Even when you don’t expect it.

You may have already started to notice that most public spaces, shops as well as many products , have an overly strong aromatic footprint, mainly synthetic, that supports a whole branding industry linking smells to emotions.

Air fresheners have so far been extremely heavy when used for branding, and it is disturbing that synthetic air fresheners are now used even in medical practices.

There is a great deal of ignorance about synthetics and how they affect our health. And I was in this situation a few years ago. And I want to mention some of them today , as a piece of knowledge on something that affects our health so significantly and directly.

One of the most common ingredients in synthetic perfumes, is the well known musk. Perhaps until now you simply knew that musk gives your fragrance a longer lasting scent, and you enjoyed its longevity on your skin until the end of the day. But how can a perfume smell all day?

The synthetic chemicals used in perfumes,especially musk-type molecules, do not biodegrade easily, so they often accumulate in the environment and have even been detected in human breast milk, body fat, blood, and placenta long after application.

Some synthetic musks , are considered artificial estrogens and are toxic to humans, animals and our environment. They affect our endocrine system (mimicking the effects of estrogen) and this has a major impact on our mental health, creating mood swings, with anxiety, panic attacks and depression!

Some musk (nitro musks) have been banned for use in perfumes that come into contact with the skin , as there are studies showing neurological damage after use. However, other ingredients such as musk xylene are still used, in detergents, fabric softeners, household cleaning products and other products, despite evidence of a significant risk to our health. These substances unfortunately escape security simply because they are not supposed to come into direct contact with our skin.
And it’s not just the musk.

DEP, a phthalate, (a chemist would probably call it liquid plastic) helps to keep the smell on the skin longer, causing endocrine (hormonal) disruptions that can lead to some very serious health consequences that I don’t need to mention here, but I only mention, so that anyone who wishes can get the information from the internet.

It is very important to bear in mind that, exposure via inhalation, all of the above substances and many more, is just as or even more important than skin application and I will explain why in a later post.

If I could suggest something that brings a balance and gives our bodies the opportunity to purify and detoxify from all those heavy smells, it is a regular visit to nature. Take in the fresh oxygen, take a deep breath and consciously cleanse your body of toxins.
It’s worth remembering in closing that the fragrance molecules from flowers and plants biodegrade very quickly, as everything in nature does, once exposed to oxygen. This is what makes the fragrance of natural botanicals seem to have a shorter duration compared to a synthetic. But the faster it biodegrades on our skin the more compatible it is with our body .

Love and light
Zoe