Toxic Valentine? Environmental watchdog warns of gifting illegal perfumes

Philstar.com

February 12, 2025 | 1:37pm

MANILA, Philippines — Thinking of gifting perfumes this Valentine’s Day? An environmental watchdog warned the public against purchasing fragrances containing the toxic, banned chemical “reprotoxic.”

The EcoWaste Coalition found that the sale of illegal perfumes has become a growing concern, as they contain synthetic fragrances with chemicals banned by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

During a test purchase on February 2 and 3, the group bought 35 assorted products from 16 brands — believed to be imitations or counterfeit — that listed butylphenyl methylpropional among their ingredients.

Also known as BMHCA, p-BMHCA, lilial, lily aldehyde, lysmeral, or 2-(4-tert-butylbenzyl) propionaldehyde, the chemical is commonly used for its floral scent.

Under FDA Circular 2023-007, it was banned starting Nov. 21, 2024, prohibiting the sale and distribution of cosmetic products containing the compound.

The purchased products included perfumes, fragrance lotions, fragrance mists and body mists, sold in various scents and sizes for P75 to P300 each. EcoWaste said these were bought from wholesale and retail stores in Makati, Manila, and Quezon City.

“Our investigation shows that cosmetics containing BMHCA can still be found on store shelves despite the ban, and sold to consumers who are unaware of the health risks of being exposed to such an ingredient,” National Coordinator Aileen Lucero said in a statement.  

She explained that exposure to the synthetic fragrance poses risks to women’s reproductive health, particularly pregnant women, and could also harm the unborn child.

The European Union (EU) banned the chemical in March 2022 after it was classified as an allergen linked to skin and eye irritation. This decision was based on a 2017 review by the Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS). 

Environmental health specialist and doctor Geminn Louis Apostol said the synthetic compound has also been linked to infertility and hormonal disruption.

EcoWaste said it has already informed the FDA about its findings and urged the government to hold importers, distributors and sellers of BMHCA-containing cosmetics accountable.

“Banning BMHCA is indeed a step in the right direction. As there are other synthetic fragrance chemicals of concern, it's important to require full ingredient disclosure or transparency to inform consumers and reduce potential exposure to harmful substances," Apostol said.

The watchdog also advised consumers to check the FDA website for a list of banned ingredients in cosmetic products to avoid potential health risks. — Dominique Nicole Flores