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« John Kerry: "this administration couldn't care less"
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Main
| White House and Science »
September 20, 2006
You smell so good its killing me!
Several schools and institutions are instituting fragrance-free policies to reduce unnecessary incidence of migraines and respiratory irritation. Yep. Those fancy, sweet smelling fragrances that can cost 50 bucks a bottle contain volatile organic chemicals (VOCs) which contribute to poor indoor air quality and can trigger headaches; eye, nose, and throat irritation, and nausea. Fragrances may also contain certain phthalates, suspected of disrupting hormones and linked to reproductive problems.
“But the fragrances I use are subtle. They couldn’t harm or annoy anyone.”
According to an article published in Flavour and Fragrance Journal you may not be the best judge of what is “subtle”:
The sense of smell can detect very low concentrations of odorants. However, it cannot detect the same odor at the same concentration for an extended period of time.Those that use scented products on a regular basis may not be able to detect their own fragrance shortly after applying it. They may apply increasing amounts or reapply frequently so that they can smell the fragrance. In many instances they are totally oblivious that their fragrance is often overwhelming and intrusive to others.
There are over 5,000 different chemicals used in making fragrances, and any given fragrance may have as many as 600 different chemical ingredients. Yet only a fraction of those chemicals have been tested for their health effects.
Thanks, but no thanks, Esté Lauder--I'd rather not be your guinea pig!
Useful Link: What steps should I take when implementing a scent-free policy in the workplace?
« John Kerry: "this administration couldn't care less"
about minority and low-income neighborhoods |
Comments
Three girls simultaneously put on hand lotion in my school library, and I had to leave the room because I was coughing so much. That's how I discovered that I was allergic to whatever is in that particular hand lotion. I probably could have handled a smaller dose, but three simultaneous users was too much.
Posted by: Jude | September 20, 2006 1:57 PM
I am a senior citizen and used to sit with seniors from my community at church. However, it seems that senior ladies lose their sense of smell and cannot tell how much perfume they are wearing. For three weeks in a row my eyes teared so badly that I could not read the music or focus on the speaker. I moved back with the teens!
Posted by: John | September 22, 2006 6:55 PM
Lupus, Asthma, Fibromyalgia
and Neuropathy have plagued
me these past few years.
I would be curious as to what could be used in place of these irritants.
I do believe these products
cause problems in others as
well as myself and would like to know what to use in
their place.
Thank you
Posted by: janet spivey | September 25, 2006 9:22 AM
absolutely right about the chemicals - we must get them out of our lives - I do know of a fantastic catalog where we can get quality chemical free necessity items for a great price. anyone wants to email me can.
naturesproducts@msn.com
Posted by: vickie seefried | September 25, 2006 11:31 AM
My mother has suffered from severe migraines for years now and one of the triggers is perfume. I became so used to not wearing it around her that I don't wear any now.
Posted by: Shanon H | September 26, 2006 8:33 AM
Hello,
I am very glad to see that my personal inability to out up with strong chemical 'perfumes' is shared and that someone somewhere is doing something about against their poisonous effects.
Posted by: anne | September 26, 2006 8:43 AM
For those of you out there that are interested in learning more about chemical fragrance-free, pure, safe, beneficial personal care products, you should check out Arbonne International. All their products are formulated in Switzerland where the ingredient standards are higher. If you want to know more, email me at simplybeu@gmail.com.
Posted by: Sara Upshaw | September 29, 2006 6:17 PM
Hi,
When I had my last baby the nurse came round to help me with breastfeeding - she wore perfume and it made me physically sick. More people need to become aware of what they are putting in and on their bodies. For more info log onto www.alwaysnaturallygreat.com
Posted by: Caroline Hayes | September 29, 2006 6:30 PM
Scented products are used to hide a more basic problem - autointoxication of the body by consumption of too much protein, as is emphasized by modern notions.
Here's a good site for the negative effects of fragrance -
http://www.fpinva.org/
Posted by: yogi | October 6, 2006 8:20 PM