The Federal Food and Drug Administration defines fragrance and flavor formulas as “complex mixtures of many different natural and synthetic chemical ingredients, and they are the kinds of cosmetic components that are most likely to be “trade secrets.”” https://www.fda.gov/cosmetics/cosmetic-ingredients/fragrances-cosmetics
The FDA does not require “trade secrets” to be listed, therefore, companies are allowed to list the chemicals they use as fragrance. Another term used for fragrance is phthalates. The FDA describes phthalates as “a group of chemicals used in hundreds of products. The phthalate commonly used in fragrance products is diethyl phthalate, or DEP. DEP does not pose known risks for human health as it is currently used in cosmetics and fragrances.” If you dig deeper the FDA states, “It's not clear what effect, if any, phthalates have on human health. An expert panel convened from 1998 to 2000 by the National Toxicology Program (NTP), part of the National Institute for Environmental Safety and Health, concluded that reproductive risks from exposure to phthalates were minimal to negligible in most cases.” https://www.fda.gov/cosmetics/cosmetic-ingredients/phthalates
If you research phthalates you will find they are very harmful to the reproductive system. The Harvard School of Public Health states, “In recent years, a growing body of evidence has suggested that phthalates—synthetic chemicals used in scores of products ranging from vinyl flooring to food packaging to medical tubing to cosmetics—can cause reproductive harms. Now, two new studies from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health have revealed that these hormone-disrupting chemicals may increase both the risk of miscarriage and risk factors for gestational diabetes." https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/features/phthalates-exposure-pregnancy-loss-gestational-diabetes/
It is important to do your own research and decide for yourself what you will let into your body. For these reasons, TheraEssentials created a line of perfumes, skincare, and a hemp essential oil line so you can still have high quality products without the hidden chemicals.