REVIVE YOURSELF SHOP
Have you ever gotten a headache because someone sitting next to you is doused in perfume?
Or have you felt dizzy, nauseous, irritable, confused, or fatigued due to fragrances wore by coworkers at the office?
These are signs that you more than likely have a chemical sensitivity to fragrance …
and this is more common than you might think.
So pay attention to how you feel next time you’re exposed to a fragrance …
Because the truth is, anytime you or someone else wears a fragrance, it not only poses a health risk to the wearer but also potentially to anyone around him or her, as they are exposed to the scent whether they like it or not.
Just how toxic fragrances are, is, in fact, a dirty little secret the fragrance industry would rather you not know about.
Hidden behind their “pleasant” artificial scents are typically chemicals linked to hormone disruption, reproductive problems, and even cancer.
Many perfumes sold at department stores, big-box retailers, and virtually everywhere else can easily be described as poison, and this means that you could very well be sacrificing your health by wearing them.
To back this up here are a few interesting stats for you …
- Laboratory tests found a total of 38 chemicals not listed on the labels in 17 name-brand fragrances (such as Chanel, Giorgio Armani, Bath & Body Works, Old Spice, Calvin Klein, and more)
- The average fragrance product contained 14 chemicals that were not disclosed on the label (along with another 15 that were listed)
- Fragrances commonly contain parabens, phthalates, and synthetic musks that may cause hormone disruption, reproductive problems, or possibly cancer
- The exact ingredients in synthetic fragrances are protected as “trade secrets” and therefore do not have to be disclosed on the label
I know, shocking right?!
When you take a deep dive, research shows our powerful attraction to fragrances has been manipulated by advertisers and marketers to sell products for a long time.
This raises some serious health and ethical concerns.
So you may be asking …
How can they manipulate us so easily by the sense of smell?
Well, smell is actually the Superman of our senses.
You may have thought that either sight or sound was our primary senses, but our sense of smell is the only one that comes fully developed at birth.
It remains the primary way children define the world until the age of 10, at which point – finally – sight takes over.
It’s the only sense directly connected to the amygdala and hippocampus, areas of your brain that process emotion and memory and these fragrances companies know this all too well.
Your sense of smell is one of your most primitive senses and is hard-wired deep into primitive areas of your brain.
According to Dr Stuart Firestein of Columbia University, your olfactory system is very closely connected to your limbic system, which is said to contain your most basic drives.
So, it’s not surprising that scent is powerfully connected to both emotion and memory.
If you’ve ever smelt a particular fragrance, food, or scent, and been taken immediately back to a different place and time, then you’ll know how true this is.
Product manufacturers know this too, and as a result, fragrances are added to far more products than you may realise, often to mask the odour of noxious chemicals but also to appeal to your emotional side.
Fragrances are even added to medications (inhalers and sports creams), furniture polish, dental floss, nail polish, paper, some disposable razors, and even construction materials such as paint and varnish.
Dr Mercola writes…
“The term “fragrance,” under US law, actually means a combination of chemicals that gives a perfume or cologne its distinct scent. These ingredients may be derived from petroleum or natural raw materials, or they may be produced synthetically. Perfume manufacturers typically purchase fragrance mixtures from companies that specialise in developing fragrances (known as fragrance houses) and then combine them to create a unique scent.
It is this chemical combination that is typically kept protected as a “trade secret,” while other chemicals in the products (solvents, stabilisers, preservatives, dyes, and UV absorbers) may be listed on the label. So what is a typical fragrance actually made of?
Some common offenders include:
- Parabens: Synthetic preservatives known to interfere with hormone production and release.
- Phthalates: Another synthetic preservative that’s carcinogenic and linked to reproductive effects (decreased sperm counts, early breast development, birth defects) and liver and kidney damage.
- Synthetic musks: These are linked to hormone disruption and are thought to persist and accumulate in breast milk, body fat, umbilical cord blood, and the environment.
The Federal Fair Packaging and Labeling Act of 1973 require cosmetics companies to list ingredients on labels, but it exempts fragrance, leaving consumers in the dark about what’s in such products.”
And, although the laws in Europe & the UK are a little stricter, many of the toxic chemicals and compounds can still be found in these products on our shelves.
Not only do you have to be concerned about your personal use, but you have to be aware of where you’re shopping too, as many stores now use “scent branding” to draw people in, like bees to honey – and KEEP people in.
Customers in ambient-scented stores have been found to shop for 20 to 30 percent longer.
Hotels also use this same trick as the majority now have a signature scent that is pumped through the air in the lobby.
Some hotels take it a step farther, incorporating their scent into linen sprays in guest rooms, cool towels by the pool, diffusers in the lighting, and even on business cards, postcards, and candles, meaning you can’t get away from these toxins even if you tried.
According to Mandarin Oriental’s branding specialists, hotel guests remember what they smell two times longer and more vividly than what they see or hear.
Scent branding firm 12.29, founded by sisters Dawn and Samantha Goldworm, likes to quote a similar statistic that after three months, a person can recall smell with 65 percent accuracy, in contrast to only 50 percent of visuals.
Scent memories are persistent and ingrained. For brands, this is the main reason why they go to such length to create custom fragrances: they provide a powerful tool to build emotional loyalty.
“You don’t viscerally experience a logo the way you experience a scent,” said Caroline Fabrigas, chief executive officer of Scent Marketing who has previously worked for Prada, Chanel and Clarins, and has created scents for the new Baccarat and 1 Hotels in New York, along with more than 200 Hyatt hotels.
The process is similar: Such firms as New York-based Air Aroma bring together a team of interior designers, marketing experts, psychologists, graphic designers, and perfumers, with research and development fees that run from $5,000 to $30,000 per formulation, depending on scope.
“Custom scents are expensive,” continued Fabrigas, “but if you think about the amount of money a brand will use to create a logo, this is just another form of it – and it’s one of the most powerful.”
To back up the fact that these fragrances are highly toxic to the human body many hotels have been hit with lawsuits where they have paid out millions of pounds people behind closed doors, where complaints have ranged from respiratory issues, headaches, skin irritation, insomnia, vomiting, and other adverse health problems.
In fact, the Marriott was Hit with Class Action Over Alleged Use of ‘Dangerous Fragrances’ at Culver City Courtyard Hotel in January this year (2020), when a guest struggled to breath when exposed to their signature scent that was ironically put in place to, “enhance the guest’s experience”.
(Add this information to the prices hotels charge, and, its no wonder Air BnB is doing so well.)
However, avoiding toxic fragrances does not mean that you can’t smell nice when you go out, as natural options are available …
… Although if you are sensitive keep in mind that botanical extracts can also cause reactions in some people.
Organic essential oils are one option you can use.
You can use them in a multitude of ways, and one way is to add them to your own non-fragranced lotion or carrier oil such as coconut oil.
They may cost a little more, but they won’t pose the health risks of synthetic fragrances, and you actually only need to use a small amount to get the powerful healing benefits along with the fantastic smell of essential oils – for example, one drop of peppermint essential oil is the equivalent to 19 cups of peppermint tea.
Of course, another option is to forgo fragrances entirely … in fact, a woman’s natural scent has been found to be more seductive than perfume, scoring another point for the power of nature!
Bear in mind fragrances and scents are only part of this story … with the majority of makeups, hair dyes, deodorants, moisturisers, facial creams etc all being hugely toxic to the human body too.
But that’s for another time.
So, if you want to create and maintain health, my advice would be to steer clear of conventional chemical-based perfumes and fragrances and opt for a natural alternative.
However, as always, the choice is yours.
Health & Happiness
Ryan
P.S. I recommend essential oils from Essential Oil Wizardy because, in my opinion, they are the best in the world.
You can listen to my two interviews with the founder and owner of Essential Oil Wizardry Dr Nick Berry here:
https://reviveyourself.co/104-revive-yourself-dr-nick-berry-from-essential-oil-wizardry/
https://reviveyourself.co/145-revive-yourself-dr-nick…/
You can use the code revive for 10% off any purchases too.
P.S. If you have been struggling with your own health issues and would like to see if or how we could help you then click the link here, fill out the form and Ryan or one of the team will be in touch as soon as possible.
