CMRs, Phthalates, Parabens, PEG and Silicone in Fragrance Oils – Our Free From Guide.

At Cosy Owl, we are always striving to ensure the safety and ethical sourcing of our products, we know that our customers want to use as natural products as possible that also perform exceptionally.  To this end, we clearly label any of our fragrance oils that contain CMR’s, Phthalates, Parabens, Silicone and PEG, which we are aware that some customers want to seek to avoid.  The good news is that most of our range is entirely free from these and clearly labelled to help you select your fragrance oil.

What are Phthalates?

Phthalates are a group of chemicals with multiple uses but one of the family have often been used in fragrance oils.  There is a particular type of phthalate that has been used mainly in plastics which has been linked with health issues.  This is not the type that is used in ANY of our fragrance oils, most contain none but the few which do use DEP (Diethyl Phthalate) which is a solvent used to extend the aromatic strength of the candle fragrance.  DEP has been found to be non-toxic in skin products and candles if used at safe levels and is classified as non-hazardous under the EU Regulation (EC) 1272/2008.

However, although these products are safe and have received rigorous scientific testing, we understand that some people want to avoid the entire family of compounds and that is why we clearly display which fragrances do not contain these products.

What are CMRs?

CMRs are any chemical that has been designated as carcinogenic (cancer forming), mutagenic (can lead to mutations) or reprotoxic (toxic to reproduction).

Understandably, ECHA (the European Chemical Agency) err on the side of caution when labelling chemicals as CMRs. For obvious reasons we try to avoid any of these chemicals in all our fragrance oils but a few do have them in and where they do, we mark them as such and you can see in the SDS H warnings such as H351.

It is important to note that the link with any potential harmful effects are at much higher doses than present in a fragrance oil as one component of many. Where used they are always used in quantities considered safe and allowed in regulations.

As none of our products are tested on animals or humans, these are theoretical warnings and the risk really relates to larger / continued exposure, rather than everyday use in a candle. We understand though that you may feel you want to avoid these altogether, which is why we clearly label every fragrance oil as to whether contains any substance that is suspected of being a CMR .

What are Parabens?

Parabens are a specific example of a chemical with known CMR properties and has been banned in some countries. It is suspected of causing reproductive harm. None of our fragrances contain Parabens.

What is PEG?

PEG is Polyethylene Glycol, a versatile chemical used in skin care products and emulsifiers and is safe to use in most cosmetic applications. However, in some instances, depending upon the manufacturing process, it can be contaminated with impurities that are considered carcinogenic and non-biodegradable. Almost all of our fragrance oils are completely free from PEG and those that do have this in are created using a manufacturing process to produce an uncontaminated result.

Why is Silicone Bad?

Silicone is a synthetic material which many customers try to avoid but it is not completely banned. There are concerns about how silicon affects that environment and some non-biodegradable versions have been banned by the EU. None of our fragrance oils contain any silicone.

We do advise that before working with any fragrance oils or essential oils, you read and understand the SDS sheets and adopt working practises to limit any potential risks. We hope that this guide and our labelling with be useful for you in doing this.

 

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