Power of Perfume
Perfume can be alluring but what is actually in the bottle?
Buying perfume at Duty Free or in a smart department store can feel good... or used to, until I learnt that what is in the bottle is, thought to be, less glamorous than the adverts portray.
According to an article in The Ecologist recently, up to 97 per cent of the cost of producing a conventional perfume goes on marketing, packaging and advertising. The liquid in the bottle can represent as little as 3 per cent of the total cost of production! Thus the $75 bottle of perfume actually cost $2.25 to make, thus someone is making a profit from you.
What about synthetic
chemicals in perfume?
Conventional perfumes now are rarely essential oils but a combination of synthetic chemicals thought to be similar to those in foods, such as that barbeque taste or apple flavoured sweet/candy.
Synthetic chemicals have been linked with many detrimental health issues. An article in The Times, London [1] wrote "Scientists have found high levels of a chemical blamed for causing infertility in some of the best-known perfumes and cosmetics." it went on to list the synthetic chemical that was of most concern is di-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP).
Phthalate concerns
Many studies have shown that phthalate exposure is detrimental to health, be it fertility or genital abnormalities. A recent film on Canadian television called Disappearing Males further investigates the synthetic chemical and genital abnormality correlation.
Theo Colburn in her book "Our Stolen Future" [2], co-written with Dianne Dumanoski and John Peterson Myers, says phthalates are implicated widely, by recent studies, in hormone distruption. These phthalates are not listed on the label, as 'fragrance' can cover a multitude of ingredients and, by law, the manufacturer need not list precisely what is in the bottle on the label!
What is the alternative?
The alternative is to
search for a genuinely certified organic perfume. Currently,
I use Miessence perfumes, there are six
to choose from; Love, Calm, Free, Delicious, Brave and Wild.
The scent I like to wear changes daily! The certified organic
Miessence perfumes are made from certified organic jojoba oil and
certified organic essential oils.
I also like Maoli perfumes, the ones I tried; "Rose Candy cream" perfume and "Colonia Dulce", are really quite sweet smelling and remind me of a beach holiday! The ingredients are essential oils and grape alcohol, or shea butter for the solid perfumes.
I had given up on wearing perfume for about three years, as I did not wish to use conventional scent but now I simply love wearing perfume again, having found an alternative, to conventional perfumes, to use.
For the month of February 2010 there is 20% off Miessence certified organic perfume!
The offer is on full size bottles of Miessence perfumes. Simply use the code 'cupid' when shopping.
Feeling good and smelling delicious need not be a spray into the unknown world of synthetic chemicals when such great alternatives exist. Next time you are buying perfume consider what might be in the bottle.
References:
[1] Times Online, 'Top Perfumes linked to cancer scare chemical.' November 24th 2002
[2] "Our Stolen Future" by Theo Colburn. website Our Stolen Future.
Safe Cosmetics Fragrance information
As an independent representative with Miessence, I do benefit from the sale of certified organic perfume.
Tags: phthalates, perfume, synthetic chemicals, Miessence perfumes