The Green Beauty Guide

The current European legislation requires all cosmetic manufacturers using essential oils to list all constituents of essential oils such as limonene, linalool etc on the label.

However, conventional cosmetic makers can simply put “fragrance” or “perfume”, and that’s it. But if you really look into the ugly stuff that goes into some of the most popular cosmetic and skincare products, you’d be amazed.

With this post, I begin a series of posts investigating some of the most obnoxious ingredients in synthetic fragrances. These posts are based on outtakes from my book THE GREEN BEAUTY GUIDE.

Let’s begin with benzaldehyde, an almond-smelling chemical that can be easily derived from apricot, cherry, laurel leaves, and peach seeds, but now is most often made from toluene.

Benzaldehyde was proven as a strong contact irritant back in 1977, but remains one of the most frequently used fragrance components. Its highest reported concentration of use was 0.5% in perfumes.

Benzaldehyde is generally regarded as a safe food additive in the United States and is accepted as a flavoring substance in the European Union. Benzaldehyde rapidly metabolizes to benzoic acid in the skin, absorbed through skin and by the lungs, and distributed to all the organs.

In 2006 fragrance manufacturers via Cosmetic Ingredient Review assured that benzaldehyde is not a carcinogenic, reproductive or developmental toxicant at concentrations used in cosmetics.

However, a new 2007 study determined that “exposure to aldehydes represents potential risks to human and animal health.” Scientists from ChemRisk in Colorado found that this chemical induced formation of stable DNA-protein cross-links in cultured human lymphoma cells.

In plain English, benzaldehyde promoted cancerous cell growth. Today, synthetic benzaldehyde is contained in many popular shaving foams, deodorants and, moisturizers (Lubriderm Intense Skin Repair Body Cream) and even baby products (Aveeno Baby Soothing Relief Creamy Wash and Soothing Relief Moisture Cream).

As for me, I don’t find this information soothing. Do you?