Failing the sniff test (PDF) - David Suzuki Foundation

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.
“
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
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.

2
The
term
parfum
may
be
inserted
either
in
order
of
concentration
or
at
the
very
end
of
the
ingredient
list
regardless
of
the
actual
concentration
of
fragrance
ingredients
in
the
product.
Parfum
is
a
very
common
“ingredient”
in
cosmetics
–
not
only
in
perfumes,
colognes
and
deodorants,
but
in
nearly
every
type
of
personal
care
product.
Even
products
marketed
as
“fragrance‐free”
or
“unscented”
may
in
fact
contain
fragrance
ingredients,
in
the
form
of
masking
agents
that
block
the
odour
of
other
ingredients.
Some
companies
use
“fragrance‐free”
to
indicate
that
no
fragrance
chemicals
have
been
added,
but
this
informal
industry
standard
is
not
enforceable.
Health
Canada
guidelines
treat
the
two
terms
(fragrance­free
and
unscented)
as
equivalent. 1
“
Most
consumer
products
contain
fragrance,
and
it
is
an
industry
standard
for
any
"Unscented"
product
to
contain
some
fragrance.
All
"Unscented"
products
contain
small
”
amounts
of
fragrance
(usually
less
than
.1%).
Alberto
Culver
There's
no
way
for
Canadian
consumers
to
know
exactly
which
chemicals
are
contained
in
a
product
that
lists
parfum
(or
fragrance)
as
an
ingredient.
European
regulations
are
stronger.
They
require
26
contact
sensitizers
used
as
fragrance
ingredients
in
cosmetics
to
be
identified
on
the
label.
That's
a
start.
As
many
as
3,000
chemicals
are
used
in
fragrance
mixtures. 2 
A
single
product
can
include
dozens
or
even
hundreds.
Many
of
these
unlisted
ingredients
are
irritants
and
can
trigger
allergies, 
3
migraines 4 
and
asthma
symptoms. 5 
In
laboratory
experiments,
individual
fragrance
ingredients
have
been
associated
with
cancer 6 
and
neurotoxicity 7 
among
other
adverse
health
effects.
Synthetic
musks
used
in
fragrances
are
of
particular
concern
from
an
ecological
perspective.
Environment
Canada
has
categorized
several
synthetic
musks
as
persistent,
bioaccumulative
and/or
toxic,
and
others
as
priorities
for
assessment
because
of
human
health
concerns.
Measureable
levels
of
synthetic
musks
are
found
in
fish
in
the
Great
Lakes
and
the
levels
in
sediment
are
increasing. 8
Laboratory
tests
of
human
umbilical‐cord
blood
commissioned
by
the
U.S.
Environmental
Working
Group
detected
common
synthetic
musks
(Galaxolide
and/or
Tonalide)
in
seven
out
of
10
newborns
sampled. 9
Fragrance
or
parfum
Parfum
 is
 the
 term
 stipulated
 in
 Canada’s
 Cosmetics
 Regulation
 to
 designate
 fragrance
ingredients
that
are
not
identified
individually
in
ingredient
lists.
Fragrance
is
the
standard
term
used
in
the
U.S.
Often
both
terms
will
appear
on
ingredient
lists
–
e.g.,
“fragrance/parfum”
or
“fragrance
(parfum)”.
Failing
the
Sniff
Test
www.davidsuzuki.org/publications

3
Consumers
deserve
to
know
about
all
ingredients
contained
in
cosmetics
–
including
fragrance
chemicals.
So
the
David
Suzuki
Foundation,
with
the
help
of
concerned
Canadians,
set
out
to
gather
information
from
cosmetic
companies
about
their
fragrance
formulations.
“
Believe
me
when
I
say
that
I
would
like
nothing
better
than
to
know
precisely
what
ingredients
are
used
to
make
our
fragrance,
but
the
fragrance
houses’
right
to
earn
a
living
”
has
been
weighed
against
our
right
to
know….
Canus
Products
The
David
Suzuki
Foundation’s
Fragrance
Challenge
In
the
spring
of
2010,
the
David
Suzuki
Foundation
asked
Canadians
about
ingredients
in
their
personal
care
products
in
an
online
survey.
“Parfum”
was
by
far
the
most
commonly
reported
ingredient,
identified
in
more
than
half
the
products
with
ingredient
lists
entered
in
the
survey.
It
was
also
the
most
commonly
reported
ingredient
in
each
individual
product
category,
except
for
makeup
and
oral
care
products. 10
With
the
help
of
David
Suzuki
Foundation
supporters,
we
contacted
42
manufacturers
of
fragranced
cosmetics
and
asked
them
about
the
fragrance
chemicals
in
specific
products
that
list
parfum
or
fragrance
as
an
ingredient.
We
asked
each
company:
1. For
a
complete
list
of
fragrance
ingredients
for
each
product
2. Whether
their
fragrance
mixtures
contain
phthalates
3. Whether
their
fragrance
mixtures
contain
any
of
the
26
sensitizers
that
must
be
indicated
in
the
list
of
ingredients
under
the
EU
Cosmetics
Directive
Diethyl
phthalate
(pronounced
tha‐late),
or
DEP,
is
widely
used
in
cosmetic
fragrances
to
make
the
scent
linger.
The
European
Commission
on
Endocrine
Disruption
has
listed
DEP
as
a
Category
1
priority
substance,
based
on
evidence
that
it
may
interfere
with
hormone
function. 11 
Phthalates
have
been
linked
to
reduced
sperm
count
in
men
and
reproductive
defects
in
the
developing
male
fetus
(when
the
mother
is
exposed
during
pregnancy),
among
other
health
effects. 12 
Phthalate
metabolites
are
also
associated
with
obesity
and
insulin
resistance
in
men. 13 
As
well,
Health
Canada
notes
evidence
suggesting
that
exposure
to
phthalates
may
cause
liver
and
kidney
failure
in
young
children
when
products
containing
phthalates
are
sucked
or
chewed
for
extended
periods. 14
Phthalates
are
listed
as
a
Priority
and
Toxic
Pollutant
under
the
U.S.
Clean
Water
Act,
based
on
evidence
that
they
can
be
toxic
to
wildlife
and
the
environment. 15 
Health
Canada
recently
announced
regulations
banning
six
phthalates
in
children’s
toys,
but
the
use
of
DEP
in
cosmetics
is
unrestricted.

4
The
response:
Failing
the
sniff
test
Table
1
presents
a
summary
of
responses
from
some
of
Canada’s
major
cosmetic
companies.
34
out
of
the
42
companies
we
contacted
responded
to
our
inquiry.
While
a
few
provided
relatively
informative
responses,
many
were
clearly
form
letters
that
did
not
address
our
questions.
A
very
common
response
was
to
refer
us
to
the
ingredient
list
on
the
package
label
and/or
company
website.
Unfortunately,
that
doesn’t
answer
the
question
as
only
the
generic
term
parfum
appears
on
the
ingredients
list.
Some
companies
asked
us
to
call
a
hotline
to
discuss
the
questions,
only
to
then
tell
us
by
telephone
that
they
would
not
disclose
information
about
fragrance
ingredients.
In
some
cases,
several
consumers
contacted
the
same
company
(or
subsidiaries
of
the
same
parent
company)
and
received
different
responses.
We
were
not
able
to
obtain
a
complete
list
of
fragrance
ingredients
from
any
of
the
companies
we
contacted.
Several
companies
told
us
their
fragrance
mixtures
were
proprietary
–
that
is,
trade
secrets.
Some
companies
suggested
they
didn’t
know
exactly
which
chemicals
are
used
in
their
fragrance
mixtures,
because
they
purchase
them
from
third‐party
suppliers.
“
The
fragrances
we
use
are,
in
general,
obtained
from
sources
outside
the
company.
Their
precise
formulations,
which
are
often
complex
and
may
include
several
different
ingredients,
are
considered
confidential
information,
for
competitive
”
reasons
within
the
consumer
product
industry.
Colgate‐Palmolive
Only
seven
companies
consistently
provided
information
about
common
sensitizers
named
in
the
European
Union’s
Cosmetics
Directive
(three
more
companies
provided
information
about
sensitizers
to
one
inquiring
consumer,
but
not
to
others).
These
26
fragrance
ingredients,
which
can
cause
an
allergic
reaction
in
some
individuals,
must
be
identified
on
the
label
of
products
sold
in
Europe.
Yet,
Canadian
consumers
rarely
have
access
to
this
same
information
–
even
for
products
sold
both
here
and
in
Europe.
Some
companies
unhelpfully
assured
us
that
the
products
they
sell
in
Europe
comply
with
E.U.
regulations,
yet
declined
to
provide
the
same
information
to
Canadian
consumers.
Only
a
handful
of
companies
told
us
they
identify
these
26
sensitizers
in
the
ingredient
lists
of
their
Canadian
product
lines
–
including
The
Body
Shop,
Canus
Products
and
Gilchrist
&
Soames.
The
Body
Shop
stands
out
for
its
transparency
in
this
regard:
they
list
each
sensitizer
individually
and
also
identify
it
as
a
fragrance
ingredient.
Twenty‐one
of
the
companies
contacted
responded
to
our
question
about
phthalates
in
fragrance
mixtures
(including
seven
companies
that
provided
this
information
about
some,
but
not
all,
of
the
products
in
question).
Many
others
provided
stock
statements
urging
customers
not
to
be
concerned
about
phthalates
in
cosmetics,
but
did
not
tell
us
whether
the
product(s)
in
question
contained
phthalates.
Fifteen
companies
stated
that
at
least
some
of
their
products
were
phthalatefree.
Failing
the
Sniff
Test
www.davidsuzuki.org/publications

5
Table
1
–
Summary
of
Responses
Response
received
Provided
complete
list
of
fragrance
ingredients
Provided
information
about
Does
fragrance
mixture
contain
phthalates
(Response
may
be
product­specific)
sensitizers
 No
 Yes/Maybe
 No
answer
Alberto
Culver
 
 
 
 
 *
Aveda
Avon
Bath
&
Body
Works
Beauti
Control
Bio
Oil
(Advanced
Innovations)
The
Body
Shop
(L’Oréal)
Burt's
Bees
Canus
Products
Colgate­Palmolive
 
 
 
 
 
 *
Coty
International
La
Coupe
(Centura
Brands)
Fruits
&
Passion
Gilchrist
&
Soames
Guelph
Soap
Company
The
Hain
Celestial
Group
 
 †
 †
 †
 †
 †
Henkel
 
 
 ‡
Jamieson
 
 § 
 
 § 
 
 
 §
Johnson
&
Johnson
 
 
 
 * 
 *
Joico
Kao
Brands
Canada
 
 
 ‡ 
 **
Kevin
Murphy
 
 †† 
 ­
 ­
Lise
Watier
Live
Clean
(Belvedere
Int.)
Lornamead
 
 ­
 ­
Lush
Nature’s
Gate
 
 ­
 ­
Néolia
(Novartis)

6
Table
1
(cont.)
Response
received
Provided
complete
list
of
fragrance
ingredients
Provided
information
about
Do
fragrance
mixtures
contain
phthalates
(Response
may
be
specific
to
a
certain
product)
sensitizers
 No
 Yes/Maybe
 No
answer
Nivea
(Beiersdorf)
L'Oreal
 
 ­
 ­
Pears
 
 ­
 ­
Pierre
Fabre
Proctor
&
Gamble
 
 
 
 
 *
Purell
(GOJO)
Pureology
 

 †† 
 ­
 ­
Radox
 
 ­
 ­
REHA
Enterprises
 
 ­
 ­
Revlon
Sally
Hershberger
Unilever
 
 
 
 
 *
Woof
Cosmetics
Yves
Rocher
 
 
 ‡ 
 
 *
TALLY
 34/42
 0
 7
 15
 6
 21
*
Most
responses
from
these
companies
did
not
specify
whether
their
fragrance
mixtures
contain
phthalates;
however,
some
consumers
received
a
response
indicating
that
the
product
in
question
did
(or
did
not)
contain
phthalates.
In
the
case
of
Johnson
&
Johnson,
one
consumer
received
a
response
indicating
that
baby
products
do
not
contain
DEP
and
other
products
may
contain
DEP.
†
A
confidentiality
notice
on
responses
received
from
the
Hain
Celestial
Group
prevents
us
from
disclosing
this
information.
‡
Most
responses
from
these
companies
did
not
provide
information
about
contact
sensitizers;
however,
one
consumer
received
a
response
that
contained
this
information.
§
Jamison
indicated
that
more
information
would
be
forthcoming.
**
For
most
of
the
products
we
asked
about,
Kao
Brands
did
not
specify
whether
its
fragrance
mixtures
contain
phthalates;
however,
the
company
did
indicate
that
Root,
SB,
Biore,
RR,
FE
Brilliant
Brunette
and
newer
NG
fragrances,
as
well
as
John
Freida
Frizz‐Ease
100%
Shine
and
Secret
Weapon
are
phthalate
free.
††
Acknowledgement
only;
no
response
provided
to
our
questions.
“
Phthalates
are
a
large
class
of
ingredients
we’re
often
asked
about,
but
not
all
phthalates
are
the
same.
The
phthalate
family
is
similar
to
mushrooms;
just
like
mushrooms,
some
”
phthalates
are
safe
and
some
types
are
unsafe.
Proctor
&
Gamble
Failing
the
Sniff
Test
www.davidsuzuki.org/publications

7
Several
of
the
responses
we
received
argue
that
phthalates
and
other
fragrance
chemicals
are
perfectly
safe.
We
may
agree
to
disagree
on
this
issue,
but
consumers
should
at
least
have
access
to
the
information
they
need
to
make
a
choice
about
whether
or
not
to
use
shampoos,
creams
and
other
body
products
that
contain
such
ingredients.
One
of
the
most
surprising
responses
was
repeated
by
Henkel,
Proctor
and
Gamble
and
Unilever.
These
companies
informed
us
that
they
would
only
discuss
specific
fragrance
ingredients
if
contacted
by
a
customer’s
family
doctor.
It
is
important
that
physicians
have
access
to
this
information
to
help
patients
with
fragrance
allergy
symptoms,
but
Canadians
shouldn’t
need
a
doctor’s
note
to
find
out
what
chemicals
are
inside
their
personal
care
products!
“
We
normally
do
not
disclose
this
information,
as
it
is
proprietary.
However,
if
this
is
a
medical
necessity
we
would
be
more
than
happy
to
speak
with
your
Physician
should
”
they
wish
to
contact
us.
Unilever
Conclusion
At
present,
it
is
difficult
if
not
impossible
for
Canadian
consumers
to
access
information
about
the
chemicals
used
as
fragrance
in
their
cosmetics,
some
of
which
are
associated
with
serious
health
and
environmental
problems.
We
received
only
one
complete
list
of
fragrance
ingredients
from
the
companies
contacted.
These
results
underscore
the
need
to
strengthen
Canada’s
Cosmetics
Regulation.
Specifically,
the
David
Suzuki
Foundation
offers
the
following
recommendations:
1. That
manufacturers
be
required
to
disclose
complete
lists
of
fragrance
ingredients.
Ideally,
specific
fragrance
chemicals
should
be
included
on
product
ingredient
lists.
At
a
minimum,
complete
fragrance
ingredient
lists
should
be
made
available
online
and
upon
request.
2. That
manufacturers
be
required
to
identify
contact
sensitizers
on
the
retail
product
label,
starting
with
but
not
limited
to
the
26
ingredients
already
regulated
by
the
European
Union.
3. That
products
marketed
as
“unscented”
or
“fragrance‐free”
be
truly
free
of
fragrance
chemicals.

8
Go
fragrance­free!
1. When
it
comes
to
personal
care
products
and
cosmetics,
opt
for
those
that
do
not
list
"parfum"
or
"fragrance"
as
an
ingredient.
Now
that
you're
scrutinizing
the
ingredient
list,
check
out
our
Shopper's
Guide
to
a
Dirty
Dozen
Ingredients
to
Avoid
in
Cosmetics.
The
Environmental
Working
Group's
Skin
Deep
Database
is
another
useful
resource.
2. Sign
our
petition
calling
on
cosmetic
manufacturers
to
disclose
fragrance
ingredients
at:
http://action.davidsuzuki.org/fragrance‐petition.
3. Be
aware
of
the
wide
range
of
fragranced
household
products,
beyond
cosmetics.
Look
for
unfragranced
alternatives
–
or
make
your
own.
David
Suzuki's
Queen
of
Green
has
simple
recipes
for
do‐it‐yourself
green
cleaning.
Forgo
air
fresheners
—
they
only
mask
odour
problems
and
worsen
air
quality.
Instead,
open
a
window
or
turn
on
a
fan.
4. Find
out
if
your
(or
your
child's)
school,
workplace,
place
of
worship,
gym,
local
theatre
and
other
public
places
you
frequent
have
adopted
fragrance‐free
policies.
If
so,
what's
being
done
to
promote
awareness
If
not,
resources
on
how
to
create
and
implement
scent‐free
policies
are
available
from
the
Canadian
Lung
Association
at
Developing
a
Scent‐Free
Policy
for
the
Workplace.
5. Call
on
Canada’s
health
minister
to
strengthen
the
Cosmetics
Regulation
to
require
companies
to
disclose
fragrance
chemicals.
Take
action
at:
http://action.davidsuzuki.org/parfum.
Failing
the
Sniff
Test
www.davidsuzuki.org/publications

9
Notes
1 

Health
Canada,
Cosmetic
Advertising,
Labelling
and
Ingredients,
http://www.hc‐sc.gc.ca/cpsspc/cosmet‐person/cons/advertising‐publicite‐eng.php
(accessed
June
1,
2011).
2

Fragranced
Products
Information
Network,
“Self‐Regulation,”
Fragrance
Materials
and
Composition,
http://www.fpinva.org/text/1a5d908‐96.html.
3

Thyssen,
JP
et
al.,
“Contact
sensitization
to
fragrances
in
the
general
population:
a
Koch's
approach
may
reveal
the
burden
of
disease,”
British
Journal
of
Dermatology
460,
no.
4
(April
2009):
729‐35.
4

Kelman,
L.,
“The
triggers
or
precipitants
of
the
acute
migraine
attack,”
Cephalalgia
27,
no.
5
(May
2007):
394‐402.
5

Millqvist
E.
and
O.
Löwhagen,
“Placebo‐controlled
challenges
with
perfume
in
patients
with
asthma‐like
symptoms,”
Allergy
51,
no.
6
(June
1996):
434‐9.
6

NTP
toxicology
and
carcinogensis
studies
of
2,4­hexadienal
(89%
trans,trans
isomer,
CAS
No.
142­83­
6;
11%
cis,trans
isomer)
(Gavage
Studies);
NTP
toxicology
and
carcinogenesis
studies
of
methyleugenol
(CAS
NO.
93­15­2)
in
F344/N
rats
and
B6C3F1
mice
(Gavage
Studies),
National
Toxicology
Program
Technical
Report
Series
(U.S.
National
Toxicology
Program,
July
2000).
7

Anderson
RC
and
Anderson
JH,
“Acute
toxic
effects
of
fragrance
products,”
Archives
of
Environmental
Health
53,
no.
2
(April
1998):
138‐46.
8

The
Challenge
of
Substances
of
Emerging
Concern
in
the
Great
Lakes
Basin:
A
Review
of
Chemicals
Policies
and
Programs
in
Canada
and
the
United
States
(Toronto
and
Lowell,
MA:
Canadian
Environmental
Law
Association
and
Lowell
Center
for
Sustainable
Production,
2009),
http://www.cela.ca/sites/cela.ca/files/667IJC.pdf.
9

Pollution
in
People:
Cord
Blood
Contaminants
in
Minority
Newborns
(Washingtron,
DC:
Environmental
Working
Group,
2009),
http://www.ewg.org/files/2009‐Minority‐Cord‐Blood‐
Report.pdf.
10
What’s
Inside
A
survey
of
toxic
ingredients
in
our
cosmetics,
David
Suzuki
Foundation,
October
2010.
www.davidsuzuki.org/publications
11

Study
on
Gathering
Information
on
435
Substances
with
Insufficient
Data,
Final
Report
to
European
Commission,
DG
Environment
(Delft,
Netherlands:
RPS
BKH
Consulting
Engineers,
2002),
http://ec.europa.eu/environment/endocrine/documents/bkh_report.pdf
12
Griffin,
S,
CancerSmart
3.0:
The
Consumer
Guide
(Vancouver:
Labour
Environmental
Alliance
Society,
2007).
13
Stahlhut,
RW
et
al.,
“Concentrations
of
urinary
phthalate
metabolites
are
associated
with
increased
waste
circumference
and
insulin
resistance
in
adult
U.S.
males,”
Environmental
Health
Perspectives
115,
no.
6
(June
2007).
14
Health
Canada,
“Government
of
Canada
Acts
to
Help
Ensure
Soft
Vinyl
Toys,
Child‐Care
Articles
and
Other
Consumer
Products
Are
Safer
(News
Release),”June
2009,
http://www.hc‐sc.gc.ca/ahcasc/media/nr‐cp/_2009/2009_96bk1‐eng.php
15
U.S.
Environmental
Protection
Agency,
“Toxic
and
Priority
Pollutants,”
http://water.epa.gov/scitech/methods/cwa/pollutants‐background.cfm