News Scent-sational News - especially if you're sensitive to fragrances and such

[Friday]

I wonder if skin and hair care grade fragrance oils are generally safe from toxic chemicals

People are just as allergic to essential oils as artificial, & in some ways, far more (food allergies being triggered by the organic compounds).

Dealing with asthma, pulmonary issues, & allergies... it’s less about organic / vs / synthetic... and far more about what triggers you, individually

(&/or what your specific disorder is known to react badly, too. Like reactive pulmonary disease almost universally responds badly to broccoli... and most plants in the mustard family.

Commonly known as the mustard family, Brassicaceae contains some 338 genera and more than 3,700 species of flowering plants distributed throughout the world. List of plants in the family Brassicaceae

Quite of few of which are used in essential oil compounds.)

Our state has been largely fragrance-free (in addition to hospitals, most workplaces, public buildings, parks, etc.) for a couple decades, now.

It’s largely unenforceable, you can’t tell people what soap to use before they go to the grocery store, it simply means that in a legal contest of who has the right to “stay”, the person with documented allergies wins. But as anyone with allergies know, that’s a bunch of BS 99:100, because you’ve already had to leave. It really only applies in workplace situations, where the person using sandalwood soap has to either switch to ivory or be fired with cause / no benefits or insurance extension.

But that IS one of the things about being a couple decades into the fragrance-free zone... it’s not just toxic chemicals, and it’s not just synthetic chemicals, it’s ALL chemicals. Natural or not doesn’t make any difference. If it’s got a smell? You’re inhaling molecules of it. Which is enough to set off allergic reactions & respiratory distress. IE fragrance-free = NO scent. Not just no artificial scents.

For a few years our state practically REEKED of patchouli & sandalwood (2 of the most common scents found in naturally scented hygiene products, after citrus). They were summarily banned right along with the cherry cordial, flower, & baby powder scented stuff... because -come to find- the reason so many people HATE those 2 scents? They’re allergic to them. Mildly allergic, but still enough to have the law protect their rights, too. There was practically a moment of silence as a million hippy jaws dropped across the state, when that was enforced. To their credit? Most of them quit using those products almost simultaneously.

But, cha. Scented is scented.

 

[jaccat]

I wish it was better understood around here. I do know of others besides myself who have issues with fragrance, but when even my own doctors don't take it seriously you have to wonder.

I hate not knowing when, or what might set me off.

 

[KwanYingirl]

I happened upon this article today and want to jump for joy as I wish for it to catch on and spread like wildfire in other public spaces everywhere, for the health of it.

I haven't seen @KwanYingirl around for a while (hope all is well), but I know she'd like to see more folks choosing scent-free, too. Trying to somewhat comfortably navigate this sea of olfactory/endocrine system wrecking tox-sick-city we exist in ain't no joke.

It's like playing a game of Russian roulette each time I venture out, and more often than not, most folks just look at me like I'm crazy when I mention why I can't be or stay in certain spaces, as we've been taught these smells are simply good hygiene/fresh and clean/warm and welcoming/etc. and are very much required in our daily lives.

Thanks, Wisconsin DOT for setting an example and giving a damn.

Wisconsin DOT Implements Fragrance-Free Rest Stops - OnFocus

hi @Tornadic Thoughts always feel validated when those of us that are exquisitely sickened by offgassing chemicals are accommodated. I’ve always held the opinion that everyone will eventually be overcome by exposure, I just got there in the first wave in the 80’s. The canary in the coal mine.

What’s interesting to me is that people that really know me through all lenses, be it chemical reaction vs PTSD symptoms, they all tell me they can tell by how I respond to triggers whether it’s trauma based or chemical. I recover fairly quickly to a chemical exposure these days. If my PTSD gets activated it can take months to resolve the reactions. That’s why I haven’t been on. The site for awhile. I’ll explain all of what has been going on in my diary.

When I have a client that had a cigarette right before they enter my office, they get a talking to. I will only treat smokers who take a shower and put clean clothes on before they come in. Second and third hand smoke is my #1 hate. And if I’m working on their face, I promise them that the smoke will interfere with their healing from my treatment. They learn quickly that I have no sympathy for the scabs and rashes they get on their treatment area. After a couple of treatment, they finally get it and it’s a miricle that they finally follow my advice, which is to make sure they use aloe gel to form a protective film on the area and to wash their hands every time they smoke. They suddenly don’t react anymore.

Whoever developed the smell of Gain should be imprisoned for crimes against humanity.

I’m on the fence about essential oils. They are super concentrated so of course that’s an extreme exposure. I can’t tolerate any except patchouli, oddly enough!! I use a liquid shower soap that has patchouli in it but it’s very faint and I actually like the smell of it. Weird.

 

[Tornadic Thoughts]

All synthetic smells/artificial fragrances of any intensity and/or flavor takes me out of the game. Ironically, I used to be a candle burnin', febreeze sprayin', plug-in pluggin', tart warmin', body sprayin', hair product using, nail polish/make-up wearin', fabric softener/scented laundry detergent using fanatic, as I was convinced all of the above was good hygiene, "fresh", and a sure sign of demonstrating healthy habits and such. I can handle only a few varieties of essential oils, and even then, in small doses. The citrus options, frankincense, lavender, peppermint, and eucalyptus are my favorites.

I'm currently working on (more like waiting on) a topical scented oil by chopping fraser fir and balsam fir limbs and needles into small bits and infusing them into organic extra virgin olive oil to later mix with some coconut oil. The limbs, especially the dead ones, smell cotton candy-like. Also doing the same with some honeysuckle flowers and sweet annie leaves.

I, too, make most of my own cleaning/hygiene products. For laundry, I use white vinegar/dr. bronner's liquid castille soap and instead of fabric softener or dryer sheets, I use two wool balls and will put a few drops of my preferred safe-to-me scented essential oil on one of them, rub them together, and toss them in the dryer. The smell is very subtle when they dry.

I wish all places that sell any scent of any variety would also show a chart of the endocrine system and explain how much damage is being done if one chooses to apply it to their body's largest organ, the skin, and at least give consumers an option to make an educated choice. But I won't hold my breath. Oh wait, yes I will, more often than not, in many spaces.