Personal Note

Since my son’s health challenges began, I have developed something akin to a bloodhound’s nose for synthetic fragrance. Laundry detergents, cleaning products, air fresheners—I can smell some of them from a block away.

We are inundated with advertising that tells us that a clean house should smell like Lysol, or that clean clothes should smell like Tide. Synthetic fragrance is so commonly used in such a wide variety of products that we, as a whole, have become rather desensitized to it. Desensitized both in terms of our mental and emotional response (“it’s everywhere, so it must be normal and okay”), and in terms of our physical sense of smell (your nose gets used to it and it doesn’t register as unnatural anymore). I certainly was desensitized prior to my son’s health challenges.

From my perspective, the harms from fragrance are two-fold. Overtly, there are the physical maladies linked to the synthetic chemicals, themselves, which are discussed below. And more subtly, synthetic fragrance causes a disconnect between us and the natural world. Natural smells around us get labeled “bad,” and we try to mask them with artificial scents. The natural smell of the outdoors becomes foreign to us. We come to think that a house should smell like French vanilla or pumpkin spice. Smelling your kid’s natural human head is an incredibly powerful grounding and calming experience, but you’ll never know that if you mask their natural smell with scented shampoo and body wash.

Once you start paying attention, you may be surprised by how pervasive fragrance is, as well as by how significantly advertisers have skewed your perception of what things should smell like. If you give your nose a break from fragrance and a chance to “reset,” you may rediscover an appreciation for natural smells, and at the same time realize that synthetic fragrance doesn’t feel quite right in your nose, throat, and chest.

Now let’s turn to fragrance—what it is, where it is found, how it can affect our well being, and the actions we can take.

What is “Fragrance”?

“Fragrance,” as that term is used on product labels, is a generic term that can include several thousand different chemicals, and because fragrance formulations are considered proprietary, manufacturers are not required to disclose the specific chemicals that are used (this is analogous to the term “flavors” in the context of food labeling).  A fragrance formulation can include chemicals that create the odor, as well as chemicals that act as solvents, stabilizers, masking agents, preservatives, and other functional additives. 

Fragrance ingredients are not regulated by governmental agencies—instead, the fragrance industry, itself, determines what chemicals may be used.

For purposes of this discussion, “fragrance” includes all of the following ingredients listed on product labels: artificial fragrance, synthetic fragrance, natural fragrance, fragrance, perfume, parfum, scent, aroma, essence, and other similar terms, even if they are described as “natural.”  Unless you know and trust a particular manufacturer, even the term “essential oils,” without more information, can be misleading.  Products that are described as “unscented” may actually include masking agents that hide undesirable odors.

Where is “Fragrance”?

Just about everywhere.  Unless you are very intentionally avoiding it, here is a non-exhaustive list of products that are likely to contain fragrance: home fragrance products (candles, air fresheners, room sprays, etc.), soap, body wash, shampoo, deodorant, lotion, sunscreen, insect repellant, cosmetics, perfume and cologne, dishwasher detergent, laundry detergent, dryer sheets, and cleaning supplies.  Again, even products that are described as “unscented” may actually include masking fragrance that neutralizes the undesirable odor of other chemicals.

Pick up any product in your kitchen or bathroom, turn it over to read the label, and you will almost certainly see the term “fragrance” (or one of the analogues listed above).

Health Implications

Fragrance chemicals can enter our bodies and bloodstreams through skin contact (particularly if the skin barrier is damaged—more on that here), inhalation, and ingestion.

Once in our bodies, the health risks span a large spectrum. Some of the more intuitive (although still problematic) risks include breathing and respiratory difficulties, headaches and migraines, and allergic reactions.  In addition, and perhaps more surprisingly, certain fragrance ingredients are endocrine disruptors—that is, they mimic or interfere with your body’s natural hormones—and have been linked to problems with the immune system, nervous system, and reproductive system, as well as behavioral and developmental problems in children. Other chemicals permitted under the “fragrance” umbrella include suspected carcinogens and sensitizing agents—that is, after repeated exposures, there is a heightened risk of an individual developing an allergy to the compound.

Phthalates are endocrine disruptors and common ingredients in “fragrance.” They have garnered significant criticism in recent years, and due to growing concerns over their use, manufacturers are moving to “phthalate-free” formulations. But in practice, this often just means that phthalates are being replaced by different, but similarly harmful chemicals.

Home fragrance products—like candles, air fresheners, and room sprays—especially impact indoor air quality, because they are designed to carry pollutants—including the “fragrance” that you smell and other chemicals that you don’t—into the air. When heat is applied (as in a plugin air freshener or a scented handle), the level of pollutants (formaldehyde, among others) significantly increases. Candles additionally release particulate matter when lit, and these ultrafine particles can remain in the air long after you snuff out the candle.

Your indoor air quality matters, because this is the air you breathe all day when you are at home and all night when you are asleep.

Because fragrance is everywhere, the cumulative effects can be significant. But the good news is that you can make very impactful changes in very short order—read on!

Take Action

In theory, the action is simple—you just stop using scented products. But in practice, this can be challenging for at least a couple of reasons.

The first reason is practical. As mentioned above, synthetic fragrance is pervasive, and unless you have intentionally avoided it, fragrance is likely in the majority of products you use on your body and around your home. But fear not—the purpose of Start with Soap is to make that seemingly overwhelming prospect downright simple.

The second reason is emotional. We can form strong attachments to our favorite smells. This is a real thing—aromas directly impact our emotions and mood, with certain smells evoking memories and feelings, or perhaps bringing a sense of comfort and calm (this is the flip side to the negative emotional response that I experience with synthetic fragrance). If the prospect of foregoing scent altogether is entirely unpalatable to you, then a diffuser with high-quality essential oils is available as an alternative to synthetic fragrance.

Let’s start with the practical side of eliminating fragrance, and then touch on the topic of using high-quality essential oils as a replacement.

Eliminate Fragrance

Below are the steps I recommend for eliminating fragrance.

1. Eliminate home fragrance products like scented candles, air fresheners, and room sprays. If you’re persuaded by the discussion of adverse health effects above and you’re ready to make the change, then go cold turkey! You might be surprised by how quickly you acclimate. If you have a deep love for home fragrance products and the suggestion of foregoing a scent in your home is an absolute non-starter (it’s okay—I have worked with numerous self-described “candle addicts”), then refer to the “Using Essential Oils” for suggestions to replace candles with a diffuser and high-quality essential oils.

2. Switch to an unscented soap (or a soap that is made with high quality essential oils and no other fragrance) that you can use for washing hands, bodies, dishes, clothes, and anything else that needs washing around your home. Refer to my roadmap for switching to a soap that can replace the vast majority of personal care and cleaning products in your home.

3. For cleaning your kitchen and bathrooms, make your first line of defense soap, baking soda, and vinegar (and optionally a couple of drops of essential oil for extra degreasing power). Refer to the “Home Cleaning” section of my roadmap for details.

4. Examine the remaining products that you use on your body and around your home. See what can be eliminated. Refer to the “Personal Care” section of my roadmap for details.

All of the products I recommend are free of synthetic fragrance, so if you take my suggestions, you will methodically eliminate fragrance from your home.

Using Essential Oils as a Replacement

I love essential oils for the natural therapeutic possibilities they provide, and I use them regularly in my own home—daily as a first aid kit, and occasionally as an aromatherapy experience.

Personally, outside of these discrete, intentional uses, I advocate for unscented. I think it’s important to experience the natural smells around us. And although I know some people do it, diffusing essential oils 24/7 doesn’t feel right to me—the oils are very concentrated, not found in that state in nature, and only relatively recently has it even been a possibility to disperse droplets into the air on a continual basis.

With that disclaimer in mind, I will share how I use essential oils in my own home (without electronic diffusers), as well as how I have guided some people to use essential oils with electronic diffusers in their homes to aid their transition away from candles and other home fragrance products.

For aromatherapy in my home, I prefer passive diffusing as opposed to electronic. My kids each have their favorite scents, so sometimes I’ll put a couple of drops on a cloth tissue that they put in their pocket or take to bed. To aid my own sleep, I sometimes put lavender on an eye mask or rub chamomile on the bottom of my feet. I also have a reed diffuser next to my bed, so I can flip the reeds over before bed if I want subtle aromatherapy during the night. You can make a reed diffuser with a glass bottle and a handful of reeds, or even a cotton ball with a few drops of oil in a little dish of water can do the trick.

For people wanting to recreate the home fragrance experience of a candle or air freshener using essential oils, here is what I have suggested to some. If a passive diffuser—like a reed diffuser or a cotton ball with a few drops of oil in a little dish of water—is enough scent for you, then use that! This can be a particularly nice solution for a bathroom or other small room. Just flip the reeds or refresh the cotton ball with additional oil, as needed.

If you’re looking for a stronger scent, you can get an electronic diffuser. If you can find one second hand that is in working order, all the better! I would suggest running your electronic diffuser for less than a couple of hours per day, which is in line with what essential oil companies like Young Living recommend.

If you have pets or young children, you’ll want to be sure to choose oils that are safe for all the members of your home.