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Who Are Your People?
Fragrance: The Health Concerns
Brandon Perry
August 27, 2025 • Estimated Reading Time: 15 minutes
 | As a Christ-follower, who are you choosing as your closest friends? (Click or scroll down to continue) |
 | Learn about the potential health issues of using products containing fragrance. (Click or scroll down to continue) |
Who Are Your People?
“Walk with the wise and become wise, for a companion of fools suffers harm.” Proverbs 13:20
Who are your people?
Friends are those in which we have connection, and together we’re doing life. We enjoy the same topics of conversation based on similar interests, goals, viewpoints, and life experiences. Good friends pour into and lift us up, celebrating in our triumphs and mourning in our disappointments (Romans 12:15).
As a Christ follower, who are you choosing as your closest friends?
Perhaps you’ve heard these two adages: “Show me your friends, and I'll show you your future,” or, "Show me your friends and I’ll tell you who you are.” They’re not wrong. God’s Word says, “Walk with the wise and become wise, for a companion of fools suffers harm” (Proverbs 13:20).
Many want their cake and eat it too; to be a Christian but stay dangerously close to certain friends that derail their spiritual walk with Christ.
Story Time
Many years ago, the people I spent most of my time with were friendly, but not followers of Christ. Jesus was void from our conversations and activities, even from those in the church I was attending at that time. Unaware, those friendships brought no nutrients nor fresh water to my spirit. Investing in these friendships contributed to the deception over my heart, and my spiritual walk remained chained and shackled.
When did my spiritual walk get a kickstart? It was when the Holy Spirit led me to a different church. It was there that the Holy Spirit was moving, and I met Christ-minded friends who displayed spiritual fruit as I had never seen in my life. Their lives reflected love, care and the characteristics of Jesus to others, evident that the Spirit of Christ lived inside of them. Increasingly, I spent less time with my non-believing friends.
Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? 2 Corinthians 6:14
Some may say, “That’s unloving to drop your friends because they aren’t believers.” Others may feel it’s cultish. I still cared for those friends but the dynamic shifted. Since my life had changed spiritually, I lost interest in the once shared pursuits, activities, and conversations that were lacking spiritual joy and peace. They conflicted with the spiritual fruit and wisdom that I desperately craved from the Holy Spirit. I didn’t want to just be Christian any longer. I had a new calling from the Lord, a desire for my identity to be in Christ, to be a light on a hill, a surrendered vessel to use for His glory.
“Until you clean up your companionships, you'll never clean up your life.”
The Faith of Godly Friends
In Mark 2:3-5: Some men came, bringing to [Jesus] a paralyzed man, carried by four of them. Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus by digging through it and then lowered the mat the man was lying on. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” The faith that the friends had, according to Jamieson-Faussett-Brown: “Jesus marked it as a faith which was not to be defeated- a faith victorious over all difficulties. This was the faith for which [Jesus] was ever on the watch…and, in those who needed anything from Him, richly rewarding.”
Do you have friends who in great faith are willing to remove all obstacles for you in your time of need and paralysis? Do you have friends who will “make an opening in the roof” and present you to Jesus in a pouring out of prayer from their hearts? We all need to be joined to a body of believers- Godly men and women who can pour into you spiritually; Godly men and women who can pray for you and over you; Christ-centered men and women who have God’s Word at the center of their lives, and can help you in your spiritual walk.
As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another. Proverbs 27:17
Do you have characteristics of the paralytic man’s friends, who, reflecting the heart and spirit of Jesus, sincerely care about the spiritual transformation and physical healing of others through prayer, faith, and works as a result of faith?
Are you “bringing others” to Jesus as the friends did, sharing the life-saving and healing Good News of the Gospel with them? Passionately share what Jesus has done in your life as a result of your surrender, letting others know they can receive His joy and peace too!
Perhaps you need to re-evaluate who you’re spending your precious and intimate time with. The Holy Spirit may be nudging you from certain friends. Are you listening?
And if this is you, will you pray over this today, for God to make this change in you?
Lord Jesus, I come to you in a posture of total surrender to you. I repent and ask for Your forgiveness for any disobedience. I pray that you reveal the things to me that I’ve been blind to, the things and the people who are obstacles to drawing nearer to you. Please take these things from me. I pray to have Godly friends- please, Lord, make an opportunity for me today. I pray all of these things in your powerful and almighty name, Lord Jesus. Amen.
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Health
Fragrance: The Health Concerns
Do you have fragrance in your shampoo, soaps, perfumes, body lotions, and cosmetics?
Fragrances are considered harmful due to their use of undisclosed chemicals, which are linked to a wide range of adverse health effects and significant environmental pollution. Manufacturers are not required to disclose the thousands of ingredients used in their fragrances, as they are considered trade secrets.
Did You Know?
Fragrance can be made up of any of more than 3,500 chemicals, giving personal care, cleaning and other products their unique smell.
You can check to see if your products include fragrance by accessing this free database from the Environmental Working Group:
Health Concerns
Exposure to fragrance chemicals can occur through inhalation, skin absorption, and sometimes ingestion. Health risks vary widely among individuals, depending on factors like pre-existing conditions and frequency of exposure. The negative impact of fragrance chemicals on human health includes headaches, asthma attacks, breathing difficulties, cardiovascular and neurological problems.
Skin issues:
🚩 Irritant contact dermatitis: A non-allergic, dose-dependent reaction causing immediate symptoms like redness, burning, and itching
🚩 Allergic contact dermatitis: An immune system response to an allergen in the fragrance, causing a delayed rash that can be widespread and severe
🚩 Photosensitivity: A skin reaction, typically a rash, that occurs after sun exposure due to ingredients in the fragrance
Respiratory Problems:
🚩 Asthma and COPD: Fragrance chemicals, particularly volatile organic compounds (VOCs), can irritate the airways and trigger or worsen symptoms in people with lung conditions
🚩 Allergy-like symptoms: Inhaling fragrances can cause congestion, sneezing, coughing, and a runny nose, especially for those with chemical sensitivities
Hormonal Disruption:
🚩 Endocrine disruptors: Many fragrance compounds, such as synthetic musks and phthalates, can mimic or interfere with the body's natural hormones
🚩 Reproductive issues: Exposure has been linked to potential reproductive problems, such as sperm damage in men and gynecological issues in women
Neurological Effects:
🚩 Fragrance compounds can enter the bloodstream and impact the central nervous system
🚩 Immediate symptoms: Headaches, migraines, dizziness, and nausea are common side effects for sensitive individuals
🚩 Chronic issues: Long-term exposure has been associated with neurological problems in animal studies, with some synthetic musks potentially contributing to brain cell degeneration
Cancer Risks:
🚩 Some fragrance ingredients, like parabens and styrene, have been classified as possible carcinogens
🚩 Studies have found carcinogens in popular fragranced products, highlighting a potential—though still researched—link to an increased risk of certain cancers
Did You Know?
In a 2016 study, it was found that 99.1% of people are exposed to fragranced products at least once a week from their own use, others’ use, or both.
Environmental Impact
Fragrances also have far-reaching negative effects on the environment, contributing to air and water pollution.
🚩 Air pollution: Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) from scented products react with sunlight to create ground-level ozone and fine particulate matter. In cities like Los Angeles, VOCs from consumer products now rival vehicles as a major source of air pollution.
🚩 Water contamination: Fragrance chemicals washed down the drain persist in aquatic ecosystems, where they can be toxic to wildlife and disrupt the food chain
🚩 Biodegradation issues: Synthetic musks and other fragrance compounds are often non-biodegradable and accumulate in water systems, threatening marine life
Regulatory and Transparency Issues
A major source of concern is the lack of regulation and ingredient transparency in the fragrance industry.
🚩 Trade secrets: The single ingredient "fragrance" on a label can represent a proprietary blend of dozens or even hundreds of undisclosed chemicals
🚩 Self-regulation: The fragrance industry is largely self-regulated, and safety testing data is not always required to be public
🚩 Limited disclosure: Compared to other regions like the European Union, U.S. regulations for disclosing fragrance chemicals are much less strict
"Natural" Fragrances Are Not Always Safer
The terms "natural" or "organic" do not guarantee a fragrance is free of harmful chemicals.
Essential oils: While derived from plants, essential oils can contain a high concentration of allergens and irritants. Some essential oils have also been found to have endocrine-disrupting effects, especially in diluted form.
Processing risks: Certain processing methods for "natural" fragrances can also lead to contamination with harmful substances
Who Is Most Affected By Fragrance
Anyone with health conditions like asthma, allergies, eczema, or chemical sensitivity should be concerned about fragrance in products. Pregnant individuals, babies, and children are also vulnerable. Furthermore, even people without existing conditions can experience negative health effects like headaches, nausea, and respiratory irritation from fragrance exposure. Therefore, people with specific health concerns, pregnant and nursing individuals, and the general public can all benefit from being cautious and opting for fragrance-free products.
A more detailed list of products with fragrances can be: perfumes, colognes, body soaps, hand washes, shampoos, sunscreen, facial/hand cleansers/creams, deodorants) and household articles (air fresheners, disinfectants, fragrance diffusers, laundry/dish detergents, scented candles, and surface cleaners.
You can check to see if your products include fragrance by accessing this free database from the Environmental Working Group.
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