The Holidays are upon us. A great time to share our love by giving gifts to those who mean so much in our lives. "Oh, what to get Aunt Sue? Dad is always hard to buy for? My girlfriend always likes colognes. Wait! I'll just get each one of them some perfume or a scented candle."

That is an easy fix...but wait - there are some things you may want to know before visiting the perfume counter at your favorite department store. Perfumes, colognes, eau de toilettes, body mists, fragrance soap, and scented candles may smell good, but most of them cause indoor air pollution and are not good for any living thing.

We suggest you take time to read the following before your next shopping trip:

Scented fragrance products contain man-made chemicals that can cause harm to your loved

  ones, your pets - and YOU.

  Synthetic fragrances are more accessible than natural ones and are found in virtually all

  personal care products sold at mass retailers - even expensive designer perfumes.

  Over 4,000 chemicals are used in today's fragrances. According to U.S. Food and Drug

  Administration, 95 percent of these are derived from petroleum - many of them

  are neurotoxins (substances capable of causing damage to nerves and nervous system

  tissue).  

  Common ingredients found in perfumes are: acetone, ethanol, benzaldehyde, formaldehyde,

  limonene, methylene chloride, camphor, ethyl acetate, linalool alcohol, benzyl alcohol,

  phthalates (a plasticizing compound) shown to be a carcinogen to both sexes and dangerous

  to reproductive systems.

  Some artificial fragrances also contain animal products such as musk (male musk deer

  testicles), civet (the civet cat's strong and repulsive secretion for marking their territory),

  and ambergris (regurgitation or defecation of sperm whales).

  Synthetic musk ambrette is made of a group of synthetic fragrance chemicals used in

  cosmetics, perfumes, air fresheners, cleaning products, detergents, soap and many other

  everyday products containing artificial scents. These have been shown to cause serious brain

  damage in laboratory animals.

  Many of the above listed chemicals are linked to birth defects and are being found in high

  levels in women of childbearing age.

These same chemicals can be extremely hazardous to children, especially those under the age

  of three, as their lungs are not fully developed. They do not have to be wearing them...just

  exposed to them through scented detergents, dryer sheets, cleaning products, room

  deodorants, scented baby products and being near anyone wearing them.

  Scented laundry products contain chemicals associated with insulin related health issues such

  as diabetes. Some people are so sensitive to these that just smelling them on others clothing

  can cause migraines and/or nausea.

  Fragrance makers can keep their ingredients a secret because they fall into the "trade secret"

   category, which leads many critics to say the FDA is lax on regulation for the fragrance industry.

   The word "fragrance" may be used in any product that has an odor. It may contain one to 100 or

   More different chemicals.

  The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency lists 20 common perfume ingredients on their

  Hazardous Waste list. These are so hazardous that it is illegal to ship perfumes through the

  US Postal System.

  Can trigger asthmatic attacks and possibly sinus irritation and infections, plus symptoms like

  weakness, headaches, brain fog, breathing difficulty, and panic attacks.

  Phthalates (mentioned above) are hormone-disrupting chemicals, which may promote weight

  gain, people with higher levels of these are twice as likely to have diabetes.

Smell is one of our five senses and plays a vital role in our mood and pleasure. We do not have to give up on experiencing beautiful scents. We just have to find a different source.

The use of aromatic plants as part of spiritual practice, medicine, and enjoyment dates back approximately 60,000 years...that's right...60,000 years! Now, we have ways of extracting these aromatic molecules to make essential oils - one of nature's medicines.

Essential oils can be used to create wonderfully smelling natural soaps, air fresheners, perfumes, household cleansers, and so much more. They not only offer beautiful aromas, they can cleanse the air, improve one's health, relieve pain, and promote emotional well being. They do all this without damaging the body or our environment while sharing our love.