Product Safety

Canadian Safety Standards

Health Canada’s Cosmetics Program has the mandate to protect the health of Canadians by minimizing the risk associated with the use of cosmetics marketed in Canada. The Program defines and communicates requirements for the manufacture, labelling, distribution, and sale of cosmetics, including perfumes and scented personal care products, and evaluates compliance. The basis for the regulatory authority for the Cosmetics Program comes from the Food and Drugs Act.

• Health Canada Guide to Cosmetic Ingredient Labelling

 

Fragrance Safety & Regulation

Fine fragrances and fragrance materials, like all cosmetics and personal care products, are regulated by Health Canada under the Cosmetic Regulations of the Food & Drugs Act. Working with Health Canada, the highest priority of the scented products industry is to ensure the health and safety of consumers through the marketing of products that are safe and effective. To this end, the industry has strongly supported mandatory ingredient labelling that follows international standards for personal care products. Safety issues are addressed on an international basis by several organizations such as:

• IFRA (International Fragrance Association),
• RIFM (Research Institute for Fragrance Materials), and
• Fragrance Creators Association (previously IFRA North America)

Most manufacturers of fragrance oils used in scented products belong to national associations which establish a Code of Business Practice, coordinate the exchange of technical and safety information, and focus on the quality of the materials used. In the case of Canada, this representation today falls under the purview the Fragrance Creators Association.

These national associations belong to the International Fragrance Association (IFRA), which was established 30 years ago to address international issues within the fragrance industry. IFRA has established the Industry Code of Practice and has compiled a list of restricted materials, liaises with research scientists and dermatologists, and works through its Scientific Committee and Regulatory Committee to address issues on behalf of the entire industry. For more information, click here to visit the IFRA website.

In addition, the Research Institute for Fragrance Materials (RIFM) is an independent organization that evaluates the safety of fragrance materials. RIFM has a dual role – one as a repository of safety data, and the other to conduct its safety testing program (health and environmental) for materials of common interest to the industry. In this regard, RIFM’s independent Expert Panel of scientist’s design safety studies, review data, and ultimately decide any necessary restrictions on the use of fragrance ingredients, which are then sent to IFRA for communication to industry.

For more information on how cosmetics, including fragrances, are regulated in Canada, visit the Cosmetics page of the Health Canada website at http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/cps-spc/person/cosmet/index-eng.php.

Composition and Uses

The creation of fragrance is an excellent example of nature and science working together. Many raw materials are taken from natural sources including flowers, herbs, spices, citrus fruits, roots, and grains. The desired materials are then isolated from the plants using a combination of mechanical, distillation, extraction, and evaporation techniques. These ingredients are enhanced by manufactured materials which may reproduce natural elements that cannot be obtained in large quantities or have unique properties not known to nature.

Almost all fragrance materials originate from natural extracts of flowers and plants. Despite the natural origins of fragrance ingredients, today, the large majority of these ingredients are synthetically derived to maximize consistency, ensure high quality and sustainability, reduce production costs, and impacts to the environment. Most importantly, the safety and quality of an ingredient does not depend on whether it is natural or synthetic. For example, many naturally sourced ingredients that have traditionally used in fragrances in the past have been eliminated from fragrance products due to their skin irritancy and/or sensitisation profiles. Today, although fragrance ingredients can continue to originate directly from flower or plant parts, many ingredients are now synthetically derived, in order t standardize composition and quality.

Ingredients in a typical fragrance “recipe” generally include:

• extracts from plants and flowers (naturals),
• synthetic recreations (synthetic duplications of natural fragrance materials),
• synthetic innovations (variations of naturally occurring materials which have unique olfactory properties).

In general, typical fragrance formulae can contain 100-350 ingredients, with an average concentration of usually less than 1%.

In a fine fragrance, ethyl alcohol (of the same grade and purity as in alcoholic beverages) composes 50-90% of the product, purified water may constitute 5-20% of the product, with the fragrance component accounting from 10-30% of the finished product. Also present are UV inhibitors (to prevent degradation in the bottle) and any additional colouring agents.

The carrier for the perfume oil found in fragrances is denatured ethyl alcohol (ethanol), which is obtained by the fermentation of natural grains. Water is also commonly used in conjunction with the ethyl alcohol to help modify the fragrance intensity and make application to the skin easier. The relative proportion of the perfume oil to carrier depends on the product type (perfume, eau de toilette, eau de cologne, etc.).

Other types of cosmetics and personal care products also contain fragrance including:

• Creams, lotions, powders, and gels which are 95-99% product base, with 1-5% fragrance.
• Shampoos and deodorants which contain 0.5-1% fragrance.

Types of Fine Fragrance

Perfume – This is the most concentrated and purest form of fragrance because the essential oils in the perfume diffuse on contact with the heat of the skin to release the scent. Perfume may be more expensive, but as it also long lasting due to a higher concentration of essential oils and lower alcohol content, it will not have to be reapplied as often.

Eau de Parfum – This form of fragrance is not as strong as perfume but longer lasting than eau de toilette.

Eau de Toilette – A lighter, more subtle blend which contains the same fragrance notes as the original perfume.

Cologne – The most popular form of fragrance because the essential oils have been blended with a high concentration of alcohol to make the scent refreshing and more economical. Cologne has a much higher alcohol content and therefore does not last as long on the skin.

Eau Fraîche – A crisp, cooling skin toner that is sprayed or splashed on the skin after a bath or shower.

Fragrance Etiquette

It’s easy to forget that fragrance application extends to the people around us and not just ourselves. It’s crucial to be courteous and mindful of others when applying fragrance, especially for those with allergies. The fragrance you wear should enhance your image, not distract, or overwhelm people. Here are a couple tips and pointers for respectful fragrance use.

1. Keep fragrance within your personal “scent circle”. Friends, colleagues, and the people in your surrounding area should not be able to smell . your perfume from across the room. Try to keep your fragrance application to a minimum, a general guideline for using a scented product is that the scent should not be detectable more than an arm’s length away from you.

2. Refrain from reapplying fragrance throughout the day, especially in public settings. Just because you can’t smell your perfume a couple hours into your day, doesn’t mean others still can’t. Over time, we’re unable to smell our own scent – no matter how much fragrance we have applied.

3.Use fragranced body products in place of fine fragrance. Lotions, creams, and shower products contain a lighter scent than other fragrance products. These products can be used in place of perfumes and colognes to give off a less invasive scent.

4. Speak to your co-workers, friends, and people you see often to find out about specific fragrance sensitivities. Being aware of the fragrance sensitivities and allergies of the people around you can help you prevent physical and psychological reactions from the fragrances you wear.

Making the Most of Your Fragrance

DO’S

• Do purchase your fragrance in a size that will be used in a reasonable period of time. If you try to save it for a rainy day, you might find your beautiful scent has evaporated or deteriorated.
• Do keep your fragrance in a cool, dry place. Long exposure to heat, cold or sunlight can disturb the delicate balance of the perfume and change its scent.
• Do reapply fragrance only as needed. Dry skin loses fragrance more quickly than oily skin.
• Do use a lighter fragrance during warm weather. Fragrance intensifies with heat and humidity, so save your heavier, more exotic fragrances for fall and winter or air-conditioned evenings.
• Do limit fragrance testing to a maximum of three scents at a time. Any more and your nose will get confused and lose the ability to differentiate between scents.

DON’TS

• • Don’t try to tell what a fragrance is like by sniffing the bottle. Scent is a combination of fragrance and your body’s own chemistry. Apply a little to the inside of your wrist and let it develop before you sniff.
  • Don’t choose a fragrance because you like it on someone else. Fragrance is never the same on any two people.
  • Don’t judge a fragrance until you have worn it for at least ten minutes. By that time the alcohol will have evaporated – the blending of the fragrance and your own skin’s chemistry will give you a true impression.