A Fragrant Deception:Perfume and Infertility Part 1

An attractive young man exchanges lusty glances with a scantily clad, heavily airbrushed supermodel as a breath of wind seductively tousles her hair.....what fragrance ad is it for this time? Allure? Sexy? Irresistible? Illusion? One was accurately named....Poison!

Let's take a closer look at the fragrances that ingenious marketing promises will turn the average female or male into ravishing sex magnets.

Many of the ingredients mimic estrogen which in high levels have been known to cause cancer. Instead of worrying about how large her breasts can look, a woman who indulges in synthetic fragrances should be concerned about just keeping her breasts. But then, another advertising scheme selling a PINK fragrance may appear, with all proceeds going to breast cancer awareness of course!

The big sell is attracting the opposite sex. What does that usually lead to? Babies, eventually. For millions of couples around the world that is occurring naturally less and less. As you will read below the fragrance extenders called phthalates can damage the DNA of sperm in adult males and cause genital abnormalities in male babies. And that cologne will bring out the "real man" in you?Generations to come will be affected by the deception of synthetic fragrances.

" The European Commission is proposing a ban on the use in cosmetics of two of the most potent forms of phthalates amid fears they cause genital abnormalities affecting up to 4 per cent of male babies.These genital abnormalities - which can include undescended testicles and malformation of the urinary tract - are blamed for soaring levels oftesticular cancer in young men. Cases of the disease have risen tenfold in the past century. About 1900 British males, some as young as 15, are diagnosed every year. Nine out of 10 cases are cured, but doctors are worried by the trend. Scientists believe the phthalates could be absorbed into women's bloodstreams through the skin or inhalation." (The Australian 2002)


Fragrance on a label can indicate the presence of up to 4,000 separate ingredients. There is no way to know what the chemicals are, since on the label it will simply read "fragrance." Some problems caused by these chemicals include headaches, dizziness, rash, hyper pigmentation, violent coughing, vomiting, skin irritation—the list goes on. They can also trigger asthma.

Pthalates are used to keep fragrance chemicals in solution. They are found in almost all fragrances and manufacturers are allowed to list them under the name fragrance or parfum. Phthalates are used to enhance fragrances, as solvents, and to denature alcohol.
These chemicals have been shown to enter the bloodstream and concentrate in fat cells. They are extremely potent estrogen mimics and some are 10 000 times more potent than estrogen itself. High levels of estrogen have been known to cause cancer.

DEP is the phthalate found in the highest levels in humans and a study published in Environmental Health Perspectives (December 2002) found that DEP is damaging to the DNA of sperm in adult men at current levels of exposure. DNA damage to sperm can lead to infertility and may also be linked to miscarriages, birth defects, infertility and cancer in offspring. Recent product tests found the chemical in every fragrance tested in the United States.

Why choose a fake, potentially fatal fragrance when pure essential oils are so beautifully balancing and life-promoting? Read more in Part 2!