This is the big one, guys. The opening of Pandora's Box on cleaner living....once you read this, you won't be able to un-know it. So, proceed at your own risk.
What's your favorite smell? Is it freshly-baked cookies? Strawberries? Those are my favorite, and I love Matt's cologne. Lakyn LOVES smelly candles and putting on makeup, lotions, etc. Fragrances have always been the only thing to give me a headache, so I kind of felt like I was missing out on fun fragrances. Until I found out what's actually behind "fragrances".
If you watched the documentary Stink that I recommended, you already know what's up. It turns out that the word "Fragrance" is a term used for any number of chemicals that a company has put inside their product. They do NOT have to disclose what their "proprietary blend" is...it is a trade secret under the Toxic Substances Control Act of 1978. And, at the risk of sounding like a broken record, the FDA has nothing to do with protecting you in this way. Just read their explanation of protecting trade secrets in fragrance and flavoring.
The lavender-scented Febreze does not come from a lavender field, and is in no way "natural" (another word that anyone can slap on a package). And, unfortunately, some of my favorite stores will even be sneaky and list "Natural Fragrance", which means....whatever they want it to mean. The majority of fragrance ingredients are derived from petroleum. These are known carcinogens, allergens, endocrine-disruptors, and irritants.
Matt's shaving cream (Gillette)
My Aveda hair smoothing serum. So much for feeling like they are "natural".
We still had some of this left in the shower, but I have definitely moved on. I don't want to mess around with body wash, since it covers the largest amount of skin!
Thanks, Whole Foods soap. What IS natural fragrance?
Literally everything he should not be using, all in one product.
When you smell a pure fragrance, it is derived from botanicals. Meaning, you will see "orange oil", "raspberry seed", or their scientific names. No one would ever write what is in their fragrance if it didn't sound lovely or gave away their secret. And, fun fact, the word "unscented" often means that they added a fragrance to mask the scent that was there. See if you can find a product that says "unscented" and then lists fragrance on the back!
But the truth is this. I have read multiple accounts of women who seek reproductive specialists in getting pregnant, and often find that their first "homework" is to toss any personal care items containing certain chemicals (and that's an old article! This is not new, unfortunately). When friends of mine have gone through chemotherapy, doctors gave a strict list of product recommendations.
I remember having to ditch my prescription shampoo when I was pregnant. Shampoo? Affecting my baby? It. Matters.
My challenge for you today is to look at the back of your cleaning supplies, your room sprays, your lotions, your baby's bubble bath. Is there fragrance? If so, would you consider swapping it this year?
Your safest bet is to find companies that are transparent with their practices and ingredients. For instance, at Beautycounter, we do not claim to be chemical-free, because even water is considered a chemical. But we will always list every single ingredient. Our hand soaps, body washes, and everything else are scented with actual vanilla, peppermint, and orange. Not a canister of petroleum with "natural" fragrance. Other companies that I can recommend, based on lots of googling are:
Aunt Fannie's Cleaning and Pest Solutions (I can email you a 30% off coupon for your first order!)
Native Deodorant (I haven't used yet, but my friends are fans, and I will switch when mine runs out)
Sweven Candle Co. burns clean with pure essential oils instead of fragrance and coconut wax instead of petroleum or soy (and he is local to Columbus!)
Honest Company for diapers and bubble bath
I am proud to partner with an organization taking on our current state of misinformation and providing families with products that never include fragrance.
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