You’d think that perfume would be made from what it smells like. A scent redolent of lilies must be made from lilies, right?

Wrong.

Modern perfumes are almost always made from synthetic fragrances that are most commonly synthesized from petroleum distillates.

In the late 19th century the first synthetic fragrance was created (from coal-tar) in a laboratory. Not only did this greatly expand the perfumer’s repertory of scents to work with, but it also democratized the availability of perfume by making it so much cheaper to produce.

Very costly raw natural materials (like ambergris, musk and rare botanicals) that had been used to create luxury perfumes were now simply whipped up in the lab using dredged waste byproducts of the industrial revolution. It also allowed for the creation of scents that perfumers were unable to capture before–such as the smell of lilac and lily.

A1991 study performed by the EPA found that numerous potentially hazardous chemicals are commonly used in fragrance, including acetone, benzaldehyde, benzyl acetate, benzyl alcohol, camphor, ethanol, ethyl acetate, limonene, linalool, and methylene chloride.

According to Material Data Safety Sheets, when inhaled these chemicals can cause central nervous system disorders, dizziness, nausea, slurred speech, drowsiness, irritation to the mouth, throat, eyes, skin, and lungs, kidney damage, headache, respiratory failure, ataxia, and fatigue, among other things.

Since perfumes are applied to the skin, repeated exposure of relatively concentrated doses may contribute substantially to our overall exposure to these chemicals. And because of the high-volume use of these chemicals, they have become widely distributed through both the natural and the urban environment-endangering natural ecosytems while also further increasing our exposure to them.

The FDA does little to regulate the cosmetics industry, and “fragrance” is considered a trade secret and thus ingredient disclosure is not even required. Only a handful of ingredients are banned and personal care products and cosmetics do not require approval or testing before hitting the shelves.

The good news is that there is an alternative, and I am happy to announce that I am offering that alternative – perfume made from natural materials. Not only are natural perfume ingredients more in harmony with the body, but they are often therapeutic.

carollanne crichton, formulary
...........................................guilford connecticut usa ..203.453.1445