Wired article about synth ingredients and the IFRA

[Sunburst]

Just finished reading it. Interesting piece that highlights (from a fumehead's perspective) the strangle-hold that the IFRA has on the world of perfumers.

http://www.wired.com/magazine/2011/10/ff_perfume/all/1

[tehtimmeh]

Astonishingly frustrating....

How about I put on a frag, have a bad reaction, so I decide not to use it anymore. Why punish the next guy that might have no issues and love it?

I understand that it's "easier said than done", but I for one, am ready for a revolution of perfumers to show their IFRA memberships the door.

[justinp]

Astonishingly frustrating....

How about I put on a frag, have a bad reaction, so I decide not to use it anymore. Why punish the next guy that might have no issues and love it?

I understand that it's "easier said than done", but I for one, am ready for a revolution of perfumers to show their IFRA memberships the door.

I think the big thing that justifies the IFRA restrictions, as far as I'm concerned, is the fact that the EU regulatory agencies have incredible discretionary power and no electoral accountability, and spent several years teetering on the brink of banning way more stuff than IFRA has. IFRA managed to talk them down, but strict self-regulation is the protection money that they pay for the EU agencies to get off their backs.

If the EU bans something, it's as good as banned everywhere else-- Europe is the bread and butter for these firms. North America is a fragrance backwater, and, while Asia and Brazil are rapidly growing markets, you can't run the LVMH fragrance portfolio on those alone.

[Quintar]

I can agree on the compounds shown to be carcinogens in small amounts. you can't tell that a perfume is giving you cancer...but things that cause allergies? just put a label on the box that says this contains oakmoss, just like candybars that have peanuts. At least let perfumes that are made before 2003 keep their formulas with a warning label, like how i can drive a car made before 1974 without seatbelts and it's exempt from smog checks.
That whole thing about how they have to keep in mind that a scent will be used in body washes, lotions and shampoos is dumb too. why does a body wash have to have the exact same formula as a parfum? most of the time scents that come in a whole range of products smell slightly different in each product anyway.

[Ron991]

They, meaning the IRFA have to justify their jobs in some shape, and or manner. If they didn't there would be no need for them to exist. As to their importance, that subject is open to interpretation