1. BY
GURUPRASAD VENKATAKRISHNA
RAO

2. Fragrances are Everywhere
There is almost no place a person can go where
the air is free of fragrance chemicals today –
inside or out
Fragrances invade:
– Homes
– Outdoor air with scented dryer sheets
– Public events (plays, movies, etc.)
– Public transportation (airplanes, buses, light rail)

3. Fragranced Products
• Products containing Fragrances:
– Perfumes and colognes
– Air fresheners and “plug-ins”
– Scented laundry products
– Scented soaps and lotions
– Antimicrobial soaps and lotions
– Hair sprays and gels
– Scented candles
– Pot pourris
– Incense

5. Fragrance Facts !!!
• At least 1 in 5 people experience adverse
health effects from synthetic fragrance
exposure
• Almost 1/3 of the chemical additives used in
perfume are known to be toxic / carcinogenic
• Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) in
fragrances are emitted as gases and include a
variety of chemicals, some of which have
short- and long-term adverse health effects
• The American Dermatitis Society named
FRAGRANCE as the Allergen of the Year for
2007

6. Fragnance chemicals are
• Volatile organic compounds ( VOC ).
• Solvent systems in which they are
embedded.
• Fixatives which reduces rate of
evapouration and improves stability
of VOC.

7. Volatile organic compounds
• VOC are generally essential oils.
• Forms basis of any fragnance products.
ESSENTIAL OILS EFFECTS
ROSE OILS PREGNANCY, GYNECOMASTIA
LEMON OILS RESPIRATORY , CARCINOGENS(III)
LAVENDER OIL NAUSEA, VOMMITING,
DIZZINESS,NASAL PROBLEM
JASMINE OIL ALLERGENS, PREGNANCY

8. VOCs – Volatile Organic
Compounds
• All fragranced products give off VOCs – fine
particulates that disperse into the air.
• Most VOCs are respiratory irritants that harm the
immune system and can affect the nervous system.
• VOCs are implicated in environment-based childhood
illnesses such as autism, ADD, and Asperger’s
Syndrome ( MY NAME IS KHAN )
• Both low and high levels of exposure to VOCs can
cause and exacerbate these conditions.

9. SOLVENTS
• Perfume oils are often diluted with a solvent,
primary objective being reduce the strength of
given essential oils.
• Secondary objective being adulteration (Dadar
station perfume )
• By far the most common solvent for perfume oil
dilution is ethanol or a mixture of ethanol and
water.
• Perfume oil can also be diluted by means of
neutral-smelling oils such as fractionated
coconut oil, or liquid waxes such as jojoba oil

10. SOLVENTS
SOLVENTS HEALTH HAZARDS
ETHANOL LIVER CIRHOSSIS, CANCER , PREGNANCY
BENZYL DERIVATIVES INHALATION , LOSS OF CONSCIOUSNESS,
CARCINOGEN,ANESTHETIC EFFECT
JOJOBA OIL & PARAFFIN OIL VOMMITING, IRRITANT

11. FIXATIVES
• A Fixative is a natural or synthetic substance
used to reduce the evaporation rate and
improve stability when added to more volatile
components. This allows the final product to
last longer while keeping its original fragrance.
• Fixatives are indispensable commodities to
the perfume industry.
• They are ambergris, castor oil, musk, vetiver .
• Synthetics are now available ( paraffins , dialky
phthalates )

12. Role of Phthalates
• Almost all fragranced products contain
“phthalates” – hormone disrupting chemicals
that are implicated in premature puberty.
• Phthalates can cause genital defects and other
reproductive defects in babies and even in
young children who were born normal.
• Phthalates are implicated in rising infertility
rates in people of all ages.

13. Fragrances and Asthma
The American Lung Association states that a
majority of asthmatics cite fragrances as a
trigger for asthma attacks
Even low level exposure to fragranced
products can cause asthma attacks
Occupational asthma occurs with exposure to
fragrances and other chemicals on the job.

14. Curious Case of Coumarins !!!
• They are themselves not toxic but becomes
potent hazards under the presence of light.
• Studies is being carried out to know the
effects of other cosmetic ingredients on
Fragnance material.
• Interesting observation coming up that
individual body response plays an significant
role in determing health hazards.

16. REFERENCES
WWW.WIKIPEDIA .COM
WWW.GOOGLE.COM
SAFETY & TOXICOLOGY OF
FRAGNANCE BY STEVE MEAKINS
WEBSITES OF IFRA & RIFM