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Loading...Exposed: What’s Lurking in Febreze?
- Michelle Schoffro Cook
- August 31, 2012
- 4:11 pm
- 133 comments
Forget what the TV commercials tell you: Febreze doesn’t contain some miracle substance that envelopes bacteria in mid-air, leaving your house sanitized, healthy, fresh and clean-smelling. What it does contain may surprise you, however. Proctor and Gamble discloses only three ingredients on their Febreze-brand products yet the Environmental Working Group (EWG)—an American-based non-profit that advocates for health protection—found a whopping 87 chemicals in Febreze Air Effects, some of which include:
BHT—a known neurotoxin (substance that is toxic to the brain and nervous system), a hormone disruptor, immune system toxin, and irritant to the skin, eyes, and lungs.
Acetaldehyde—a known carcinogen (causes cancer) that has reproductive and development effects (yes, that means it can damage a fetus), immune system toxin, and irritant to the skin, eyes, and lungs.
Fragrance—This is one of the three disclosed ingredients. However, on its own, it can contain up to 400 ingredients, most of which are petrochemicals. Clinical observation by medical doctors has found that exposure to fragrances can damage the central nervous system and cause depression, hyperactivity, irritability, inability to cope, behavioral damages, headaches, dizziness, rashes, hyper-pigmentation, vomiting, coughing, and skin irritation. A shocking 95% of the chemicals used as “fragrance” come from petroleum! According to the research of Julia Kendall (available at www.ehnca.org), the most common chemicals in fragrances are ethanol, benzaldehyde, benzyl acetate, a-pinene, acetone, benzyl alcohol, ethyl acetate, linalook, a-terpinene, methylene chloride, and a-terpineol. You’ll see that numerous of these ingredients were found in Febreze. Check out my article Detox Your Cosmetics for more information about fragrances.
Propylene Glycol—also a known carcinogen, propylene glycol is toxic to the immune system, is linked to allergies, accumulates in the body and irritates the skin, eyes, and lungs
1,3-Dichloro-2-propanol—causes cancer
Limonene—allergen, immune system toxin and skin, lungs, and eye irritant
Methyl pyrrolidone—Reproductive system toxin linked to birth defects, allergies, immune system toxicity, and skin, eyes, and lung irritation
Alcohol, denatured—Also one of the three disclosed ingredients in Febreze. In this form it is linked to cancer, birth defects, organ system toxicity, and skin, eyes, and lung irritation
Butylphenyl methylpropional—allergen, irritant, and immune system toxin
Ethyl acetate—another brain and nervous system toxin (neurotoxin) which is also linked to developmental and reproductive toxicity
Benzaldehyde—also a neurotoxin and skin, lung, and eye irritator
Of course, the list goes on. For the full EWG report on Febreze, click here. The tagline for Febreze is “We’re out to make the world breathe happy.” When I inhale Febreze or read the ingredient list and their toxic effects, I’m not breathing happy and I doubt you are either.
Obviously, the biggest issue is that these ingredients really shouldn’t be allowed in products that will be sprayed into the air, inhaled, or absorbed directly into the bloodstream through skin contact. But there are other issues like duping the public into thinking that they are somehow cleaning the air and eliminating odors. They simply mask them.
As for the toxic effects, not to worry, Proctor and Gamble also offers a wide selection of drugs that can address many of the symptoms and conditions linked to Febreze ingredients. Can you say “conflict of interest” as fast as you can send a toxic whiff of Febreze into the air?
Next week, I’ll discuss “EXPOSED: More Serious Toxins Found in Air Fresheners” and “EXPOSED: Is Your Child’s Classroom Toxic?”
Sources: Environmental Working Group Report and The Dangers of Febreze.
Subscribe to my free e-newsletter World’s Healthiest News to receive monthly health news, tips, recipes and more. Follow me on Twitter @mschoffrocook and Facebook. Copyright Michelle Schoffro Cook, PhD.
Related—EXPOSED: The Shocking Truth about Air Fresheners
Detox Your Cosmetics
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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.
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Michelle said lettuce and whoever heard of tomatoes as starchy was bad.At least that could be prepa…
Yummy! Thanks!
Thanks for sharing this.
133 comments
+ add your ownOMG, this stuff sounds like "cancer in a can" !
My body has warned me since it first came into the market with a sense of nausea and headache and no wonder just take a look at the chemicals. Lets all go natural and protect our kids. I have used dry baking soda for years as my underarm deodorant and no problem. My latest find is the shower cleaner that uses half white vinegar and half Dawn..(chemicals???) just spray it on the shower and rinse. Very little scrubbing and the chrome comes out all sparkly..
Vinegar is a real hard-sell, as already mentioned. So the deceit goes on, and consumers just go on using these harmful products. I've used vinegar for many years- a real all-purpose item, economical and can be found in everyone's kitchen.
Public awareness is so critical - for the sake of the younger generations, who live with a lot of these products.
Sue H. I also use vinegar in my wash, have for years now. I know it is a hard sell to others until they feel and smell the clothes. There is no vinegar smell and the clothes come out just as soft and with fabric softener. I have my entire family using it now. Also it is a lot cheaper too. Baking soda is a good item to use for odors. I put a box in just about every room in the house. Toothpaste is another thing we do not need to buy. Baking soda mixed with some water into a paste cleans your teeth just fine.
Thanks, could have guessed.
That was a good article to share with friends .......
I never knew this. We use Febreze all the time! I can't believe what people will do to earn money. I might make my own cleaners after reading this stuff.
Good thing my wife can't stand the smell of Febreze,, or any of the other household deodorant things.
Yuck. Just keep your house clean! I've never thought it smelled all that good.
Never liked the idea of covering up stink with something else that stinks. If something smells and it's washable, I'll wash it. If it smells and I can't wash it, I'll get rid of it. By cleaning up spills and mess right away I don't get smelly stuff.
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