A Better Life! Using Cleaning Products That Are Better For You!

Overpowering scents are not natural.  They are created from synthetic fragrances which are made up of chemicals that cause all sorts of troubles for scent-sensitive people.

There are synthetic fragrances in Method, Mrs. Meyers, Green Works, and many more personal care and cleaning products. However, you will never find synthetic fragrances in Better Life products, a brand which we love and stock here at Love Whole Foods.  Better Life is a plant-based line that uses only natural essential oils and extracts to scent their products to offer a subtle aroma that is delightful while scrubbing toilets, tables, floors, or your hands! They even have dryer sheets!

Check out the Huffington Post’s “Five Must-Knows on the Dangers of Synthetic Fragrances” by Ava Anderson.

WHAT is “fragrance?” More than 95 percent of the chemicals in synthetic fragrances are derived from petrochemicals. These chemicals include: benzene derivatives, aldehydes, phthalates, and a slew of other known toxins that are capable of causing cancer, birth defects, nervous-system disorders and allergies—some of which are cited on the EPA’s hazardous waste list.

WHERE is it hiding? In the U.S., manufacturers can legally hide hundreds of synthetic chemicals in the one word “fragrance” without revealing what those ingredients are. It’s referred to as a “trade secret” in the industry. But really, it’s simply a loophole big enough to drive a fuel truck though. This excuse to not label fragrance ingredients was initiated in an era when the major fragrance houses lobbied to protect their secret formulas made from flowers and oils. But those days are long gone. What the government is protecting now are manufacturers who have a license to poison the American public with more than 3,000 chemicals that are being absorbed, inhaled, and ingested daily.  In general, there at least 3,000 ingredients that could possibly be used to form a product’s scent. That’s according to the online “Transparency List” put out by the International Fragrance Association, an industry trade group.

WHY should I avoid it? Environmental Working Group (EWG) researchers found more than 75 percent of products listing the ingredient “fragrance” contained phthalates (THAL-ates) which have been shown to disrupt hormone activity, reduce sperm counts, and cause reproductive malformation, and have been linked to liver and breast cancer, diabetes, and obesity. Additionally, studies by Dr. Philip J. Landrigan of the Mount Sinai Children’s Environmental Health Center, link fetal exposure with autism, ADHD, and neurological disorders.

HOW do I avoid fragrance? Many of us work hard to make good food choices—such as eating organic and avoiding hormones and GMOs—and we read nutrition labels. But how many of us read the labels of our bottles, sprays, and jars? A majority of personal care products for men, women, and children, along with home-cleaning products, contain “fragrance.” The ingredients in “fragrance” are absorbed into the bloodstream directly though the skin. Avoiding products with the ingredient “fragrance” on the label—including perfumes and colognes, baby lotions and wipes, air fresheners and candles, dryer sheets and detergents, and so on..is a good start.

The bottom line-Even if the front screams “fragrance free,” products can still contain fragrance ingredients as a masking agent to cover unpleasant chemical smells. Read the labels and support those brands which are looking out for your health and for the health of your home!

🌸It’s a great time to try Better Life products if you haven’t already. The whole line is 40% Off now thru 3/31!