Irony of the week (though the week’s just started): a perfume put on the market to raise money for breast cancer research may contain chemicals that cause cancer.
CBS News San Francisco reported on Friday that Karuna Jagger, executive director for the non-profit group Breast Cancer Action, had some concerns about the perfume “Promise Me,” which debuted earlier this year and is sold by the Susan G. Komen for the Cure foundation. Jagger had the product tested.
“It contains a number of chemicals that are not listed on the ingredients,” Jagger said, and CBS-5 reports that “the perfume contained several ingredients linked to cancer.” Jagger notified the Susan G. Komen Foundation, which she said responded by saying that they test their ingredients but were working with the manufacture to reformulate the product to eliminate concerns, a response Jagger found “confusing.” Her organization would like the product, which is sold by a number of large retailers, to be taken off the shelves tout suite.
Breast Cancer Action’s website calls this “pinkwashing”— a term for a company that promotes pink-ribbon products but “produces, manufactures or sells products that are linked to the disease” and has a campaign to recall the perfume on their website. They’re calling it “Raise a Stink.”
CBS News San Francisco reported on Friday that Karuna Jagger, executive director for the non-profit group Breast Cancer Action, had some concerns about the perfume “Promise Me,” which debuted earlier this year and is sold by the Susan G. Komen for the Cure foundation. Jagger had the product tested.
“It contains a number of chemicals that are not listed on the ingredients,” Jagger said, and CBS-5 reports that “the perfume contained several ingredients linked to cancer.” Jagger notified the Susan G. Komen Foundation, which she said responded by saying that they test their ingredients but were working with the manufacture to reformulate the product to eliminate concerns, a response Jagger found “confusing.” Her organization would like the product, which is sold by a number of large retailers, to be taken off the shelves tout suite.
Breast Cancer Action’s website calls this “pinkwashing”— a term for a company that promotes pink-ribbon products but “produces, manufactures or sells products that are linked to the disease” and has a campaign to recall the perfume on their website. They’re calling it “Raise a Stink.”
These allegations may potentially irresponsible. All fragrances must pass the strict IFRA/RIFM toxicology standards and unless the supplier of the scent is not a member of IFRA/RIFM, the allegations are suspect and exaggerated. Every ingredient is potentially toxic and/or carcinogenic beyond certain limits/restrictions. Not all ingredients in a fragrance must be declared on the label, otherwise a creator will make public its proprietary formula (recipe). There is far too much fear-mongering regarding fragrances and I would like to see the list of the suspect ingredients in the formula. I am 99% certain that this someone not understanding the tox/CSA regulations.
As someone with multiple chemical sensitivities, I can tell you that ALL commercial perfumes are carcinogenic. "Fear mongering" about fragrances? Are you an industry person? Live in my body for one day, then tell me these things are "safe" - I tell you we are awash in toxins - then everybody wonders why cancer is so prevalent. Wake up. DO NOT WEAR COMMERCIAL FRAGRANCES! DO NOT USE DETERGENTS AND DRYER SHEET WITH FRAGRANCES. You are hurting yourself when you do.
BTW, a good portion of my comment is directed at ralfjritter.
Yes, too much oxygen will kill you too. All Commercial fragrances could not certainly be carcinogenic.
You may have allergies to some fragrances, (I sincerely doubt that you are allergic to everything that has an odor...) But there are people with allergies to things, of course there are. It's up to that person to be in control of what they do and use. It's about taking personal responsibility. And as a perfumer, I'm even allergic to Jasmine and Hyacinth flowers, but to legislate to the lowest common denominator, that there can be no fragrance in the world, and also use the blanket statement that everything is carcinogenic in the appropriate and minuscule amounts used in the already wholly watered down commercial fragrances, is pure fear mongering, and completely fallacious. Or you'd better stop breathing too much, or it'll kill you.
One person's allergy is another's rhapsodic elegy.