Fragrance is a chemical mixture that gives personal care, cleaning and other products their unique smell. Manufacturers aren’t required to list fragrance ingredients on the product label, and exposure to some fragrance chemicals can cause a range of health harms, including allergies, asthma, dermatitis, reproductive problems, and cancer.
Fragrances are a mix of more than 3,500 chemicals, and they scent more than just perfumes and colognes. They’re in the air we breathe and the products we use everyday, from shampoo to laundry detergents to scented soap. They also appear in many household cleaning and beauty products as well as a host of other consumer and industrial goods, from food to furniture to car air fresheners. Fragrance chemicals can cause allergic reactions, and some of them can even be toxic to the environment.
The word “fragrance” on the label of a cosmetic or personal care product refers to an undisclosed mixture of scent chemicals, along with ingredients like fragrance dispersants and stabilizers. The chemical composition of a fragrance can change from batch to batch, as some manufacturers add more or less of a particular ingredient to achieve the desired effect or to save money.
A fragrant extract is a concentrated aromatic compound obtained from a plant, flower, or spice, or made synthetically. Perfumes and colognes are liquid mixtures that are applied to the skin to emit a pleasant aroma. These mixtures can be used to keep body odor under control, boost self-esteem and confidence, or make a person more attractive.
Perfumes are classified into five main groups loosely based on their concentration of aromatic compounds. Perfumes containing the highest concentration of oils are known as parfum (Parfum). Perfumes with lower oil concentrations are referred to as eau de toilette or Eau de Parfum, and those with the lowest are called eau de Cologne.
Manufacturers create a fragrance by adding different parts of a plant, such as leaves, flowers, bark, fruit, or seeds to a solvent. The solvent then dissolves the fragrant extract into a base, which may be alcohol or a neutral-smelling oil, such as fractionated coconut oil or jojoba oil. The oil is then mixed with a fragrance-dispersant and additives, such as a colorant or preservative.
Natural scents vary in their composition from supplier to supplier because of the different times, places, and methods used to grow, harvest, or extract them. This makes it easy for unscrupulous suppliers to adulterate the raw materials by adding a fragrance that is more desirable than the original, or altering the contents of the scent (such as substituting Indian jasmine for French Grasse jasmine). The final product then becomes an adulterated perfume rather than a pure perfume. The same is true of synthetic fragrances, and nanonoses can detect these adulterations with high accuracy. This is a good reason to choose natural and organic cosmetics and cleaning products whenever possible.