Let’s be honest, we could all use a little more sleep and Febreze (by Proctor and Gamble) agrees with you! What does Febreze have to do with sleep you ask? Well, it seems that the chemical company has found yet another niche market….the sleep deprived.
Close your eyes and breathe in fields of lavender bathed in moonlight, a hint of sweet vanilla in the breeze, and a distant murmur of rich, sumptuous sandalwood. A relaxing retreat for the senses. (Febreze)
Sounds absolutely magical doesn’t it? WAIT!
Cheap, colorless liquid…
In the mid 1990s Proctor and Gamble spent millions developing its Febreze line of products. They wanted a colorless, cheap liquid that the consumer could spray on fabrics that could not traditionally be laundered (stinky couch, rug, car interior etc…), and render them odorless.
Febreze has since evolved into candles, air fresheners and now sleep enhancers. By 2011, Febreze became part of the $1 billion club for Proctor and Gamble and that’s no surprise considering consumers spend $2 billion annually on air fresheners. Whatever happened to the old fashion idea of opening a window?
Chemicals and cleaning = oxymoron?
The Environmental Working Group (EWG) found that Febreze Fabric Refresher contains a slew of chemicals (both disclosed and undisclosed) that are of high concern for developmental/endocrine/reproductive effects, respiratory effects, general systemic/organ effects etc… Some of their air fresheners release nearly 90 contaminants into the air!
It looks like we got duped people! Introducing chemical toxins into the very fabrics that we are trying to ‘clean’ sounds counter productive. It makes me crazy to think that this stuff is even allowed on the market! What regulating bodies put their heads together and decided that chemical air sprays are safe for consumers to use? I always wonder if those who come up with these chemical concoctions would actually use them themselves….doubtful.
…Enter Sleep Serenity Bedroom Mist
The newest addition to the Febreze family is their ‘Sleep Serenity’ line. This is being marketed as a ‘sleep enhancer’ and is now being sold as a ‘Bedding Refresher’, a ‘Bedside Diffuser’ and ‘Bedroom Mist’. A slew of unregulated toxic sludge as far as I’m concerned but in the spirit of fairness, I contacted Proctor and Gamble for the list of ingredients (they are not listed on the product). Below is the list of ingredients for their Moonlit Lavender Bedroom Mist:
Nitrogen
Purified Water
At least it’s purified…right?
Alcohol
Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Don’t be fooled. Its other name is PEG 40 (Polyethylene Glycol 40). It contains harmful impurities like known carcinogens Ethylene, Oxide and 1,4-Dioxane (source).
Various Perfume Blends
Fancy speak for CHEMICALS. No further details are provided.
Dialkyl Sodium Sulfosuccinate
A dispersing agent. This baby helps the whole chemical concoction disperse through the air/fabric etc… It is commonly used to disperse agrochemicals.
Polyacrylate Hydrochloric Acid
This is a mix of two chemicals: Polyacrylate, a highly absorptive chemical AND Hydrochloric Acid which can cause severe skin burn and eye damage. It is also found in chemical oven cleaners, drain openers etc…
Benzisothiazolinone
According to P&G it protects product from microbial contamination. In reality it is a chemical that is a known skin irritant and has been linked to skin irritation and allergies. It is classified as very toxic to aquatic organisms. When combined with other chemicals like Triclosan it is cytotoxic (toxic to cells).
DIY Sleep Mist
Perhaps the troubling part of this product line is the fact that under the guise of ‘cleaning’ and ‘refreshing’ AND now sleeping, consumers are introducing a host of chemicals into their homes and bodies.
Go here for instructions on making your own natural sleep mist ….:-)
References:
This article is also shared with: Natural Living Mamma, A Life in Balance, Homegrown and Healthy, Nourishing Treasures, Family Home and Life, Domesblissity, Living Well Spending Less
