Personal care aerosols court controversy

A new report has been released which claims that the excessive use
of aerosols in the home - including hairsprays and deodorants - can
adversely affect the health of babies and their mothers. Tom
Armitage reports.

The report released today by a group of researchers at the University of Bristol, studied the effects of a number of chemical substances commonly found in aerosol products used in the home.

The prevalence of these substances, known as volatile organic compounds (VOCs), was monitored in 170 UK homes in an attempt to identify which household products were most likely to raise VOC levels.

The study was also supplemented by a questionnaire-based survey of 10,000 women, which asked them to describe symptoms during pregnancy, as well as asking them to detail any symptoms suffered by themselves and their children following the use of particular aerosol products.

Scientists claim that the study is the first to examine the effects of VOCs on the health of infants, and although it focuses primarily on the use of air fresheners in the home, it also details the side effects of over exposure to a raft of other commonly available cosmetics and personal care products - such as hairspray and deodorants.

The report found that frequent exposure to some aerosols during pregnancy and early childhood produced higher rates of diarrhoea, earache and other symptoms in infants, in addition to inducing headaches and depression in mothers.

In statistical terms, the study found that up to 30 per cent more babies suffered diarrhoea, earache, and to a lesser extent vomiting - while mothers witnessed a 10 per cent increase in the amount of headaches they suffered, resulting from the daily use of some aerosol products in the home.

The lead researcher involved in the study, Dr Alexandra Farrow of Brunel University, commented that some aerosol and household products contributed to a, "complex mixture of chemicals, and a build-up of VOCs in the home environment. Pregnant women and babies up to six months may be particularly susceptible to the effects of this, because they spend around 80 per cent of their time at home. There may also be implications for other groups who are at home a good deal, such as old people.

She conceded, however, that "more research is needed"​ into the effects of VOCs on human health, but in the meantime urged consumers to ebb on the side of caution by limiting the use of aerosols in their homes.

Speaking to CosmeticsDesign​, Chris Flower of the UK Cosmetic Toiletry & Perfumery Association (CTPA)​, strenuously refuted claims that aerosol personal care products were unsafe, claiming that "a number of directives, including the EU-wide Cosmetics Directive have eliminated any cause for concern arising from the use of aerosols."

"Personal care products very clearly state the health risks associated with using aerosols in confined spaces, and their ingredients must be very clearly labelled in order to comply with EU regulations"​, he added.

According to analysts Mintel​, sales of aerosol hairspray products are declining, as many manufacturers have failed to shake off their old-fashioned image.

But weak sales of other aerosol based personal care products - namely deodorants and antiperspirant sprays - have been offset in recent years following revamped marketing campaigns for brands such as Lever Fabergé's Impulse and Lynx.

Mintel also suggest that some 53 per cent of women still use aerosols in the deodorant and antiperspirant sector, with consumers rarely interchanging between roll-on or aerosol formats.

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