You know THAT smell. Really. THAT smell is ANY smell these days. With holidays on the horizon, pumpkin, evergreen, Christmas tree, gingerbread, cranberry and peppermint fragrances are in full force. Your air fresheners, candles, incense, dryer sheets, personal care products. Even your dishwashing detergent is "scented". Synthetic fragrances are everywhere.

The words "fragrance" and "parfum" are always "no-no's". They represent an undisclosed mixture of various chemicals and ingredients that are known to cause human harm. Don't be fooled by the words "natural, organic and pure" either. Your product may contain an organic or natural ingredient but that doesn't mean other harmful chemicals are not lurking in your products.

Our skin is our largest organ. What goes ON our skin goes IN our bodies. Toxins are absorbed by the skin (and the nose), taken-up by the lymphatic system, then move into the blood stream and eventually the liver.

Take a minute to look at the ingredient list on your products. Listed below are 3 ingredients that should NEVER be allowed in any of our products.

Parabens: Synthetic preservatives known to interfere with hormone production and release.
Phthalates: Another synthetic preservative that’s carcinogenic and linked to reproductive effects (decreased sperm counts, early breast development, birth defects) and liver and kidney damage.
Synthetic musks: These are linked to hormone disruption and are thought to persist and accumulate in breast milk, body fat, umbilical cord blood, and the environment.

Need help? I am always here to lend a helping hand.

In the meantime, be curious. Don't assume.

Even more curious? Look for the movie Stink! in theaters soon. Read the Director's Statement here:

"I used to be ignorant about the Cancer Loophole. I thought that if a product was on the shelf in a store, that meant it was safe. I naively believed that if a product contained dangerous, toxic ingredients, ingredients that could cause cancer, that product would be banned.

In making “Stink!” over the past three years, I have learned that companies don’t need to disclose whether products contain chemicals that cause cancer or disrupt hormones, even chemicals that could interfere with a child’s growth, or cause reproductive problems. Certainly we can all agree that American consumers should have the right to choose whether they want to be exposed to chemicals that cause cancer, or birth defects, or reproductive harm? Apparently not.

By keeping the ingredients secret, companies are taking away our ability to make informed choices. In other words, we don’t even have the right to choose whether we want to be exposed to a carcinogen. Companies using unsafe ingredients get to choose for us. And that’s why I made a documentary called “Stink!” – because no one should be ignorant about the Cancer Loophole. Americans need to know that our system to regulate chemicals stinks!" -John Whelan, Director and Producer Stink!

Know Better. Do Better.

Happy Thanksgiving!