I spent my Sunday afternoon this week perusing the International Fragrance Association (IFRA) website. IFRA prohibits and restricts the use of many beloved perfume ingredients. Some of these ingredients cause sensitization, phototoxicity, are carcinogenic or have the “critical effect” of genotoxicity (they mess with your genetic info). These are serious issues and IFRA also advises on the use of such ingredients to flavor products that come into contact with our mouths and digestive systems: tobacco, toothpaste, pastilles, syrups and the like. What got me on an IFRA kick in the first place? I’ve been testing LOTS of perfumes recently that are full of Iso E Super and I was wondering what IFRA had to say about it.

Iso E Super is on IFRA’s restricted list (as flavoring) due to its critical effect of sensitization; it can cause an allergic response (one that may worsen with repeated use). You can smell Iso E Super in hundreds of perfumes and in toiletries, home fragrance sprays and candles, and household cleaning products, like laundry detergents and dryer sheets…

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