People have a right to know and understand. We know consumers want to know more about the ingredients in the cleaning products they use and keep in their homes. No matter where or how you buy a cleaning product, you should have access to consistent information, whether on the label, a website, or an app like SmartLabela.
“A nationwide standard that provides individuals with access to and understanding of information on the ingredients they use in products every day will provide perfumers with certainty and consistency,” said Farah Ahmed, President & CEO, Fragrance Creators Association (FCA) and Melissa Hockstad, President & CEO, American Cleaning Institute. “With less time spent trying to understand and comply with conflicting state and local regulations, perfumers will be able to focus on what they do best - innovating to deliver wellbeing and delight and to enhance daily experiences.”
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People have a right to know and understand. We know consumers want to know more about the ingredients in the cleaning products they use and keep in their homes. No matter where or how you buy a cleaning product, you should have access to consistent information, whether on the label, a website, or an app like SmartLabela.
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Cleaning products are an essential part of keeping our public spaces and homes safe and clean. Consumers want to know what is in these products and how they work to instill more confidence in their effectiveness. Cleaning product brands are providing more information than ever about product ingredients to meet that need. They are committed to making cleaning product ingredient information easily accessible and understandable. As a compliment to those efforts, ACI offers consumers useful materials on understanding productsb.
We at the American Cleaning Institute support a national standard for cleaning product ingredient communication. Without a nationwide standard, some states have been working on their own solutions. In California, product manufacturers, legislators, environmental and public health advocates, and trade associations all came to the table to prioritize transparency and consistency for consumers. The result was the Cleaning Product Right to Know Act of 2017c and it is already working. Cleaning products currently adhere to these requirements. Instead of growing ad hoc regulations that vary by state, this model can be followed and later improved upon to create a strong national standard.
“A nationwide standard that provides individuals with access to and understanding of information on the ingredients they use in products every day will provide perfumers with certainty and consistency,” said Farah Ahmed, President & CEO, Fragrance Creators Association (FCA) and Melissa Hockstad, President & CEO, American Cleaning Institute. “With less time spent trying to understand and comply with conflicting state and local regulations, perfumers will be able to focus on what they do best - innovating to deliver wellbeing and delight and to enhance daily experiences.”
A key portion of the Cleaning Product Right to Know Act of 2017 was related to fragrance ingredient disclosure. Fragrance plays an important role in cleaning products: it masks odors that would otherwise carry unpleasant smells that can render products unusable, and it encourages the product’s proper use–people often know surfaces are clean based on the scent. The fragrance ingredients used in cleaning products are subject to layers of review and regulation. For decades, the fragrance industry has evaluated fragrance ingredients and provided guidelines for their use, committing to the safe use of fragrances in the products people use and love.
In a study sponsored by FCA and published in Cognitive Research: Principles and Implicationsd, market data in the United States showed that scented products represent 89% of laundry sales, 79% of surface cleaning sales, and 99% of dishwashing product sales, even when unscented versions are available.Adobe Stock
And people enjoy fragranced cleaning products. In a study sponsored by FCA and published in Cognitive Research: Principles and Implicationsd, market data in the United States showed that scented products represent 89% of laundry sales, 79% of surface cleaning sales, and 99% of dishwashing product sales, even when unscented versions are available. The study aimed to explain the attraction to scent in household products using a novel three-factor framework focusing on functional benefits (malodor mitigation), in-use experience benefits (efficacy), and emotional benefits (increase in confidence or mood). Using this framework, the study advanced the understanding of the essentiality of fragrance and consumer preference for scented household products.
Each fragrance formulation in a cleaning product is a unique work of art–a perfumer must formulate each scent with diverse ingredients as well as innovative technologies to ensure that they function properly in a product. For example, a fragrance for a laundry detergent must be proven effective throughout a wash cycle. The fragrance industry is also constantly evolving; as a multibillion-dollar industry, fragrance manufacturers employ new technologies and develop innovative solutions to responsibly grow the industry while ensuring that human, community and environmental needs are prioritized.
In a study sponsored by FCA and published in Cognitive Research: Principles and Implicationsd, market data in the United States showed that scented products represent 89% of laundry sales, 79% of surface cleaning sales, and 99% of dishwashing product sales, even when unscented versions are available.Adobe Stock
Because of the unique nature of fragrance, the formulations have historically been protected; this allows for industry competition and innovation and helps protect against counterfeit products coming into the market. However, the fragrance industry respects the needs of today’s consumers and understands the importance of meaningful transparency. We have operationalized our consumer respect by empowering consumers with information so they can make choices about the products they use with confidence. Specifically, for example, FCA launched The Fragrance Conservatorye in 2020 to serve as the go-to resource for information about fragrances, their safety, history, and more. The Fragrance Conservatory’s ingredient directory contains approximately 500 ingredient profiles and is constantly expanding. Anyone can visit the website to learn more about ingredients that make up their favorite scents.
FCA worked with ACI and others as the Cleaning Product Right to Know Act of 2017 was negotiated in California, prioritizing a final product that provides individuals with access to and understanding of information on the ingredients in the products they use every day. This law was a good start, and FCA looks forward to continuing discussions at all levels to achieve policies and regulations that support a person’s right to know and understand meaningful information about the fragrance ingredients in their products.
aSmartLabel is a registered trademark of Consumer Brands Association
bhttps://www.cleaninginstitute.org/understanding-products
chttps://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=201720180SB258
dhttps://cognitiveresearchjournal.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s41235-022-00378-6
ehttps://fragranceconservatory.com/
