Teens Turning Green

Teens Turning Green is a student led movement devoted to education and advocacy around environmentally and socially responsible choices for individuals, schools, and communities. TTG seeks to promote global sustainability by identifying and eliminating toxic exposures that permeate our lives and threaten public and environmental health.

What began in the Bay Area in 2005 now has a presence at elementary, middle and high schools, universities, and student organizations across the country, as well as a strong virtual platform and media presence. The TTG chapters lead grassroots efforts that aim to raise awareness, encourage behavior change, and lobby for policy that will lessen local and global impact.

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Fragrance 101

Fragrance is increasingly cited as a trigger in health conditions such as asthma, allergies and migraine headaches. A recent Institute of Medicine study sponsored by the EPA in the United States put fragrances in the same category as second hand smoke as a trigger for asthma in school-age children. Up to 72 percent of asthmatics report their asthma attacks are triggered by fragrance.

Fragrances are now used in almost every cleaning, laundry, and personal-care product on the market! Read ingredient lists for the word Fragrance.

What you need to know:

Synthetic fragrances contain many, many toxic chemicals.

More than 4,000 chemicals are used in fragrances. Of these, 95% are made from petroleum.

More than 5,000 different fragrances are used in perfumes and skin products, in hundreds of chemical combinations, according to the American Academy of Dermatology.

The fragrance industry does not have to reveal the exact chemicals involved, because this is considered a trade secret.

Among the commonly-used chemicals used in perfumes that are known to cause cancer, birth defects, infertility, nervous system damage, or other injuries are propylene glycol, (considered an immumotoxic chemical) ; cyclohexanol, (depressive action on the central nervous system); linalool, (depression and respiratory disturbances;) methyl ethyl ketone, (can induce unconsciousness, emphysema, congestion, eye, nose, and throat irritation, and numbness of the extremities; and formaldehyde, (a known carcinogen, with many other damaging traits), diethyl phthalate (suspected hormone disrupter with ability to accumulate in the fatty tissues of the human body through skin absorption); phenols (suspected carcinogens, may cause reproductive harm); benzene ethanol (rated toxic, readily absorbed via skin, central nervous system effects); synthetic musks (substances which accumulate in human and animal tissues) and skin and respiratory irritants.
Search for products that do not contain the word "fragrance" in their ingredients list -- rather than those that claim to be "unscented." "Unscented" products can still contain chemicals used as "fragrance-maskers."

Labels that claim a product is "natural" or "biodegradable" do not mean that it is necessarily free of synthetic fragrances or other chemicals.

Most products which list "essential oils" or "botanical essential oils" are acceptable.

Fragrances are volatile compounds, which add to both indoor and outdoor air pollution. Synthetic musk compounds are persistent in the environment and contaminate waterways and aquatic wildlife.