Limonene: natural and organic

An enlightening cutting from Tuesday’s London Lite just hit my desk: a review of “six of the best chemical-free deodorants.” Oh ho ho, I thought to myself. More chemical-free myths to debunk on the blog, trying to explain that, while natural and organic, limonene smells the same whether you get it from a citrus fruit or a separating funnel. For the record its molecular structure is to the left. Looks like a chemical to me, but what do I know?

So in this list there are a few of the standard “all-natural, 100% chemical-free” deodorants – the ones with ingredients lists like this. My favourite of the non-chemicals on this particular list is eugenol, which has the delightful alternative name eugenic acid.

But, even better than the chemical-containing 100%-chemical-free deodorants of a standard body-spray nature, there are two that really made me laugh – and think.

Tawas Crystal Deodorant is “a natural crystal of potassium alum, (nothing to do with aluminium) formed from non toxic minerals in mother earth.”

Umm. ChemSpidey-sense tingling, I performed a quick search on everyone’s favourite free chemical information source that revealed, of course, the chemical formula of potassium alum is KAl(SO₄)₂. Nothing to do with aluminium? Where did they think the name came from?

Perhaps the winner, though, is the Zielonka Bodystick. This comes closest to the “chemical-free” claim, as it doesn’t use a spray or wipe of chemicals to neutralise odour or act as an astringent (normally aluminium-based, to close pores and reduce sweating).

Instead the product comprises a steel stick in a plastic case. When wetted and rubbed under-arm, the steel “acts as a catalyst to the process of converting odour chain molecules into bland non-odour chains through the introduction of the alloy smell killer in conjunction with air and water.”

Whoa there – that’s swinging dangerously close to actual science. I’m almost convinced! I can believe that a nickel-iron-based alloy could catalyse… well something, anyway. What are these non-odour chains, though? Zielonka explains:

“If you then break the organic string, you are then only left with individual pearls and subsequently the pattern disappears. This, if you break the ‘odour chain’ then the scent disappears as well. Because odours are organic substances, no hazardous waste is created, except what could be regarded as below the measurable level of ‘odour compost’.”

Aha… so because the catalysed products are organic, they’re not hazardous. Off the top of my head I can think of quite a few small organic molecules I’d rather not wipe under my armpits, one being methanol (with which I have some experience, cleaning high-vacuum equipment in the Stavros lab at Warwick).

The helpful and polite lady at the end of the phone for Natural Figure, distributor of the Zielonka Bodystick, didn’t have the exact mechanism of the catalysis to hand. I’ve put in a few requests by email to the supplier and the manufacturer to see if I can find out more.

I’m intrigued, though – is there any way this could work? I don’t want to write it off until I’m shown some really bad pseudo-science as proof. Any nickel/steel catalysis experts out there want to voice an opinion?

UPDATE, 24.02.10 Thanks to commenter Mic, who has provided below a link and explanation that the active ingredient in the bodystick is not steel but nano-silver, well recognised as having antibacterial properties and definitively a chemical.

Of course, no one would want to encourage the drinking of beer. I am delighted that the ASA has such a rigorous policing policy. But I’m not sure that anyone will have been misled here – ask most people and I think the odd drink ’will have bolstered most people’s confidence’ at some time or another.

So humour is well and truly dead at the ASA. Pity then that they don’t take their roles more seriously over the 100% chemical free fertiliser. The £1 million prize is still on offer – perhaps a pint of courage might help the ASA to admit they’ve got their earlier decision wrong. Ever thought about 100% chemical free beer? That’s got no courage at all!

Stephen George, from Australia, sent us by FedEx these sample vials, containing semiconductor nanocrystals in toluene solution:

CdSe/ZnS Core Shell nanocrystal quantum dots in toluene - not exactly 100% chemical free but the best we've had yet!

Mr George’s claim is based on the exciton confinement properties of such nanocrystals – they create a so-called  “quantum dot” where electrons are restricted in three dimensions.

The claim was that an “electron is not a chemical and that the solution/matrix is just a container.” Like other less well thought out claims we’ve heard, the necessity of the container rules this entry out from winning the prize. Mr George’s contention that a material’s properties are defined by its electrons only was also in dispute.

Having said all that, Mr George set about this challenge in a scientific manner, not regurgitating the same nonsense the advertising companies do, but methodically assessing the best candidate based on his own research. His entry is clearly streets ahead of claims of “100% chemical free organic olive oil” that I have received!

The following day I had an invoice from FedEx for the postage. In recognition of Mr George’s enthusiasm and creativity, although his entry is not eligible for the £1 million, I will reward him by paying the FedEx bill of £42.44. Not a bad second prize, but I won’t be giving out any more.

Thanks again to Stephen George for his creative entry.

Earlier in the week I was at a seminar organised by Cosmetic Toiletry & Perfumery Association on the ‘Chemical Conundrum’ – with some of their key stakeholders, customers and critics. I was struck at how some people saw themselves as victims of critics of chemical use or manufacturers, or being put down or harmed by chemicals. One vocal group didn’t think that life expectancy had increased due to scientific advances – clearly medicines and health care weren’t important to fight their disease! Again several people commented about the ASA decision and numerous emails have come in from RSC members saying at long last, someone is addressing the issue that we live in a chemical world!

The CTPA have launched a great website, thefactsabout.co.uk, which sets the record straight on some of these chemical myths.

The last thing I want is to be seen as a pedant. So my offer of £1m still stands but I now want a ‘hall of infamy’: I want to see if we can compile a gallery of the worst use of science in advertising and marketing. It should be easy – they are all around us! If the ASA doesn’t have the courage to act to ensure that the public is not misled maybe the RSC can step in to help them. Here’s one to start you off…

Our first exhibit; notice top-left corner: "100% chemical free!" Amazing.

If you find any others, please let us know! Link us through a comment or send a pic by email to edwardsj at rsc dot org; we’ll feature good ones in our gallery.

To say it was a surprise was an understatement. As I read a set of papers at my desk in the Royal Society of Chemistry office an advert for a product that was ‘100% chemical free’ glared out from the page. This from a company that sells products to make things grow in the garden. Just what were people supposed to be buying? Or more importantly what was being sold? Was it a con? Surely not, because the adverts were in the mainstream media. And if you check now using Google or your favourite search engine, you can find the web page that proudly announces that the product has ‘100% chemical free ingredients’.

So it’s a puzzle then. Nearly everyone would know that plants need nutrients to grow but if these are not chemicals what are they? Have the laws of nature been circumvented by a company whose achievements have yet to be recognised by the Nobel Prize committee?

Digging deeper, a sadder story emerges. Somehow, and in the face of the intelligence of the UK public, the company is single handedly seeking to redefine the subject of chemistry. Just think of all of those text books that will have to be scrapped; exam certificates burned and the cost of re-educating all those teachers.

Wow! I’m now looking forward to ‘100% chemical free table salt’ – that’ll solve the heart health problem in the ‘West’. In search of sanity I turned to my 12 year old daughter, Alexa. This young member of the public told me, ‘it’s stupid ‘D’ for that is what she calls me, everyone knows materials are made of chemicals, so it can’t be 100% chemical free.’

In search of some official balance on the ‘100%’ chemical free problem, I turned to the Advertising Standards Authority. Maybe they could temper the definition so that the public are not misled, nor be sold an item on the basis of poor science or at the very least an inaccurate description? You can guess the answer – the ASA ruled that this description was fine and would not mislead the public because people would know that 100% chemical free didn’t mean that – it meant something else. It meant ‘all things are chemicals except things that are 100% chemical free which are made of 100% recycled or naturally occurring materials’.

As I checked my calendar to ensure it wasn’t the 1st of April, I consoled myself on how wrong I was to worry about this. Perhaps I should offer the ASA a million pounds to put in my hand a material that is ‘100% chemical free’: what a staff incentive scheme that would be! But what is the point if they don’t understand the science or the implications of getting it wrong. Thinking about it more, I’d be happy to give the money to the first member of the public who could bring me any material I consider 100% chemical free – but of course they won’t enter because it’s patently impossible!

Where does all this get us? Well, it looks like misleading the public is fine and the subject of chemistry is being redefined. So let the re-education in our schools begin and let’s not worry about building a knowledge based economy in the UK. Let’s stick to intangible services and exotic financial products that no one understands until it’s too late. These sit well alongside 100% chemical free fertilizers that help things grow.