Don’t take our word for it. Here’s every fact on this site, with its evidence grade, its caveats, and a link to the source, so you can check us.
We start you on the strong ones: findings that have been replicated or come from one large, well-controlled study. Moderate and weak facts are here too, labeled for what they are. Use “Link to this fact” to share a single card.
The industry / Review of other studies
By the industry's own figures, about 60% of fragrance goes into soaps, fabric softeners, cleaners, and detergents, yet its 2003 method for estimating people's exposure counted only 10 personal-care products applied to skin, and breathing fragrance in was not part of the calculation.
Strong evidence: Describes the 2003 process; later RIFM aggregate-exposure work may differ. Shows the route was not assessed, not that it causes harm.
Source: Bickers 2003 (RIFM Expert Panel), Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology Industry-funded Link to this fact
The industry / Other evidence
The cosmetics industry's own safety panel (CIR, funded by the Personal Care Products Council) concluded in 2012 that 52 trimonium conditioner and surfactant ingredients, including cetrimonium, steartrimonium and behentrimonium chlorides, are safe as used only 'when formulated to be nonirritating', and set no numeric concentration limit.
Strong evidence.
Caveats
Literature review by an industry-funded panel, so this is the industry's own position; about half the 52 ingredients are cleared on read-across with no ingredient-specific data. CIR is financed by the Personal Care Products Council, the cosmetics industry trade association.
Source: Becker et al. 2012 (CIR), Int J Toxicol, International Journal of Toxicology Industry-funded Link to this fact
Information, not medical advice. See also: myths we won’t tell you.