Question from Holistic Spa
A product line is going to be used at the spa I will be working for and I have grave concerns regarding it, even though the line is touted to be safe, green and so forth.
Many of the products have 100% essential oils, but several in key products are a combination of essential oils and “skin safe fragrance oils”
As a trained aromatherapist, I was taught that anything you combine with essential oils needs to be very pure as the essential oils penetrate into the body when applied and carry the carrier oils (or other ingredients) into the body as well.
My understanding is that there are no “skin safe fragrance oils” since as fragrances they are not regulated as to purity nor of a natural source.
I will be working with these products on a daily basis, have MCS and don’t want to become ill, nor contribute to the illness of others.
Do you feel my concerns are valid?
Debra’s Answer
Yes, I feel your concerns are valid.
“Skin safe fragrance oils” are apparently fragrance oils that can be applied to the skin undiluted (many cannot).
“Fragrance oils” are aromatic chemicals in highly concentrated form. I got this off a website that sells fragrance oils. They say we can order MSDS sheets from Customer Service, like any other toxic chemical.
I see there are a couple of organizations whose purpose is to “ensure the safety of fragrance materials”: the International Fragrance Association and Research Institute for Fragrance Materials ( the most comprehensive, worldwide source of toxicology data, literature and general information on fragrance and flavor raw materials.)
So from your description, I would think that they are using real plant-based essential oils mixed with various petrochemical fragrance oils. And since essential oils penetrate into the body when applied, I would think they would carry the petrochemical fragrance oils along with them.
I would use different products.
Fragrance oils from the US contain phthalates – fragrance extenders. Phthalates in fragrances from the EU (European Union) are safer as the EU banned them years ago. Please research phthalates. They’re not only “plastics”.
The word “fragrance” in ANY product in the US should give you pause. Do everything you can to find things without fragrance. If a product is fragranced with EO (essential oils) it will say that on the ingredient deck. And, don’t be fooled by “scent free” products, they will still list “fragrance” on the ingredient deck as there are frangrances that actually mask fragrances. I know. It’s deceiving.
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