healthy as the bottle makes it sound. That’s where I come in! I’m here to help you decipher labels and find the best natural products. Read on to learn how to avoid one of the most toxic ingredients in many home & beauty products- synthetic fragrance.

Why you should avoid synthetic fragrance

If I could tell you just one thing to start avoiding tomorrow in order to improve your health, it would be synthetic fragrance. I wish I could shout it from the rooftops so everyone in the world would hear! Fragrance can often be the #1 contributor to poor indoor air quality in many homes and businesses, and what most people don’t know is that fragrance is not just one ingredient. “Fragrance” on a label is a combination of many synthetic/artificial (made in a lab) chemicals, of which there are thousands of potential chemical combinations. Manufacturers are not required to list what ingredients are in their “fragrance” as it is considered a “proprietary blend”.

Synthetic fragrance can cause respiratory issues, hormonal imbalances, eczema and dermatitis, sore throat and nasal congestion, headaches and migraines, and the list goes on… For some people, including myself, it’s hard to spend time at homes of friends & family when they are using fragrance in their homes. That is so sad!

How to interpret the product label

What you WANT to see on a label in order to avoid synthetic fragrance, is that the product was made with essential oils only or plant extracts. Sometimes natural flavour is used too, and that is usually ok. It is also great to use unscented products.

When a company intentionally chooses to list what their scent is made of, or if they specifically state on their label that the fragrance is made from only essential oils, you know that the company cares about transparency and selling you a product that is actually natural.

The first step in avoiding artificial fragrance is to go straight to the ingredient list. Ignore the marketing claims on the front of the package as they can be very misleading (unless it says “unscented”, which is good). The scent for the product will usually be the last ingredient on the label. Checking this first will be the fastest way to tell if fragrance was used.

What to avoid on a label

Here are phrases on the ingredient list to avoid:

x fragrance (the vast majority of the time, when the word “fragrance” is used, it means synthetic fragrance)

x parfum

x fragrance with essential oils (this means that they used fragrance in combination with essential oils)

x proprietary fragrance blend

There are additional marketing phrases to be cautious of. They are:

x “made with essential oils” (This is a common “greenwashing” phrase and does not mean that they used only essential oils; still check the ingredient list to see if additional fragrance ingredients are included.)

x fragrance blend with essential oils (usually means synthetic fragrance mixed with essential oils)

x Sometimes you will see “natural fragrance”. I usually avoid this because it is too vague. However, sometimes you will see an asterisk (*) and it will say “*made only of essential oils”. When they are specifically stating that only essential oils were used, I’m ok with this. Although, I prefer to support companies that are more specific about the scent ingredients.

What you WANT to see on a label

The phrases below are good and mean that only essential oils were used:

• “blend of essential oils”
• “essential oils of: ______________”
• _______ herb oil, ______ root oil, ________ peel oil, _______ flower oil, etc. (These are essential oils; this signifies the part of the plant that the oil came from. Example: citrus sinensis (orange) peel oil)
• names of essential oils listed, without any other fragrance/parfum/scent listed (Example: cedarwood essential oil)
• “natural fragrance made only of essential oils”

Note: I have come across a couple of brands who used the term “fragrance” on their label, but when I inquire with them about this, they tell me it is made of only essential oils. One company even told me they had to use the word “fragrance” for legal reasons. I’m not sure why there is not a consensus about this, as the majority of companies using essential oils do not put “fragrance” on their label, but I wanted you to be aware that there is occasionally an exception to this. Sometimes it is worth speaking with a company directly to get more information.

Hidden sources of synthetic fragrance

Fragrance is also added to many household items like garbage bags, compost bags, dusters, candles, room fresheners, etc. These products usually won’t have ingredient lists, so here’s where the “marketing claims” have to be evaluated. Here’s how to avoid synthetic fragrance for these items:

• Buy unscented garbage bags, compost bags, and dusters (if you use them). Let’s be real, adding a scent to the bag doesn’t cover up the odor anyway, it just mingles with it and creates an even worse smell! Look for “unscented” on the front of the package. Avoid anything that has phrases like “fresh scent”, “scented”, or “light clean scent”. If there is nothing on the package indicating a scent, it is most likely unscented.
• Candles: packaging needs to say only essential oils used. I often see packages that say “made with essential oils”, which often means that they used synthetic fragrance mixed with essential oils. Your best bet here is to only buy candles where the essential oils used are specifically listed. For example, it might say “essential oils of: sweet orange, clove, and balsam fir”. Or it might say “litsea essential oil, lavender essential oil.” You can always buy unscented as well!
• Don’t buy any kind of room freshener or air freshener unless it says that only 100% essential oils are used. Most of the major brands you might be familiar with, like Febreze and Glade, are using synthetic fragrance, and sometimes adding in essential oils that may be of poor quality anyway. Buy these types of products from brands and companies that make all-natural products.
  • If you typically use plug-in room fresheners, switch to an essential oil diffuser, or a reed diffuser using essential oils.

When in doubt, buy unscented products!

If you’re looking at a product and unsure about whether or not it has scent, my advice is to either 1) not buy it and look for something you are sure of, or 2) buy the unscented version. It is such an easy swap to simply buy the unscented version of something!

If you need help finding new products to use for your home and body care, feel free to leave me a question below! You may also find it helpful to check out my services here, and allow me to find product suggestions just for you!