WASHINGTON—The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics (CSC) published a report on May 12, 2010 entitled "Not So Sexy - The Health Risks of Secret Chemicals in Fragrance," which includes phrases such as: "can trigger allergic reactions," "disrupt hormones," "end up inside people's bodies." The Fragrance Materials Association of the United States (FMA) said fragrances are safe. The industry has a long and comprehensive safety testing program for its materials. Materials are also independently assessed for safety. Fragrance materials are not secret, but publically available at www.ifraorg.org. Sponsors of the CSC report have been made aware of all of these facts but have chosen to ignore them. The industry discusses some of the report's inaccuracies below:
What Secret Chemicals?
There are no “secret chemicals” in fragrances. The International Fragrance Association (IFRA) has published a list of 3,163 fragrance ingredients used in consumer products. One CSC report contributor, the Environmental Working Group, recently applauded the fragrance industry ingredient disclosure, stating, "It's pretty big news that ... [IFRA] decided to publish an alphabetical list of ingredients that its members reportedly use to make consumer products. Why'd they do it? Simple: consumers want more transparency ... And while this isn't exactly the kind of transparency we had in mind ... it's a step."
The CSC report ignores the facts—the fragrance industry is hiding no materials from consumers.
Fragrance Counterfeiting
Fragrances are mixtures of materials combined to give a unique aroma that makes a fragrance recognizable and different from other fragrances. The exact "recipe" of the fragrance mixture is proprietary only because it cannot be protected like new technology can, by a patent, for example. Therefore, the formula is very valuable to its creator and it is not normal practice to publish it.
Industry's Safety Program
The Research Institute for Fragrance Materials (RIFM) has responsibility for the safety assessment of fragrance ingredients. At RIFM's core is an independent expert panel, with expertise in dermatology, respiratory and reproductive medicine, and environmental science, with responsibility for the final determinations of safe use conditions for fragrance ingredients. The safety program is founded on testing fragrance materials and either establishing “Safe Use Levels,” or prohibiting their use, based on studying their potential effects on people and the environment. Currently, the safety program contains 174 “Standards,” which restrict, or prohibit, the use of selected fragrance materials. Further, RIFM has more than 1,200 publications in peer reviewed scientific literature on safety determinations of fragrance materials. This is part of the normal scientific process.
To ensure that the fragrance industry adheres to its safety standards IFRA has a Compliance Program. Every year 50 products from a selection of 450, gathered from stores in 10 different countries, are tested. If a product does not comply with its Code of Practice and Standards, IFRA works with the manufacturer to ensure compliance.