tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2106815346229702986.post1885237336530404828..comments2024-03-21T00:17:37.281-07:00Comments on sherapop's salon de parfum: The Question of BHT: Should I wear as perfume what I would never eat?Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2106815346229702986.post-26229922817491505902016-01-03T18:34:19.769-08:002016-01-03T18:34:19.769-08:00Thanks for the reply and info! I wish they shipped...Thanks for the reply and info! I wish they shipped to the USA. Anthony Jayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09864944441443306631noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2106815346229702986.post-34153553256968326522015-11-09T16:18:53.383-08:002015-11-09T16:18:53.383-08:00I had the same issue Anthony. I liked Armani Eau P...I had the same issue Anthony. I liked Armani Eau Pour Homme and Acqua di Parma, but both contained BHT. So I spent literally months trying new perfumes, only to find they contained various different types of harmful crap. Eventually I discovered Eden Perfumes in the UK. They make organic, vegan equivalents of designer fragrances for men and women. There's no fancy packaging, so they keep their costs down. They're eau de parfum strength too, so they actually last longer.Conflibiousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2106815346229702986.post-20039018277030858692015-02-24T07:07:20.601-08:002015-02-24T07:07:20.601-08:00I am on a journey to eliminate all chemicals from ...I am on a journey to eliminate all chemicals from my life due to hormone problems. I truly love cologne. It makes me feel good when someone says that I smell good. :) I don't know why but I just now thought to focus on the fragrance which I wear every day. I am so frustrated that BHT shows up in some of my favorite colognes! Any further insight on the BHT (and other chemicals) in fragrance?Anthony Jayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09864944441443306631noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2106815346229702986.post-52581802975193133062012-07-19T17:31:20.804-07:002012-07-19T17:31:20.804-07:00An aptly chosen example indeed! Layers of falsehoo...An aptly chosen example indeed! Layers of falsehood, yes. <br /><br />I recall the day when my sister and I made popcorn and melted some "Spread"--a tub of which was in the refrigerator, no doubt purchased by someone who bought (literally) into the hype according to which both butter and margarine should be avoided. ("Spread" is sort of like f''(x), where x = butter.) We poured the liquid onto our popcorn, which proceeded to shrivel up. Honestly, it was like some sort of sci-fi nightmare! (-;sherapophttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14116821928196122529noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2106815346229702986.post-89088399325468561102012-07-19T16:02:54.785-07:002012-07-19T16:02:54.785-07:00I don't drink Tang either Sherapop--just tryin...I don't drink Tang either Sherapop--just trying to express the various layers of falsehood marketed as "edible"!kastehelminoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2106815346229702986.post-90663568963387869312012-07-14T17:19:54.119-07:002012-07-14T17:19:54.119-07:00Greetings, Kastehelmi, and thank you for these sci...Greetings, Kastehelmi, and thank you for these scintillating remarks. This is simply classic:<br /><br />"Who added agent orange to my Tang?"<br /><br />I love it! My sentiments precisely, although I don't drink Tang, which is fairly scary to begin with. Mark my words though, the bell is going to be tolling for Sucralose soon, just as it did a couple decades after the release onto the market of cyclamates and saccharine... That is, after massive testing on human populations! Nothing that gross can posssibly be good for you! For heaven's sake, that would be against the theory of evolution!<br /><br />People sometimes retort to the sorts of concerns I've raised by saying that you'd have to bathe in perfume to be affected by the toxins present. The problem is: I do! Literally, I wear a HUGE amount of perfume, especially in the summer when it's hot out. This year I've been wearing a bunch of fairly natural (I think, anyway...) colognes to counteract the heat and of course my unwillingness to use air conditioning, which I do not like and is also only necessary in Boston about two weeks out of the year. (I go to the library or to Starbucks, hoping that the Emperor will not expire in my absence...) <br /><br />I think that I also oppose air conditioning because of the generally irrational practices of Americans regarding appropriate temperature levels. In the wintertime, everyone wants their house to be 80F. In the summertime, they want it to be 60F. What? It makes no sense. The worst I've seen is in places like Florida, where they virtually refrigerate you inside any closed space, with the result that you're always bouncing back and forth between a sauna and a cooler. Then there's the recycled air factor, which really does make me sick--whether it's on airplanes or in hotels in hot places, or wherever. But I digress...<br /><br />You and Girasole are right: we cannot know in many cases. But that is all the more reason to shun what we believe to be bad when we do know of its presence. I just don't trust the big companies anymore. I've become the cynical person I refer to in the first line of this post. However, I'm only cynical about people and companies which give me reasons for cynicism... <br /><br />Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts on these matters, Kastehelmi!<br /> <br />This one belongs in the perfume-writing Hall of Fame: <br />"Febreeze perfumes don't inspire love poetry." (-;sherapophttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14116821928196122529noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2106815346229702986.post-9528304128232861762012-07-12T16:06:44.834-07:002012-07-12T16:06:44.834-07:00Another great piece Sherapop! I agree wholehearted...Another great piece Sherapop! I agree wholeheartedly with your decision to boycott fragrances that include additives you would never eat, but as you would never eat perfume anyway, I find it might completely limit your ability to try mainstream new releases (which probably means you wouldn't be missing anything anyway...)<br />I don't drink soda unless chronic hypoglycemia and lack of ability to find orange juice forces me to, but I have tried diet soda as a diabetic who has been offered it hundreds of times, and I can see how a not-so-tasty beverage can become more addictive than methamphetamines.Diet Vanilla Coke might be the devil, but it actually almost tastes good from a child's "mmm sweet candy" perspective. I choose not to drink it because drinks are to hydrate, waken, be delicious, healthful, or intoxicate without highlighting the "toxic" part...as well as bring people together. Fake drinks don't bring people together, just as Febreeze perfumes don't inspire love poetry.<br /><br /> From a purely taste-based viewpoint aspartame does not taste good, but it is less disgusting-tasting than sucralose. Sucralose is one of the most vile tasting additives I've ever encountered--it's like "Who added agent orange to my Tang?"<br />And Tang is not a food either...It's a sure sign of the apocalypse that you can hardly buy a tangerine that hasn't had its skin dyed "oranger". <br />Girasole is right. I like to buy organic as much as my budget allows, and I like to support smaller companies, but we never know for sure whether our coffee is fair trade unless we visit the coffee plantations ourselves. I was so grateful when my bf's mom didn't mix Splenda with the berries she served us for breakfast last time we visited his parents. Eating truly "clean" can be difficult if you don't cook every meal you eat, and if you ever use anything from a box or container. Same with perfume. How should I know whether Coromandel by Chanel (my latest mad lust) contains BHT or something else dreadful? I already know I'm taking in Phthalates by the gallon, so to speak....Kastehelminoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2106815346229702986.post-54785762496070839672012-07-12T08:48:08.213-07:002012-07-12T08:48:08.213-07:00Greetings, Amanda, and welcome to the salon!
Than...Greetings, Amanda, and welcome to the salon!<br /><br />Thank you so much for the comments and praise, which I very much appreciate. Yes, I agree, the internet acts as something of a counterbalance to some of the negative effects which we may lament. Among other things, the internet makes it possible for us to seek out great perfumes, wherever they may be... The fragrance community websites are especially helpful in providing the information we need. Entire olfactory worlds exist which we would otherwise be unable to explore—being completely ignorant of their existence!<br /><br />People have said that the internet is a democratizing force, but it can also be used as a tool for expanding one's own limited horizons. Thank goodness our perfume choices are not limited to what is available at the local department stores!<br /><br />I do think that independent perfumers are becoming aware that as consumers become more sophisticated, they wish to give perfumes a full wear before purchasing an entire bottle. Some of the houses now offer refundable sample sets, where the price is credited back to the purchase of a full bottle. I think that even when the samples are simply sold at a reasonable price, people will be willing to buy them, so I hope that at some point it becomes a regular part of the business of perfume houses to offer such samples for sale to their customers—both actual and potential.<br /><br />Thank you very much, Amanda, for weighing in on this issue!sherapophttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14116821928196122529noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2106815346229702986.post-31975959450349161762012-07-12T08:33:41.381-07:002012-07-12T08:33:41.381-07:00Hello, Flora, thank you so much for the kind words...Hello, Flora, thank you so much for the kind words, and welcome to the salon!<br /><br />The vintage perfumes which people love and pursue today (often on e-bay) were for the most part mainstream launches in the past. It seems to me that the entire complex of the perfume industry has undergone radical changes with the result that we can no longer count on quality from the mainstream houses. There are too many launches, especially flankers and limited editions poured into familiar bottles. I wonder whether new iconic perfumes can even be produced in this climate of rapid release and discontinuation. <br /><br />Fortunately, there are still good perfumes being made. Though they may never become household names, we can still wear and enjoy them: it's just a matter of seeking them out!<br /><br />Thank you so much for stopping by, Flora! I hope to read you here again soon!sherapophttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14116821928196122529noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2106815346229702986.post-65443645901361797072012-07-11T07:39:29.664-07:002012-07-11T07:39:29.664-07:00Dear Girasole,
Thank you so much for shining the ...Dear Girasole,<br /><br />Thank you so much for shining the bright light of your skeptical mind here once again! I have received a couple of incisive comments at Parfumo.de as well, and now I'm not sure at all what to think about the Question of BHT! Another person pointed out what you have pointed out above, that we do not know whether BHT was in fact added before or not, because the standards for what needs to be claimed on the label have changed.<br /><br />I'm really trying to come up with a coherent policy for myself, as I do not know how to navigate all of the sorts of contradictions which you rightly have underscored. The hyped "news" about what is and what is not safe never ends. I recall all of the hype about eggs, for example. Eggs supposedly were bad for you. Now eggs are supposed to be good for you. And there's caffeine, which I of course would not renounce under any circumstances. "They" were saying that caffeine is not good. Then the whole hype about antioxidants arrived on the scene and now red wine and coffee are supposed to be good for you I guess.<br /><br />Maybe I should just consume what I want to consume and ignore all of the hype. One thing is clear to my mind: perfume should smell and feel good. When a perfume does not meet those criteria, then it should not be worn. After all, our bodies have evolved to protect us from poisons. Therefore, if a perfume feels like a nerve toxin, then I'm just going to heed the warning signs and shun it at all costs.<br /><br />I think that natural perfumery offers the best hope of avoiding self-poisoning, so I am definitely exploring more and more creations from perfumers who are willing to disclose everything they do and use in producing their perfumes. You are right, that small production does not guarantee quality, but I think that in perfumery, there is much more accountability and a sense of responsibility from small producers, because their own reputation is on the line. With the huge conglomerates, responsibility is diffuse. Those companies are really big fat bureaucracies filled with secrets to which we are not privy.<br /><br />Thank you again for these insightful comments, Girasole. It's always a pleasure to read you here!sherapophttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14116821928196122529noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2106815346229702986.post-83312951655774959962012-07-11T07:18:41.130-07:002012-07-11T07:18:41.130-07:00Beautifully and eloquently written! Indeed the be...Beautifully and eloquently written! Indeed the best thing to come about for the small artisan perfumer, is the internet. It is, as they say, the great equalizer :) There's so many of us reachable to you now via the internet. And as you say, it's just a great idea to offer samples to people who want to try something from a "new to them" line so that they can see how the perfume works on the skin and with their body chemistry.<br /><br />Thanks for writing such a wonderful article!<br /><br />AmandaAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2106815346229702986.post-53022868424041780062012-07-11T07:08:48.949-07:002012-07-11T07:08:48.949-07:00Hi Pitbull friend, Hi Sherapop, I actually googled...Hi Pitbull friend, Hi Sherapop, I actually googled BHT and it's odorless, colorless, cristalline, solid. Good thing about it is that it is effective against Herpes simplex. Personally I find the discussion of BHT contradictory. I also understand that it shows up with different names (e.g. E 321) in the INCI lists. (Reading INCIs is a science of itself. Even chemists who don't work for the food/cosmetic industry don't understand them. They use different names not the scientific ones) I also understand that before products could contain BHT but producers did not explicitly mention it in their lists.<br />I remember that certain ingredients of sun cream were argued to be detrimental to women's health. It was a real hype. However, later studies showed that this was not the case. Unfortunately, this info was not hyped. But the damage done.<br />It also brings to my mind the "talcum" problem. The FDA commissioned an animal test which showed that talcum was provoking cancer. A metastudy later showed that the test was done wrong. (Intersting to know since organic cosmetic companies that are against animal testing use talcum. What an irony because even on Wikipedia you can read about the FDA commissioned animal tests with talcum.) Fact is that the pharmaceutical industry only uses the so called Grade A Talcum (harmless). The cosmetic industry (the organic branch too) does not disclose which talcum they use. <br />Formaldehyd is also an ingredient of nailpolish.<br />My boyfriend buys our wine from small producers. But I am not entirely convinced if small producers offer the better product. Their quality management is certainly not as refined as that of bigger companies. And even small producers add chemicals that a bigger company probably would not use. Even small producers can get involved in wine scandals, as happened in my country in the past.<br />You can't tell, you never can.<br />GirasoleAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2106815346229702986.post-14229661299371345482012-07-10T21:24:44.618-07:002012-07-10T21:24:44.618-07:00A very thoughtful and thought-provoking article! M...A very thoughtful and thought-provoking article! More and more I am drawn to natural/indie perfumes for all the reasons you have listed, and I am a vintage lover from way back - I am old enough to remember when today's "vintage" perfumes were still on the shelves!Florahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00510346346502906435noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2106815346229702986.post-32605333129608583612012-07-09T06:33:37.822-07:002012-07-09T06:33:37.822-07:00Hello, pitbull friend!
I do not know what "...Hello, pitbull friend! <br /><br />I do not know what "neat" BHT smells like. Good question! There are tons of preliminary studies on BHT, so I'd recommend googling to satisfy your curiosity on the topic. Some people say that it has adverse effects upon childhood development, for example. The jury is still out, as they say, so that's why it remains legal. But it's one of those cases where it seems better to be safe than sorry, it seems to me. <br /><br />Artificial sweeteners are a good precedent here: they are never initially thought to be dangerous. Why? Because they have not been thoroughly tested on human populations until the products containing them are launched and lots of people have actually consumed them. It's only later that the data can be marshaled and documented claims about, for example, carcinogenicity can be scientifically tested. (Think: cyclamates and saccharin here...) <br /><br />That's a great point about the sampling problem. Yes, every indie and natural perfume house needs to come up with a system making it possible for consumers to test their wares. Sample sets for purchase seem like the perfect solution to me. Many perfumistas are willing to pay for samples, so perfumers could offer such sets at their websites just as they offer full bottles, as a part of their regular inventory.<br /><br />Thank you for these comments, pitbull friend! It's always nice to read you here! (-;sherapophttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14116821928196122529noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2106815346229702986.post-42723730820710809662012-07-08T23:31:21.219-07:002012-07-08T23:31:21.219-07:00Sherapop: Now I'm quite curious. Have you ever...Sherapop: Now I'm quite curious. Have you ever smelled BHT by itself? Does it have any smell? Also, I wonder who manufactures it - is it a matter of it being so cheap or so ubiquitous that perfume companies figure they might as well put it in? Do you have any sense of what potential harms it carries? (I'm assuming you do, if you are going out of your way not to eat it.) <br /><br />Frankly, I'm pretty sure at this point that I have more perfume socked away than I'll be able to use in this lifetime, so it's not going to take much to put me off buying any more mass-market stuff. I just wish more of the indie perfumers had sample programs. I think they are slowly getting with this, thank goodness, but slowly.pitbull friendhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18426744107243600553noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2106815346229702986.post-51270982987966912052012-07-08T20:35:34.944-07:002012-07-08T20:35:34.944-07:00So glad you asked, Monica! Stay tuned for the answ...So glad you asked, Monica! Stay tuned for the answer to this and many other questions in the days to follow! <br /><br />Welcome to the salon, and thank you very much for the excellent question! So apt, so timely, almost as though I planted you in the audience! (-;sherapophttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14116821928196122529noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2106815346229702986.post-62649133786579176062012-07-08T19:49:54.310-07:002012-07-08T19:49:54.310-07:00And.....where have all the perfumer's gone?And.....where have all the perfumer's gone?Monicahttp://www.perfumepharmer.comnoreply@blogger.com