A viewer asks: “They say there are many toxic chemicals in synthetic perfumes. Are synthetic perfumes indeed harmful? Can we neutralize the toxic chemicals with a simple blessing for safe usage or should we keep away totally from them?”

We do not see these substances as particularly hazardous when simply present at levels in the air to be enjoyed, nor through topical application to carry the scent and be a pleasant stimulus to others nearby. The physical amounts of exposure are simply too low to be meaningful from a toxicological perspective. There are many people being manipulated to have over-concern about chemicals in all kinds of products people are exposed to. There are many examples of not only possible but considerable danger, particularly with chronic long-term repeated exposure, as with food additives. But those are substances that are ingested at fairly significant quantities over and over again in most cases. Things that act as an olfactory stimulus involve minute quantities and that makes their danger negligible. Even an accidental oral intake, as by a very young child, is unlikely to cause harm because it would not be repeated over and over again over a long period of time, or involve a lethal dose because the amount ingested would be relatively small, even for an acute toxic effect giving rise to symptoms.