June 2011 Failing the Sniff Test Chemicals in fragranced personal care products remain a mystery Summary A loophole in Canada’s ingredient‐labelling requirements for cosmetics allows manufacturers to list fragrance ingredients generically as “parfum” rather than disclosing the specific chemicals used to produce or mask scents. Some 3,000 chemicals are used as fragrance ingredients in cosmetics, including substances associated with health and environmental hazards. The David Suzuki Foundation and supporters contacted 42 manufacturers of fragranced cosmetics to request information about unlisted fragrance ingredients in their products. We were not able to obtain a complete list of fragrance ingredients from any of the companies. Only seven of the companies provided information about common contact sensitizers, i which must be identified on the label of products sold in Europe. Only 21 companies responded to our question about phthalates in fragrance mixtures (15 stated that their products were phthalate‐free). These disappointing results underscore the need to strengthen the labelling provisions of Canada’s Cosmetics Regulation to require manufacturers to disclose complete lists of fragrance ingredients and identify sensitizers. Background Canada’s Cosmetics Regulation requires that ingredients in most personal care products be listed on the retail package in descending order of concentration by weight. Except for ingredients used in fragrance mixtures. A loophole in the labelling requirements allows manufacturers to list any ingredients added “to produce or to mask a particular odour” to be listed generically as “parfum”. i A contact sensitizer is a substance that can induce an allergic response following contact with the skin. Subsequent low dose exposures are more likely to cause a reaction. In some cases, exposure to a contact sensitizer can trigger sensitivities to other chemicals, as well. However, we do not want to give everything away as our blends are so special to us, so when you read ‘perfume’ in our ingredients list this describes the mixture of several different fragrances which will remain a mystery. Lush “ ”
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June2011
FailingtheSniffTestChemicalsinfragrancedpersonalcareproductsremainamystery
SummaryAloopholeinCanada’singredient‐labellingrequirementsforcosmeticsallowsmanufacturerstolistfragranceingredientsgenericallyas“parfum”ratherthandisclosingthespecificchemicalsusedtoproduceormaskscents.Some3,000chemicalsareusedasfragranceingredientsincosmetics,includingsubstancesassociatedwithhealthandenvironmentalhazards.TheDavidSuzukiFoundationandsupporterscontacted42manufacturersoffragrancedcosmeticstorequestinformationaboutunlistedfragranceingredientsintheirproducts.Wewerenotabletoobtainacompletelistoffragranceingredientsfromanyofthecompanies.Onlysevenofthecompaniesprovidedinformationaboutcommoncontactsensitizers,iwhichmustbeidentifiedonthelabelofproductssoldinEurope.Only21companiesrespondedtoourquestionaboutphthalatesinfragrancemixtures(15statedthattheirproductswerephthalate‐free).ThesedisappointingresultsunderscoretheneedtostrengthenthelabellingprovisionsofCanada’sCosmeticsRegulationtorequiremanufacturerstodisclosecompletelistsoffragranceingredientsandidentifysensitizers.
BackgroundCanada’sCosmeticsRegulationrequiresthatingredientsinmostpersonalcareproductsbelistedontheretailpackageindescendingorderofconcentrationbyweight.Exceptforingredientsusedinfragrancemixtures.Aloopholeinthelabellingrequirementsallowsmanufacturerstolistanyingredientsadded“toproduceortomaskaparticularodour”tobelistedgenericallyas“parfum”. iAcontactsensitizerisasubstancethatcaninduceanallergicresponsefollowingcontactwiththeskin.Subsequentlowdoseexposuresaremorelikelytocauseareaction.Insomecases,exposuretoacontactsensitizercantriggersensitivitiestootherchemicals,aswell.
However,wedonotwanttogiveeverythingawayasourblendsaresospecialtous,sowhenyouread‘perfume’inouringredientslistthisdescribesthemixtureofseveraldifferent
fragranceswhichwillremainamystery. Lush“ ”
FailingtheSniffTest www.davidsuzuki.org/publications
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Thetermparfummaybeinsertedeitherinorderofconcentrationorattheveryendoftheingredientlistregardlessoftheactualconcentrationoffragranceingredientsintheproduct.Parfumisaverycommon“ingredient”incosmetics–notonlyinperfumes,colognesanddeodorants,butinnearlyeverytypeofpersonalcareproduct.Evenproductsmarketedas“fragrance‐free”or“unscented”mayinfactcontainfragranceingredients,intheformofmaskingagentsthatblocktheodourofotheringredients.Somecompaniesuse“fragrance‐free”toindicatethatnofragrancechemicalshavebeenadded,butthisinformalindustrystandardisnotenforceable.HealthCanadaguidelinestreatthetwoterms(fragrancefreeandunscented)asequivalent.1
There'snowayforCanadianconsumerstoknowexactlywhichchemicalsarecontainedinaproductthatlistsparfum(orfragrance)asaningredient.Europeanregulationsarestronger.Theyrequire26contactsensitizersusedasfragranceingredientsincosmeticstobeidentifiedonthelabel.That'sastart.Asmanyas3,000chemicalsareusedinfragrancemixtures.2Asingleproductcanincludedozensorevenhundreds.Manyoftheseunlistedingredientsareirritantsandcantriggerallergies,3migraines4andasthmasymptoms.5Inlaboratoryexperiments,individualfragranceingredientshavebeenassociatedwithcancer6andneurotoxicity7amongotheradversehealtheffects.Syntheticmusksusedinfragrancesareofparticularconcernfromanecologicalperspective.EnvironmentCanadahascategorizedseveralsyntheticmusksaspersistent,bioaccumulativeand/ortoxic,andothersasprioritiesforassessmentbecauseofhumanhealthconcerns.MeasureablelevelsofsyntheticmusksarefoundinfishintheGreatLakesandthelevelsinsedimentareincreasing.8Laboratorytestsofhumanumbilical‐cordbloodcommissionedbytheU.S.EnvironmentalWorkingGroupdetectedcommonsyntheticmusks(Galaxolideand/orTonalide)insevenoutof10newbornssampled.9
Mostconsumerproductscontainfragrance,anditisanindustrystandardforany"Unscented"producttocontainsomefragrance.All"Unscented"productscontainsmall
amountsoffragrance(usuallylessthan.1%). AlbertoCulver“ ”
Fragranceorparfum?Parfum is the term stipulated in Canada’s Cosmetics Regulation to designate fragranceingredientsthatarenotidentifiedindividuallyiningredientlists.Fragranceisthestandardtermused in theU.S.Oftenboth termswill appearon ingredient lists–e.g., “fragrance/parfum”or“fragrance(parfum)”.
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Consumersdeservetoknowaboutallingredientscontainedincosmetics–includingfragrancechemicals.SotheDavidSuzukiFoundation,withthehelpofconcernedCanadians,setouttogatherinformationfromcosmeticcompaniesabouttheirfragranceformulations.
TheDavidSuzukiFoundation’sFragranceChallengeInthespringof2010,theDavidSuzukiFoundationaskedCanadiansaboutingredientsintheirpersonalcareproductsinanonlinesurvey.“Parfum”wasbyfarthemostcommonlyreportedingredient,identifiedinmorethanhalftheproductswithingredientlistsenteredinthesurvey.Itwasalsothemostcommonlyreportedingredientineachindividualproductcategory,exceptformakeupandoralcareproducts.10WiththehelpofDavidSuzukiFoundationsupporters,wecontacted42manufacturersoffragrancedcosmeticsandaskedthemaboutthefragrancechemicalsinspecificproductsthatlistparfumorfragranceasaningredient.Weaskedeachcompany:
1. Foracompletelistoffragranceingredientsforeachproduct2. Whethertheirfragrancemixturescontainphthalates3. Whethertheirfragrancemixturescontainanyofthe26sensitizersthatmustbeindicatedin
thelistofingredientsundertheEUCosmeticsDirectiveDiethylphthalate(pronouncedtha‐late),orDEP,iswidelyusedincosmeticfragrancestomakethescentlinger.TheEuropeanCommissiononEndocrineDisruptionhaslistedDEPasaCategory1prioritysubstance,basedonevidencethatitmayinterferewithhormonefunction.11Phthalateshavebeenlinkedtoreducedspermcountinmenandreproductivedefectsinthedevelopingmalefetus(whenthemotherisexposedduringpregnancy),amongotherhealtheffects.12Phthalatemetabolitesarealsoassociatedwithobesityandinsulinresistanceinmen.13Aswell,HealthCanadanotesevidencesuggestingthatexposuretophthalatesmaycauseliverandkidneyfailureinyoungchildrenwhenproductscontainingphthalatesaresuckedorchewedforextendedperiods.14PhthalatesarelistedasaPriorityandToxicPollutantundertheU.S.CleanWaterAct,basedonevidencethattheycanbetoxictowildlifeandtheenvironment.15HealthCanadarecentlyannouncedregulationsbanningsixphthalatesinchildren’stoys,buttheuseofDEPincosmeticsisunrestricted.
BelievemewhenIsaythatIwouldlikenothingbetterthantoknowpreciselywhatingredientsareusedtomakeourfragrance,butthefragrancehouses’righttoearnaliving
hasbeenweighedagainstourrighttoknow…. CanusProducts“ ”
FailingtheSniffTest www.davidsuzuki.org/publications
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Theresponse:FailingthesnifftestTable1presentsasummaryofresponsesfromsomeofCanada’smajorcosmeticcompanies.34outofthe42companieswecontactedrespondedtoourinquiry.Whileafewprovidedrelativelyinformativeresponses,manywereclearlyformlettersthatdidnotaddressourquestions.Averycommonresponsewastoreferustotheingredientlistonthepackagelabeland/orcompanywebsite.Unfortunately,thatdoesn’tanswerthequestionasonlythegenerictermparfumappearsontheingredientslist.Somecompaniesaskedustocallahotlinetodiscussthequestions,onlytothentellusbytelephonethattheywouldnotdiscloseinformationaboutfragranceingredients.Insomecases,severalconsumerscontactedthesamecompany(orsubsidiariesofthesameparentcompany)andreceiveddifferentresponses.Wewerenotabletoobtainacompletelistoffragranceingredientsfromanyofthecompanieswecontacted.Severalcompaniestoldustheirfragrancemixtureswereproprietary–thatis,tradesecrets.Somecompaniessuggestedtheydidn’tknowexactlywhichchemicalsareusedintheirfragrancemixtures,becausetheypurchasethemfromthird‐partysuppliers.
OnlysevencompaniesconsistentlyprovidedinformationaboutcommonsensitizersnamedintheEuropeanUnion’sCosmeticsDirective(threemorecompaniesprovidedinformationaboutsensitizerstooneinquiringconsumer,butnottoothers).These26fragranceingredients,whichcancauseanallergicreactioninsomeindividuals,mustbeidentifiedonthelabelofproductssoldinEurope.Yet,Canadianconsumersrarelyhaveaccesstothissameinformation–evenforproductssoldbothhereandinEurope.SomecompaniesunhelpfullyassuredusthattheproductstheysellinEuropecomplywithE.U.regulations,yetdeclinedtoprovidethesameinformationtoCanadianconsumers.Onlyahandfulofcompaniestoldustheyidentifythese26sensitizersintheingredientlistsoftheirCanadianproductlines–includingTheBodyShop,CanusProductsandGilchrist&Soames.TheBodyShopstandsoutforitstransparencyinthisregard:theylisteachsensitizerindividuallyandalsoidentifyitasafragranceingredient.Twenty‐oneofthecompaniescontactedrespondedtoourquestionaboutphthalatesinfragrancemixtures(includingsevencompaniesthatprovidedthisinformationaboutsome,butnotall,oftheproductsinquestion).Manyothersprovidedstockstatementsurgingcustomersnottobeconcernedaboutphthalatesincosmetics,butdidnottelluswhethertheproduct(s)inquestioncontainedphthalates.Fifteencompaniesstatedthatatleastsomeoftheirproductswerephthalate‐free.
Thefragrancesweuseare,ingeneral,obtainedfromsourcesoutsidethecompany.Theirpreciseformulations,whichareoftencomplexandmayincludeseveraldifferentingredients,areconsideredconfidentialinformation,forcompetitive
reasonswithintheconsumerproductindustry. Colgate‐Palmolive
“ ”
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Table1–SummaryofResponses
Doesfragrancemixturecontainphthalates?
(Responsemaybeproductspecific)
Responsereceived
Providedcompletelistoffragranceingredients
Providedinformation
aboutsensitizers No Yes/Maybe Noanswer
AlbertoCulver *
Aveda
Avon
Bath&BodyWorks
BeautiControl
BioOil(AdvancedInnovations)
TheBodyShop(L’Oréal)
Burt'sBees
CanusProducts
ColgatePalmolive *
CotyInternational
LaCoupe(CenturaBrands)
Fruits&Passion
Gilchrist&Soames
GuelphSoapCompany
TheHainCelestialGroup † † † † †
Henkel ‡
Jamieson § § §
Johnson&Johnson * *
Joico
KaoBrandsCanada ‡ **
KevinMurphy ††
LiseWatier
LiveClean(BelvedereInt.)
Lornamead
Lush
Nature’sGate
Néolia(Novartis)
FailingtheSniffTest www.davidsuzuki.org/publications
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Table1(cont.)
Dofragrancemixturescontainphthalates?(Responsemaybespecifictoacertainproduct)
Responsereceived
Providedcompletelistoffragranceingredients
Providedinformation
aboutsensitizers No Yes/Maybe Noanswer
Nivea(Beiersdorf)
L'Oreal
Pears
PierreFabre
Proctor&Gamble *
Purell(GOJO)
Pureology ††
Radox
REHAEnterprises
Revlon
SallyHershberger
Unilever *
WoofCosmetics
YvesRocher ‡ *
TALLY 34/42 0 7 15 6 21* Mostresponsesfromthesecompaniesdidnotspecifywhethertheirfragrancemixturescontainphthalates;however,someconsumersreceivedaresponseindicatingthattheproductinquestiondid(ordidnot)containphthalates.InthecaseofJohnson&Johnson,oneconsumerreceivedaresponseindicatingthatbabyproductsdonotcontainDEPandotherproductsmaycontainDEP.
†AconfidentialitynoticeonresponsesreceivedfromtheHainCelestialGrouppreventsusfromdisclosingthisinformation.
‡Mostresponsesfromthesecompaniesdidnotprovideinformationaboutcontactsensitizers;however,oneconsumerreceivedaresponsethatcontainedthisinformation.
§Jamisonindicatedthatmoreinformationwouldbeforthcoming.**Formostoftheproductsweaskedabout,KaoBrandsdidnotspecifywhetheritsfragrancemixturescontainphthalates;however,thecompanydidindicatethatRoot,SB,Biore,RR,FEBrilliantBrunetteandnewerNGfragrances,aswellasJohnFreidaFrizz‐Ease100%ShineandSecretWeaponarephthalatefree.
††Acknowledgementonly;noresponseprovidedtoourquestions.
Phthalatesarealargeclassofingredientswe’reoftenaskedabout,butnotallphthalatesarethesame.Thephthalatefamilyissimilartomushrooms;justlikemushrooms,some
phthalatesaresafeandsometypesareunsafe. Proctor&Gamble“ ”
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Severaloftheresponseswereceivedarguethatphthalatesandotherfragrancechemicalsareperfectlysafe.Wemayagreetodisagreeonthisissue,butconsumersshouldatleasthaveaccesstotheinformationtheyneedtomakeachoiceaboutwhetherornottouseshampoos,creamsandotherbodyproductsthatcontainsuchingredients.OneofthemostsurprisingresponseswasrepeatedbyHenkel,ProctorandGambleandUnilever.Thesecompaniesinformedusthattheywouldonlydiscussspecificfragranceingredientsifcontactedbyacustomer’sfamilydoctor.Itisimportantthatphysicianshaveaccesstothisinformationtohelppatientswithfragranceallergysymptoms,butCanadiansshouldn’tneedadoctor’snotetofindoutwhatchemicalsareinsidetheirpersonalcareproducts!
ConclusionAtpresent,itisdifficultifnotimpossibleforCanadianconsumerstoaccessinformationaboutthechemicalsusedasfragranceintheircosmetics,someofwhichareassociatedwithserioushealthandenvironmentalproblems.Wereceivedonlyonecompletelistoffragranceingredientsfromthecompaniescontacted.TheseresultsunderscoretheneedtostrengthenCanada’sCosmeticsRegulation.Specifically,theDavidSuzukiFoundationoffersthefollowingrecommendations:
1. Thatmanufacturersberequiredtodisclosecompletelistsoffragranceingredients.Ideally,specificfragrancechemicalsshouldbeincludedonproductingredientlists.Ataminimum,completefragranceingredientlistsshouldbemadeavailableonlineanduponrequest.
2. Thatmanufacturersberequiredtoidentifycontactsensitizersontheretailproductlabel,startingwithbutnotlimitedtothe26ingredientsalreadyregulatedbytheEuropeanUnion.
3. Thatproductsmarketedas“unscented”or“fragrance‐free”betrulyfreeoffragrancechemicals.
Wenormallydonotdisclosethisinformation,asitisproprietary.However,ifthisisamedicalnecessitywewouldbemorethanhappytospeakwithyourPhysicianshould
theywishtocontactus. Unilever“ ”
FailingtheSniffTest www.davidsuzuki.org/publications
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Gofragrancefree!
1. Whenitcomestopersonalcareproductsandcosmetics,optforthosethatdonotlist"parfum"or"fragrance"asaningredient.Nowthatyou'rescrutinizingtheingredientlist,checkoutourShopper'sGuidetoaDirtyDozenIngredientstoAvoidinCosmetics.TheEnvironmentalWorkingGroup'sSkinDeepDatabaseisanotherusefulresource.
2. Signourpetitioncallingoncosmeticmanufacturerstodisclosefragranceingredientsat:http://action.davidsuzuki.org/fragrance‐petition.
3. Beawareofthewiderangeoffragrancedhouseholdproducts,beyondcosmetics.Lookforunfragrancedalternatives–ormakeyourown.DavidSuzuki'sQueenofGreenhassimplerecipesfordo‐it‐yourselfgreencleaning.Forgoairfresheners—theyonlymaskodourproblemsandworsenairquality.Instead,openawindoworturnonafan.
4. Findoutifyour(oryourchild's)school,workplace,placeofworship,gym,localtheatreandotherpublicplacesyoufrequenthaveadoptedfragrance‐freepolicies.Ifso,what'sbeingdonetopromoteawareness?Ifnot,resourcesonhowtocreateandimplementscent‐freepoliciesareavailablefromtheCanadianLungAssociationatDevelopingaScent‐FreePolicyfortheWorkplace.
5. CallonCanada’shealthministertostrengthentheCosmeticsRegulationtorequirecompaniestodisclosefragrancechemicals.Takeactionat:http://action.davidsuzuki.org/parfum.
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Notes 1HealthCanada,CosmeticAdvertising,LabellingandIngredients,http://www.hc‐sc.gc.ca/cps‐spc/cosmet‐person/cons/advertising‐publicite‐eng.php(accessedJune1,2011).
2FragrancedProductsInformationNetwork,“Self‐Regulation,”FragranceMaterialsandComposition,http://www.fpinva.org/text/1a5d908‐96.html.
3Thyssen,JPetal.,“Contactsensitizationtofragrancesinthegeneralpopulation:aKoch'sapproachmayrevealtheburdenofdisease,”BritishJournalofDermatology460,no.4(April2009):729‐35.
4Kelman,L.,“Thetriggersorprecipitantsoftheacutemigraineattack,”Cephalalgia27,no.5(May2007):394‐402.
5MillqvistE.andO.Löwhagen,“Placebo‐controlledchallengeswithperfumeinpatientswithasthma‐likesymptoms,”Allergy51,no.6(June1996):434‐9.
6NTPtoxicologyandcarcinogensisstudiesof2,4hexadienal(89%trans,transisomer,CASNo.142836;11%cis,transisomer)(GavageStudies);NTPtoxicologyandcarcinogenesisstudiesofmethyleugenol(CASNO.93152)inF344/NratsandB6C3F1mice(GavageStudies),NationalToxicologyProgramTechnicalReportSeries(U.S.NationalToxicologyProgram,July2000).
7AndersonRCandAndersonJH,“Acutetoxiceffectsoffragranceproducts,”ArchivesofEnvironmentalHealth53,no.2(April1998):138‐46.
8TheChallengeofSubstancesofEmergingConcernintheGreatLakesBasin:AReviewofChemicalsPoliciesandProgramsinCanadaandtheUnitedStates(TorontoandLowell,MA:CanadianEnvironmentalLawAssociationandLowellCenterforSustainableProduction,2009),http://www.cela.ca/sites/cela.ca/files/667IJC.pdf.
9PollutioninPeople:CordBloodContaminantsinMinorityNewborns(Washingtron,DC:EnvironmentalWorkingGroup,2009),http://www.ewg.org/files/2009‐Minority‐Cord‐Blood‐Report.pdf.
10What’sInside?Asurveyoftoxicingredientsinourcosmetics,DavidSuzukiFoundation,October2010.www.davidsuzuki.org/publications
11StudyonGatheringInformationon435SubstanceswithInsufficientData,FinalReporttoEuropeanCommission,DGEnvironment(Delft,Netherlands:RPSBKHConsultingEngineers,2002),http://ec.europa.eu/environment/endocrine/documents/bkh_report.pdf
12Griffin,S,CancerSmart3.0:TheConsumerGuide(Vancouver:LabourEnvironmentalAllianceSociety,2007).
13Stahlhut,RWetal.,“ConcentrationsofurinaryphthalatemetabolitesareassociatedwithincreasedwastecircumferenceandinsulinresistanceinadultU.S.males,”EnvironmentalHealthPerspectives115,no.6(June2007).
14HealthCanada,“GovernmentofCanadaActstoHelpEnsureSoftVinylToys,Child‐CareArticlesandOtherConsumerProductsAreSafer(NewsRelease),”June2009,http://www.hc‐sc.gc.ca/ahc‐asc/media/nr‐cp/_2009/2009_96bk1‐eng.php
15U.S.EnvironmentalProtectionAgency,“ToxicandPriorityPollutants,”http://water.epa.gov/scitech/methods/cwa/pollutants‐background.cfm
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