plas•tic al•ba•tross
(plas-tik lb-tros)

1. The Plastic Albatross is a community-focused campaign that provides helpful information about toxins in PLASTICS and other household products, and how these substances affect our health and environment.

2. We encourage local families, businesses, and organizations to limit their exposure to and consumption of plastic and commonly used toxic chemicals to work toward a toxin-free future!

Synthetic Musk

What is Synthetic Musk?

A class of chemical fragrances known as Nitro and Polycylic Musks used in thousands of household products, food additives, and cigarettes.

The most commonly used are the nitro-musks:

  • Musk Xylene used in detergents and soaps
  • Musk Ketone used in cosmetics

And polycyclic musks:

  • Galaxolide or ‘HHCB’
  • Tonalide, Tetralide, Fixolide or ‘AHTN’

Other chemicals in this class include: Cashmeran, Celestolide, Musk ambrette, Musk moskene, Musk tibetene, and Phantolide.

Where are they found?

We are exposed to musks through the skin and lungs when we use scented products. Approximately 8,000 metric tons of synthetic musks are produced worldwide and used in:

  • soaps and shampoos
  • perfumes
  • air fresheners
  • laundry detergents
  • fabric softeners
  • cosmetics, lotions
  • household cleaning products

Why are they are harmful?

Both nitro and polycyclic musks have produced neurotoxic effects in the laboratory and recent studies indicate that long–term exposure to can cause:

  • cancer
  • endocrine disruption
  • reproduction and fertility disorders
  • immune system problems
  • asthma and allergies

How can we avoid them?

Amid increased health concerns Synthetic Musks are prohibited from use in Canadian cosmetics and some nitromusks are banned by the European Union in cosmetics and personal care products, but…

in the United States synthetic musks are legal and unregulated!


To reduce your exposure
Lose Choose
Products with these ingredients:

  • Musk xylene (MX) 1-tert-Butyl-3,5-dimethyl-2,4,6-trinitrobenzene
  • Musk ketone (MK) 1-tert-Butyl-3,5-dimethyl-2,6-dinitro-4-acetylbenzene
  • Galaxolide (HHCB) 1,3,4,6,7,8-Hexahydro-4,6,6,7,8,8-hexamethyl-cyclopenta-γ-[2]-benzopyran
  • Celestolide, Crysolide (ADBI) 4-Acetyl-1,1-dimethyl-6-tert-butylindane
  • Tonalide, Tetralide, Fixolide (AHTN) 7-Acetyl-1,1,3,4,4,6-hexamethyl-tetrahydronaphthalene
  • Traseolide (ATII) 5-Acetyl-1,1,2,6-tetramethyl-3-isopropylindane
 Fragrance-free cosmetics and personal products from:
Inexpensive, plastic-packaged laundry detergents Fragrance-free laundry products like: Lullwater Soap Nuts (1 package will last you 3 months!)
Products with “parfum” or “fragrance” on the label. Products with a short list of recognizable ingredients, containing natural scents or those fragranced with natural oils.

NOTE: Check the ingredients against the Household Products Database. A product can be label “natural” or “organic” and still have synthetic compounds.
References: Human Toxome Project, EHP, International Programme on Chemical Safety (IPCS)