Fragrance and Hormone Health

Is Fragrance the New Smoking?

Francesca Lyon, lead nutritionist at FUTURE WOMAN, explores how synthetic fragrances could be the new silent health hazard, examining the hidden toxins in everyday products and their potential long-term impacts on our well-being and hormone health. 

In the run up to Christmas we’re all thinking about what we can get our friends and family as a gift. And apparently 1 in 3 of us will be buying beauty products and perfumes for loved ones. But while these may seem like perfect presents, almost all of them contain a concerning ingredient: synthetic fragrances that could be silently disrupting your hormone health.

According to the International Fragrance Association, there are more than 3,500 fragrance chemicals in use today! And more worryingly, fragrance formulations are often protected by companies, allowing manufacturers to include hundreds of untested and undisclosed chemicals without full transparency to consumers.

This explosion of synthetic fragrances in modern consumer products has become a significant yet under-recognised health concern. It’s leading many experts to ask: could fragrance be the new smoking?

The Widespread Presence of Synthetic Fragrances

These synthetic fragrance compounds can be found in over 95% of mainstream consumer products, creating a daily chemical burden that accumulates in bodily tissues.

Where Are These Fragrances Hiding?

Synthetic fragrances are omnipresent in our daily lives, appearing in:

• Personal care items
• Cleaning supplies
• Candles
• Air fresheners
• Cosmetics

A Chemical Cocktail: Why Fragrances are Harming Your Hormone Health

Most synthetic fragrances contain endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) like phthalates and BPAs. These can significantly interfere with hormonal systems by disrupting:

• Hormone production
• Hormone transportation
• Hormone metabolism

5 Ways Fragrance Impacts Hormone Health

Let’s have a look at some examples of how fragrance can impact our hormone health and fertility: 

Fragrances and puberty

Some recent research has linked the ingredient musk ambrette (a synthetic musk) to early puberty in girls. The research suggests that this synthetic musk found in a wide range of everyday products may prompt the increased release of GnRH which impacts the production of reproductive hormones and in turn impacts early age of puberty. This is found in products such as soaps, air fresheners and cosmetics.

Fragrances and PCOS 

It is now incredibly clear in the research that chemicals found in fragrances such as BPA and parabens are associated with changes to the ovary and a higher risk of PCOS. Interestingly one study found that those with PCOS had high levels of BPA in their follicular fluid than those without. In particular these endocrine disruptors are linked to disrupted glucose management, higher levels of insulin resistance and higher testosterone levels, all which contribute to PCOS. Research also connects exposure to these chemicals with weight gain and PCOS too. 

Fragrances and fertility 

Did you know that perfume is actually banned in many IVF clinics as it can impact the growth of the embryos?

Endocrine disruptors in fragrances can impact everything from insulin resistance, hormone metabolism, hormone production and detox, weight, inflammation and oxidative stress: all of which can greatly impact fertility.

In particular, recent research highlights how these endocrine disruptors in fragrances can disturb the processes of hormone production and the development of the ovarian follicles, as well as being linked to endometriosis and PCOS which both impact fertility too. 

Fragrances, PMS and perimenopause

Many personal care and household products containing synthetic fragrances harbor potentially harmful xenoestrogens – chemical compounds that mimic oestrogen in the body and can disrupt hormonal balance. 

During perimenopause, when hormone levels are already fluctuating and initially oestrogen is high, exposure to these endocrine-disrupting chemicals may exacerbate symptoms like hot flashes, mood swings, and irregular periods. 

Phthalates and parabens, common ingredients in fragranced products, can bind to oestrogen receptors, potentially interfering with natural hormone regulation, increasing inflammation, and contributing to metabolic challenges. 

Fragrances and oxidative stress

Although these fragrances do contain pleasant and sometimes even ‘natural’ smelling scents, these artificial fragrances can trigger inflammatory responses and oxidative stress. At the root of nearly all hormonal imbalances is inflammation and oxidative stress. It also is a root driver of endometriosis, PCOS, fertility issues, perimenopause, irregular ovulation and cycles and much more. 

So it can all sound a bit overwhelming and scary right…. But don’t worry there is still so much in our control!

Taking Control: Practical Solutions

1. Clean Up Your Beauty & Cleaning Products

Remove anything with an artificial fragrance! 

Every time you finish a body cream, hand lotion, shampoo, perfume or candle, replace it with a less toxic version that is either 100% fragrance free or contains more natural fragrance like essential oils. One of our favourite things to do at FUTURE WOMAN is add a few drops of pure essential oil to our unscented products.

It’s important to note that some research has linked tea tree and lavender oil with early breast development in girls and breast development called repubertal gynecomastia in boys. Therefore it is important to remember that even though these are natural they can still impact our endocrine system! 

Check out our FUTURE WOMAN shop for our favourite fragrance-free products.

2. Test to Address the Hormonal Impact of EDCs

Testing with the Advanced Hormone Test can help us identify exactly how these fragrances and other endocrine disrupting chemicals have impacted your current hormonal health. Some key markers we look out for include:

• Oestrogen levels – One of the most common hormonal imbalances that can present from environmental toxins is excess or unopposed estrogen. This is due to environmental toxins causing disruption to the healthy detoxification and removal of estrogen from the body.
• Poor oestrogen detoxification – how well you detoxify your oestrogen has a huge impact on your oxidative stress, inflammation levels and also general detoxification health too. We test this via urine so we can clearly see how well you are detoxifying your oestrogen. 
• Oxidative stress – We can measure your oxidative stress levels in our Advanced Hormone Test. As mentioned above this has a huge impact on everything to fertility, ovulation, weight, brain fog and more. 
• Neuroinflammation – We also assess neuroinflammation via organic acids testing in our Advanced Hormone Test – this is a good marker to assess for the long-term impact of environmental toxins and fragrances on your health. 

Real Results: A Case Study

At FUTURE WOMAN, we’ve helped countless women identify and mitigate the effects of endocrine disruptors.

For example, one client discovered significantly elevated oestrogen and oxidative stress linked to daily use of fragranced and toxic cleaning products in her line of work.

After following a personalised plan, including safer product swaps and targeted supplements, she saw marked improvements in energy, hormonal balance, and even skin health within weeks.

Conclusion

So this Christmas, before purchasing that scented candle or perfume set, consider the potential impact on your loved ones’ hormone health! While synthetic fragrances may create pleasant aromas, the long-term effects on our endocrine system warrant careful consideration. By making informed choices about the products we use and gift, we can better protect our hormonal health and that of our loved ones.