A recently banned fragrance material

Of the 50 products randomly tested from around the world as part of the IFRA Compliance Program’s third cycle (May 2008 to April 2009) one finished product has been identified as containing a recently banned fragrance material. [...]

“This is the first time we have identified a banned fragrance material in the three years of running the Compliance Program,” explained Jean-Pierre Houri, IFRA Director General. “Since the material has only recently been banned it is possible that the finished product is part of batch that is simply running its course through the retail pipeline…”

— From Fragrance industry spots non-compliant product at IFRA. Most unfortunately, they don’t name the product or we could all run out and buy a bottle.

Filed in topic:

Tags:

36 Comments

Read more about commenting at Now Smell This.

  1. RusticDove
    Posted on 14 July 2009

    haha Yes, dag nabbit – I did want to run right out and snatch it up!

  2. nwatts88
    Posted on 14 July 2009

    any idea what the substance is that has recently been banned?

    • Robin
      Posted on 14 July 2009

      No, there are too many such substances to even guess.

  3. proximity
    Posted on 14 July 2009

    Wow. That’s extra special frustrating that they won’t even say what it is >_<

    • Robin
      Posted on 14 July 2009

      I’m sure they see it the opposite way that we do…they’re presumably trying to protect the company until they figure out if it was really a case of non-compliance.

  4. Sunnyfunny
    Posted on 14 July 2009

    So what sort of things have been banned? I haven’t been paying a ton of attention to this, and my understanding about oakmoss is that it’s been restricted, but not banned. At least that’s what the Caron rep I spoke with in May told me. ???

    • Robin
      Posted on 14 July 2009

      Oakmoss has been banned in certain concentrations…not banned altogether, but as I understand it you can no longer make a “real” classic chypre. Also some citrus oils, and many other things — I’m really not keeping track. If you click on the IFRA tag:

      http://www.nstperfume.com/tag/ifra/

      …you’ll find lots more info, and links to other websites with more helpful info than I have.

  5. jirish
    Posted on 14 July 2009

    One of the other blogs (I think it was PerfumeShrine?) had a recent review of Amourouse and mentioned that they thought it would be reformulated due to its use of oak moss. I ran right out and got a bottle. I wanted to get a bottle of Fleurs de Sel recently, but the Miller Harris website has listed it as out of stock for quite some time, and now I’m worried that that’s being reformulated. I guess I’m seeing reformulating boogiemen everywhere.

    Does anyone know if stores are good at accepting returned merchandise if you buy something and your nose tells you its been reformulated? I’m worried about buying Fleurs de Sel when it finally shows up at the website again.

    • Robin
      Posted on 14 July 2009

      It depends on the store…I’d ask before you buy.

  6. AnnS
    Posted on 14 July 2009

    IMHO it’s probably jasmine or rose – too much of one or the other of them is not in compliance. But those are ones not likely to get noticed as they are in almost every perfume….Just guessing.

    • Robin
      Posted on 14 July 2009

      Hard to say. Surprised they’re only testing 50 products, for that matter…that’s a drop in the bucket.

      • AnnS
        Posted on 14 July 2009

        Yeah, for all we know it was a Paris Hilton or other mass market fragrance with antifreeze in it that we won’t miss at all. Just kidding about the antifreeze, lol. It would be funny if we are all jonesing to buy a fragrance that is some hideous scrubber. We shouldn’t assume it is one we all love or even a classic.

        • Robin
          Posted on 14 July 2009

          Quite so! Could be some crapola.

          • miss kitty v.
            Posted on 14 July 2009

            Isn’t that the name of one of Paris Hilton’s fragrances? Paris Hilton Crapola?

          • Robin
            Posted on 15 July 2009

            HA!

  7. prism
    Posted on 14 July 2009

    my money is on something animalic….

    • Robin
      Posted on 14 July 2009

      Not likely, I shouldn’t think — most companies gave up using real animalic materials ages ago, and at any rate I don’t think any have been recently banned.

  8. Joe
    Posted on 14 July 2009

    I can’t wait until some indy American (or non-EU) perfumer comes out with a marketing packet that says “Our fragrance has so much OAKMOSS and JASMINE that it’s been BANNED BY THE IFRA! Get yours now!” I’d buy it, too.

  9. Absolute Scentualist
    Posted on 14 July 2009

    *clutches AG’s E d’H with all its glorious citrus oil goodness to bosom* This still frosts my cookies. If I want to walk around in a cloud of oakmossy, citrusy, ambergris-y bliss, shouldn’t it be my risk to take? I mean slap a huge warning label on the box if you must, but let me bathe in the chypre poison of my choice for the love of Caron, and Guerlain, and Amouage, and Ormonde Jayne…

    • AnnS
      Posted on 14 July 2009

      Amen!

    • Sunnyfunny
      Posted on 14 July 2009

      I was at the grocery store this weekend when a gal began to stand in line behind me but had to leave because my perfume was making her nauseous. (It was Fracas, if you want to know :) .) I thought right then that perfume will be banned in its entirety before cigarettes are! K, here’s the funny thing about where I live. I’ve gotten more negative reaction (allergies) than anything to my perfumes! Kinda makes me feel bad. And sad.

    • Robin
      Posted on 14 July 2009

      It’s hard to see why milk & peanuts can have label warnings on food products, given how sick they make some people, but citrus oils have to go.

  10. Posted on 14 July 2009

    Oh, good. Now we get to find out what they can actually do about non-compliance. Until somebody broke the rules and got caught we’d never know.

    • Robin
      Posted on 14 July 2009

      A quote from Premium Beauty News (http://www.premiumbeautynews.com/IFRA-found-banned-fragrance-in,1062):

      As a non-governmental organisation, IFRA has no compulsory power but the association said it would “named and shamed” the concerned company in case it would no accept to comply with the standard.

      • Posted on 14 July 2009

        That’s it? Notoriety? Makes you want to start up a non-IFRA compliant fragrance company called Hester Prynne, Ltd.

        • Robin
          Posted on 14 July 2009

          Yeah, but would guess that’s all it will take for many consumers…some unknown agency saying the company failed safety standards.

      • Tama
        Posted on 14 July 2009

        hahaha – all you get is a finger-point and “nyah nyah nyah”? Good grief. I thought you’d get all your stuff pulled, or a big fine! What the heck is everyone so worried about? Lawsuits, I guess.

      • Rappleyea
        Posted on 14 July 2009

        I’d LOVE it if they “named & shamed” the offenders! Then I’d know which perfumes were still worth buying!!

  11. Rappleyea
    Posted on 14 July 2009

    This *expletive deleted* IFRA stuff shoots my blood pressure through the roof. It has nothing to do with health and everything to do with the profits of the chemical companies, who are obviously pulling the strings!

    Random tests of vaccines still show mercury being used as preservatives, and you’ve got these idiots blowing the whistle on oak moss and bergamot!

    • Robin
      Posted on 14 July 2009

      Yep. But watch that blood pressure…it isn’t worth it!

      • Rappleyea
        Posted on 14 July 2009

        I know, thanks….. I’ve calmed down now. But only because I scored an oak moss laden vintage bottle of Mitsouko on eBay last week!

Post a Comment

You must be logged in to post a comment.

  • Shop for perfume

    Parfum1
  • Subscribe to NST

  • Search

  • Login to comment

  • Browse by…

  • Advertisement

  • Blogroll

  • From NST at Twitter

    nowsmellthisnowsmellthis: "Roberto Cavalli Envisions Jennifer Lopez Wearing His ‘Aggressive’ Scent" article at People http://t.co/PcfLZSCW
    51 minutes ago
    nowsmellthisnowsmellthis: Stella McCartney in conversation with Alexandra Shulman (video, talks about new scent L.I.L.Y) http://t.co/VAKYigvK
    1 day ago
    nowsmellthisnowsmellthis: "French parfumier Guerlain on trial over 'race slurs'" article at Telegraph http://t.co/lVDxoZMi
    1 day ago
    nowsmellthisnowsmellthis: Scents of Self interviews Victoria of Bois de Jasmine http://t.co/2WoMMRyV
    2 days ago
    nowsmellthisnowsmellthis: "New Yankees fragrance strikes nostrils this month" http://t.co/yEyXibgl
    2 days ago
    nowsmellthisnowsmellthis: Vote for NST's Mood Board on FB and win a Zoya Nail Polish collection! http://t.co/MXHMN7I3
    2 days ago