Is Clarins Angel Perfume a Valentine Gift or St. Valentine's Day Massacre

LAS VEGAS -- Is your breath being taken away by love or toxic ingredients? February 14th, a day in which everyone longs for that special present from the one they love, romantics hope for the ultimate present--the wedding proposal or the universal symbol of love, a diamond. Little girls look forward to the little heart shaped box of chocolates from their fathers. Most retail stores hope for increased sales of roses or fragrances. For the 15% of the population that experience severe and debilitating reactions to fragrances, they hope for the more environmentally and health conscious alternative gifts, such as real roses dipped in 24 karat gold that last forever. Hospital emergency rooms are not the romantic settings commonly associated with Valentine’s Day, but for some, that will be their destination. The high prevalence of respiratory irritants found in most fragrances can elicit severe asthmatic reactions. On Feb. 7, 2000, the Environmental Health Network (EHN) issued a press release “Perfume: Cupid’s Arrow or Poison Dart?” where EHN exposed the health hazards associated with Calvin Klein's "Eternity Eau de Parfum" (Eternity). This was supported by EHN's petition to the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) requesting the FDA declare Eternity "misbranded" or "adulterated" because it violated 21CFR Sec. 740/10, which is one of the violations ascribed to Clarins “Angel Perfume” in a petition recently submitted to the FDA by the National Toxic Encephalopathy Foundation (NTEF). Ingredients found in both Calvin Klein’s “Eternity” and Clarins “Angel Perfume” are known respiratory irritants in these fragrance mixtures. Due to trademark secrets those ingredients are not fully disclosed on the packaging. These ingredients are in addition to other chemical ingredients that have not been fully investigated for their chemical, physical and toxicological properties. In September of 2004, the European Union enacted a new law that requires cosmetics companies to remove reproductive toxins, mutagens and carcinogens from personal care products. In 2005, the Governor of California signed a law that requires cosmetic companies to provide to the state a list of ingredients that are known carcinogenics or reproductive toxins in their products. In November, 2006, Health Canada enacted a law that now requires manufacturers to list ingredients on the packaging. The public has been under the misguided impression that cosmetics are fully tested prior to marketing. The industry is very loosely regulated by the FDA and relies on cosmetics companies to test their products and accurately label the finished products as required by law. “If these products were in fact tested and labeled properly, petitions as the ones cited above and the laws enacted for ingredient disclosure would not be necessary,” said Angel De Fazio, president of the NTEF. "Let your Valentine remember the thought, not the health ramifications of your gift," De Fazio said. (c) Angel De Fazio (Angel@ntef-usa.org)