Fragrance is a term used to describe the scent of a product, but it is not an individual ingredient or chemical. Rather, it is an umbrella term that refers to all the compounds and chemicals that comprise a product's fragrance
. Typically, this is dozens of ingredients, and companies are not required to disclose the individual fragrance elements as the fragrance "blend" is considered proprietary information
. Unfortunately, many personal care products, especially ones from brands owned by large corporations, contain some form of synthetic fragrance, which can carry potentially serious negative long-term health effects
. Some fragrance ingredients have been associated with serious negative health effects, such as phthalates, which are commonly found in fragrance and are known endocrine disruptors with the potential to cause reproductive harm
. However, there are natural and non-toxic perfume brands that use high- quality ingredients, such as the finest quality essential oils and botanical ingredients, and are transparent about the ingredients used in their perfumes
. These non-toxic perfumes derive their captivating aromas from a wide range of natural ingredients, including essential oils, absolutes, plant extracts, and resins
. Popular natural ingredients used in non-toxic perfumes include rose, jasmine, vanilla, sandalwood, bergamot, and citrus oils
