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Les parfums dans les cosmétiques : y a-t-il un risque ?

Perfumes in cosmetics: is there a risk?

Perfumes in cosmetics: is there a risk?

The smell of hot bread, cut grass, the floral smell of your perfume ... We love good smells, they comfort us, make us feel good, in a good mood. Conversely, a bad smell can spoil the day. Makes in children's care products, should you be wary? And why? The answer is absolutely yes, the last name of the "perfume" list: can hide many things ... Subject to the industrial secrets of perfumers, it is the most opaque ingredient in the formulation of cosmetic products. It is therefore difficult to know all the secrets, or even simply the exact composition. In this article, we explain the risks of perfumes, but also how to enjoy good odors without taking any risks for your health or that of your child.

What is a perfume?

Let's start at the start, a perfume is a smell (certainly, everyone could have said).

More specifically, a perfume is an artificial mixture of different components that produces a smell.

What is a perfume for?

In nature, plants use odors, "perfumes" to defend themselves against insects, or on the contrary attract them (pollinators).

In mammals, smells are often very rich in chemical information and animals use them to find out a lot of information about their fellows and intentions.

In summary, it's a bit like Instagram feed or the animal business card.

dog rolling in grass

How to use smells?

We are not the only mammals to use odors voluntarily.

For example, our friends dogs sometimes roll in very fragrant things (cut grass or other) to hide their smell.

Finally, they may have wanted to invent the deodorant our doggies?

On the other hand, we humans, we like to smell good, the olfactory sensations play a huge role in our lives.

For those who have already lost the smell (especially because of the COVIR ...) will know very well what we are talking about!

The history of odors

From childhood, learning and building olfactory sensation are real pillars of our life.

At the beginning, there is the smell of the mother, who reassures and soothes baby (who never slept with the comforter before the start of the school year? Or gave her pajama t-shirt for the nap in the crèche).

Indeed, children discover and build part of their world around smells.

From birth, the olfactory memory of humans is built.

Perfumes in cosmetics

Let's go back to our sheep, finally to our bottles!

In cosmetics, the basics of formulation or the assets of cosmetics do not always feel very good, because of active, washing bases ...

For example, glutamates in the Lilikiwi shampoo smell like a mixture of egg white and goat ... not terrible to wash your hair.

However, the sensoriality of a cosmetic product (odor, texture) is an essential part of the experience of using a care product.

Admit that washing with a shower gel that smells of garlic or camembert, it's still less sympathetic ... Especially since we have no information on the cosmetic virtues of these dishes.

Cosmetologists are therefore forced to add "perfume" to hide bad odors and offer you this "pleasure" experience when using your products.

Can we trust the scents in cosmetics?

child who observes vials with magnifying glass

Of course, you have already heard lots of things on perfumes, and not always good echoes.

The poor reputation of the perfume naturally means that we are wary, we will help you understand that there can be "good" perfumes.

Perfumes to be avoided.

Perfumes in products not labeled

Perfumes that do not enter organic labels such as Cosmos (natrue in Germany, USA in the USA) are clearly to be forgotten.

The Cosmos label

Despite the many faults of this organic label, the Cosmos benchmark (organic label) is strict on the composition of the perfume.

In summary: all the compounds of care perfumes must be 100 % of natural origin, without any solvent or compound petrochemical.

In this case, by buying organic products, you automatically eliminate the most harmful products for children, namely: BHT, toluene and phthalates (endocrine and CMR disruptors: carcinogen, mutagenic and reprotoxic!).

Do scents without label have secrets?

The answer is a big yes.

Indeed, the composition of perfumes, as we mentioned, is subject to the industrial and professional secret of perfume suppliers.

So even the cosmetics brands do not have access to their complete composition, therefore difficult for brands to be transparent on the formulation of their scented products ...

En-Tous-Cas, for non-certified perfumes you have no warranty.

Small example:

Perhaps, have you noticed that a very iconic scent of a very large brand has changed its formulation recently ...

You know, the perfume embodied by a very beautiful actress who has a very pretty golden dress, a perfume that you may love?

En-Tous-Cas, this brand, which rhymes with outside, had to change the composition of its perfume because the “lilial” is now a proven and prohibited endocrine disruptor since March 2022 in Europe… (a substance that smells thrush).

Now, this substance will disappear from their products, but for how many years people who love this perfume use this substance on their skin?

Essential oils to flavor

bottles and flowers

Essential oils for children?

Essential oils are very powerful and active substances, that's why aromatherapy is effective.

But like all therapies and drugs, they are not intended for daily and repetitive use.

Indeed, daily contact with essential oils could have neurotoxic, heptatonic and nephrotoxic effects ... Some of these oils can even be fatal for fetuses or infants, hence the advice to avoid their use in women pregnant, breastfeeding or babies.

How to recognize a perfume containing essential oils?

Often, essential oils have very typically vegetable notes, the final fragrance is very "floral", "green" or "aromatic" (the smell reminds you of grass, plants ...).

Also, you will always find allergens in essential oils.

When you buy an organic care product, look carefully at the end of the ingredient list, if you find "Limonene" or another product of The list of 26 allergens, It is probably it contains essential oils.

Also, the scan applications produced very well detect allergens, scan applications, tells you the presence of allergen, do not hesitate to scan your formulas.

Allergens, how to avoid them?

For an organic product, it is rare to add the allergens voluntarily, they often come from essential oils or aromatic extracts.

To avoid them: remember to scan your products!

Why avoid too "complicated" scents?

Did you know that some perfumes can be made up of a hundred different aromatic substances?

Indeed, perfumers like to build olfactory pyramids.

Pyramid of perfume notes

On the other hand, in care products that stay on the skin for a long time, it is not necessarily a good thing.

For example, for children, in formulation of products and perfumes the same rule applies: the simplest!

And at Lilikiwi, how did we choose our perfume?

First of all, we start by choosing a perfume that can be eaten.

Child crunching an apple

The different categories of perfume

Each perfume has its regulatory identity document called ‘Ifra‘ with the maximum recommended dose as in the table below:

The categories correspond to different uses.

For example: La category 5D Corresponds to babies' products, this perfume can be used up to 39 % without risk in a product intended for babies.

Or, the Category 6 Corresponds to products that can come into contact with the mouth, that is to say that this perfume can be used up to 100 %.

Table of perfume categories

How does Lilikiwi use perfumes?

Then we use this perfume at a dosage of 0.3 % in our cleansing foam.

Clearly: it is necessary to use 133 bottles of product in one go, to risk having problems.

In very clear: you must use 133 bottles of 250 ml cleaning foam, so 33 kg of product in your bathtub, we are wide.

Why the fruit scents at Lilikiwi?

In addition, we only choose fruity esters, do you know why?

This is not a marketing choice, even if everyone loves our smells, but rather a choice of security.

Indeed, the fruity notes come from very simple molecules, obtained by esterification between an alcohol and an acid. (Eh ?)

We explain to you:

The esterification procedure is simple, it's a bit like when you cook a Burgundian beef: we add alcohol to the recipe so that it clings to the amino acids of beef and takes the taste of meat ( Be careful, are you drooling a little?).

For example, wines, too, use natural esterification to obtain their fruity flavors (to be consumed in moderation, but a small glass with the Burgundian beef it still goes a lot).

Where do Lilikiwi's fruity scents come from?

fruits

Perfumes (or smells should we say) from our products do not come from apple or strawberry extracts, despite the esters naturally present in these fruits.

Quite simply, because there are very few in the fruits, and they are not powerful enough to hide the smell of the base of the formulation.

A little chemistry to understand:

You may prefer cooking, but you will see, chemistry is funny too!

Green apple scent:

Our perfumer mixes the fruity esters of pear and apple (how, pear? We would have lied?).

Alcohol and fatty acids come from the fermentation of cane sugar. (And now you are hungry and want a little mojito).

Sweet strawberry scent

Our perfumer mixes the fruity esters of strawberries and bananas (and yes, there is banana in it) but also caramel and a hair of vanilla extract.

(We know people who will make cakes too tonight).

Know that these little esters are small enough to be volatile, that is to say, give a good pleasant perfume to the product.

But that they are large enough not to penetrate the skin barrier, that is to say that, the smell does not stay long on the skin and hair.

The real plus of fruit scents:

No scientific article has shown the allergenic potential of these families of fruity esters.

It is for this reason that for all Lilikiwi products, you will only find good fruit smells.

Already, it's better for the health of our children, and in addition we, we like our smells?

If this article has helped you to better understand the complex world of cosmetic perfumes, we are delighted.

If this article has given you menu ideas for this weekend, it's even better, in any case, don't forget, eat, move and consume 5 fruits and vegetables per day!

And if you have a reaction or a question: coucou@lilikiwi.fr

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