Wanderlust Getaway: Wellington Street Art Scene

This week, the ingredient to avoid is:

Synthetic Fragrance

Purpose/Usage 

Combination of chemical ingredients used to artificially scent a cosmetic product.

95% of the chemicals in most commercial fragrances are synthetic compounds derived from petroleum and natural gas, known as petrochemicals.

Why should you avoid it:

Studies have shown that it can cause allergic reactions, headache, dizziness, nausea, eczema, and rash (children tend to be particularly sensitive), respiratory distress (asthma attacks), and possible effects to reproductive system

How to identify on a label:

Fragrance, parfum 

Note: The terms “fragrance” or “parfum” is also used as an ingredient description for natural fragrance ingredients too, read the rest of the ingredient list to determine if it is a synthetic fragrance.

Safer alternatives:

1) Choose products with no added fragrance

2) Less is better: If you are very attached to your fragrance, consider eliminating other fragranced products from your routine, and using fragrance less often.

If something is heavily scented, it is probably wise to avoid it. 

Also avoid products where the list of ingredients is a mile long and contains multiple unrecognizable chemical names.

3) Stick to natural fragrances like essential oils or fragraces derived from botanical ingredients such as: flowers, fruits, sap, seeds or skin of the plant, as well as the bark, leaves, roots, resins or wood of certain trees and not from a lab (synthetic).