Earth Day, Every Day - Tip # 19 - Scented OR Unscented?

More and more products are available scented, and not just that perfume your co-worker is wearing, or that candle on the counter... think trash bags... makeup... hair care... pens... cleaning products... fabric softeners... Somewhere along the line we've been lead to believe that scented is better, but is it?

To begin with, fragrances can be made from natural or synthetic compounds and the US government doesn't require safety testing either way, nor does it require that the ingredients used in fragrances be identified on product labels... it's privileged info.

Secondly, a "fragrance" can contain VOCs (volatile organic compounds) and/or phthalates (no, they're not just in plastics).

As for avoiding fragrance, for some things it's easy. If it reeks or states that it's scented, choose one that's not. But unfortunately, it's not that simple for all products. Your favorite facial cleanser or toner may not mention fragrance, yet contain it, so choose your companies carefully and check out the EWG or National Institutes of Health Consumer Products Database websites for help finding products.