Did you know the global fragrance industry is worth over $70 billion—and yet its safety regulations are shockingly lax? Many of the products we use daily—from perfume to laundry detergent—are filled with unregulated chemicals that can harm our health.

Most fragrances found in perfumes, colognes, body care, cleaning products, and even garbage bags contain dozens—or even hundreds—of synthetic chemicals. These chemicals have been linked to serious health concerns, including cancer, endocrine disruption, autoimmune diseases, respiratory damage, and reproductive harm.

Here’s the catch: in the U.S., ingredients listed as “perfume,” “parfum,” or “fragrance” are not regulated—and are often neurotoxins, meaning they’re toxic to the brain.

The word “fragrance” is a catch-all term that can apply to more than 3,000 chemicals—most of which are untested or unregulated. When the Breast Cancer Prevention Partners (BCPP) tested beauty and personal care products, fragrance chemicals made up 75 percent of the harmful toxins they found.

Even terms like “natural fragrance” or “fragrance oils” can be misleading. These labels often refer to synthetically made scents, which are still toxic. In reality, there’s no such thing as a “natural fragrance” in the scent industry.

Beware of product labels that claim to be “organic,” “wild-crafted” or “all-natural.” According to the Environmental Working Group (EWG), many companies use these terms as marketing tools, even if their products contain toxic synthetic scents.

Here’s a startling fact: the law that governs personal care product safety in the U.S. hasn’t been updated since 1938. That means most of the synthetic scents used today didn’t even exist when the law was written.

In the meantime, countless people are experiencing chemical sensitivities and environmental illnesses. Reactions to synthetic fragrances can last for minutes, days or even a lifetime.

• Blood pressure changes

However, we can protect our health by staying informed, reading labels carefully, and being mindful of hidden fragrance ingredients.