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.
Fragrance is everywhere / Measured in people or real products
In blood tests of 100 healthy young adults in Vienna, the synthetic musk galaxolide was found in 91% of samples and musk xylene in 79%; only 7 of the 100 people had no synthetic musks in their blood at all.
Strong evidence: Cross-sectional, healthy university students in one city; no health outcome measured.
Source: Hutter 2009, Science of the Total Environment Link to this fact
Fragrance is everywhere / Measured in people or real products
Musk fragrance chemicals were found in the breast milk of all 101 Swedish first-time mothers tested; the musk chemical galaxolide (HHCB) was detected in every single sample across a seven-year span (1996-2003).
Strong evidence: One Swedish county, single lab/method, N=101; no infant health outcome measured.
Source: Lignell 2008, Environmental Science & Technology Link to this fact
Information, not medical advice. See also: myths we won’t tell you.