THE EcoWaste Coalition issued a warning on Saturday against buying perfumes containing harmful synthetic chemicals as gifts on Father’s Day.
It said these ingredients have been banned in fragrances and other cosmetics after being proven to cause harm to the reproductive system and trigger contact allergy.
EcoWaste said the European Union’s Cosmetic Products Regulation and the Asean Cosmetic Directive have prohibited the use of butylphenyl methylpropional, also known as BMHCA, p-BMHCA and lilial, lily aldehyde, lysmeral or 2-(4-tert-butylbenzyl) propionaldehyde, as ingredients in cosmetics and fragrances.
”BMHCA has been prohibited in the EU since 2022, while the Asean ban took effect in 2024 as per Food and Drug Administration Circular No. 2023-007,” the group said.
Despite the prohibition, EcoWaste said that some cosmetics and fragrances, particularly imitations of popular brands, still contain these harmful chemicals.
”Among the products found to contain BMHCA are imitation perfumes bearing popular brand names, such as Aimore, Bulgari, Calvin Klein, Chanel, Clinique, Davidoff, Deep in Blue, Escada, Eternity, Lacoste, Salvatore Ferragamo and Versace,” the group said.
The EU classified the toxin as a “reproductive toxicant,” which is “a substance that impairs fertility and reproductive health in men and women.”
EcoWaste urged consumers not to buy cheap counterfeits characterized by poor packaging, inadequate information, as well as spelling and grammatical errors in the labeling.