- checking login information
Loading...Exposed: The Shocking Truth About Air Fresheners
- Michelle Schoffro Cook
- August 30, 2012
- 4:45 pm
- 155 comments
Before you spray Febreze or plug in a Glade Plug-In, light a scented candle, or use some so-called air freshening wick, mist, aerosol, or other car or room deodorizer, think twice. You’ll be shocked to learn their ingredients and the harmful effects they can cause. That “Cleansing Rain,” “Summer Breeze,” “Fresh Country,” “Cool Morning Air” or “Berry Burst” might be having disastrous effects on your health or the health of your family, including children and unborn fetuses.
Hormone-Disrupting Phthalates:
The Natural Resources Defence Council (NRDC)—an international environmental organization—conducted a study called, “Clearing the Air: Hidden Hazards of Air Fresheners” in which they found 86% of air fresheners tested contained dangerous phthalates.
Phthalates are used as plastic softeners, anti-foaming agents in aerosols, in vinyl found in children’s toys, automobiles, paints, pesticides, and in cosmetics and fragrances. According to the NRDC research, “Most phthalates are well known to interfere with production of the male hormone testosterone, and have been associated with reproductive abnormalities.”
Numerous animal studies have shown exposure to phthalates decreases testosterone, causes malformations of the genitalia, and reduced sperm production. Human studies link phthalates to changes in hormones, poor semen quality, and changes in genital formation. Five phthalates, including one found in air fresheners are listed by the State of California as “known to cause birth defects or reproductive harm.” Additionally, phthalates in air fresheners are associated with allergic symptoms and asthma, according to the NRDC.
Research by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control found that the majority of the American population is routinely exposed to at least five different phthalates. Their research also shows that even if the exposures are small (they may not be!), there is a significant health threat due to the combination of phthalates acting as a higher dose.
Discover the amount of phthalates in your favorite brands of air fresheners…
Read more: Allergies, Asthma, Babies, Caregiving, Children, Conscious Consumer, COPD, General Health, Green, Health & Safety, Healthy Schools, Men's Health, Michelle Schoffro Cook, News & Issues, Non-Toxic Cleaning, Pregnancy, Sexual Health, Smart Shopping, Teens, Testosterone, air deodorizer, air freshener, air purification, air sanitizer, air wick, allergies, asthma, Berry Burst, birth defects, cleanse, Cleansing Rain, common toxins, consumer product safety, Consumer Product Safety Commission, consumer products, Cool Morning Air, deodorizer, detox, detoxification, Dr. Cook, endocrine disruptors, Febreze, Fresh Country, glade, health, health Canada, Health News, healthy air, hormone disruptors, hormone imbalance, indoor air quality, lung detox, Michelle Schoffro Cook, ozium, phthalates, purify the air, reproductive defects, Summer Breeze, testosterone, toxins, unhealthy air, Walgreens, World's Healthiest News
Michelle Schoffro Cook
Michelle Schoffro Cook, MSc, RNCP, ROHP, DNM, PhD is an international best-selling and 14-time book author and doctor of traditional natural medicine, whose works include: 60 Seconds to Slim, Healing Recipes, The Vitality Diet, Allergy-Proof, Arthritis-Proof, Total Body Detox, The Life Force Diet, The Ultimate pH Solution, The 4-Week Ultimate Body Detox Plan, and The Phytozyme Cure. Check out her natural health resources and subscribe to her free e-magazine World's Healthiest News at WorldsHealthiestDiet.com to receive monthly health news, tips, recipes and more. Follow her on Twitter @mschoffrocook and Facebook.
Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may
not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.
people are talking
Great sharing...Ty
Thanks for the info!
thanks for sharing
:)
I wouldn't be surprised if these immunity deficiency diseases are caused by these things.
155 comments
+ add your ownI am also concerned about phthalates but am disappointed to learn that the information shared in the article is quite dated (though the article was published in 2012). The study by the NRDC quoted in this article is from 2007. I just check the SCJ web site and found that they phased out phthalates in 2008 and wonder if other manufacturers have done this as well.
I would love to see an update to this article that actually presents current information. It looks like this author just lifted information from the NRDC health facts sheet and didn't do any additional research.
Thanks for the heads up. I'll stick to nature as much as I can.
Since I developed asthma in old age, I stay away from all aerosals, in general.. Think they're all dangerous... hair spray, etc.
I just don´t buy any air fresheners, they test on animals and have a bunch of chemicals, no thanks!
Thanks for sharing.
Well, John L., how long do you suggest I wait to get whatever it is that you're so worried about? I think room air fresheners all depend on the size of the room in which they are put, how air-tight that room might be and individual sensitivities.
Please don't try to scare everyone with paranoia that they're all going to drop over gasping for breath at some point in time because YOU have issues.
Pure Poison. Wait til some of u who disagree with this article get MCS, and you'll quickly change your mind. From a canary....
Somehow this doesn't surprize me but it's shocking to see it laid out so clear like this!
thank you for sharing
These are toxic to anyone....and the air...I think they ought to be taken off the market!
login to add your comment
use your care2 login
add your comment