Perfume, deodorant, laundry detergent, hand lotion, soap, shampoo, dryer sheets, hand sanitizer, potpourri, scented candles, air freshener. What do these products have in common? Artificial fragrance made from endocrine disrupting chemicals.
Olfactory Trespassing
For those of us with autoimmune disorders or Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS), the products above can do more than just ruin our day. They can ruin our health.
The Toxicity of Everyday Products
Most of these chemical fragrances contain endocrine disrupting chemicals which may lead to cancer and interfere with immune system function too.
I’m a Hugger
I love hugging people. I’m a hugger! But there’s nothing worse than hugging someone and having the chemical fragrance from their perfume of cologne stay with you all day. It stains my clothes and doesn’t come out in the dry cleaning. The stuff has staying power.
Losing our Sense of Smell is Making us…
All of these scented and perfumed products are so strong that we are losing our sense of smell. It’s like listening to loud music blasting through a speaker. Soon one cannot discern softer sounds.
Lose our Sense of Taste
What is the most integral component of our sense of taste? It’s our sense of smell. If you can’t smell, you basically can’t taste your food. This can lead to food cravings, a lack of satiation, and unsatisfied hunger.
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Solutions for Scented Times
The soap provided in most, if not all, of the alternative practitioners’ offices, that I go to is perfumed with artificial fragrance. Even the exercise studios I go to do not provide unscented soap. Because of this, I carry a bottle of hand sanitizer with me.
Traveling Scent Free
When we travel and stay in a rental, I bring my own hand soap, dish soap, dishwasher detergent, shampoo, conditioner, shaving cream, laundry detergent, and cleaning products. This provides my family with a scent free environment.
Why Can’t We Smell Like Humans?
I’m trying to figure out what our cultural obsession is with not smelling like humans –what do you think?
Is Your Home a Scent-Free Zone?
What’s the point of eating all of this organic food while slathering our bodies in layers of chemicals? Leave a comment and let me know your thoughts!
Carrie Cerezo says
I have had chemical sensitivity for years, since I was a teenager. I just never realized what it was. I have a really hard time with certain scents people wear, sharpie marker smells, cigarette smoke, smog from cars, certain air fresheners, lysol spray, bug spray, oven cleaner, list goes on. I cannot use hand sanitizer either. One day at work I used a lotion someone left for the ladies to use in the restroom and I got a migraine headache from the scent. I have to be very careful with smells. It is inconvenient, but I have learned to protect myself from smells by staying away or covering my face when possible to avoid smelling them.
Elana says
Carrie, thanks for being on this healing journey with me and sharing your experience here :-)
linda says
It’s not just olfactory trespassing, the chemicals trespass into our entire bodies and can cause serious, disabling effects.
Over 34% of the population now experience adverse effects from exposures to fragranced products. For people with MCS/ES, the adverse effects can even be life threatening.
Many of us are housebound now because of the prevalence of fragranced products (and other toxic stuff that they cover up).
Unfortunately the essential oil pushers have jumped onto a frenzied opportunity to push EOs as a safe alternative BUT they are NOT benign or safe! Especially for people with MCS, MCAS/MCAD, asthma, allergies, etc.
They emit VOCs that react with and form other harmful pollutants. Some are also endocrine disruptors.
They are NOT appropriate for use where there are fragrance-free policies. Their use has created new accessibility barriers where none used to exist.
If they are used medicinally, they should never be forced on others who may not need that kind of medicine or may need to avoid the pollutants they create.
Once we become chemically injured and “sensitive”, even fragrance-free products can cause disabling effects. Many conventional f-f products are as toxic as the fragranced versions (check out tide free, gentle, pure products on EWG) and all fabric softeners and dryer sheets, both fragranced and fragrance-free cause severe adverse effects and prevent far too many of us from being outside or opening windows.
Gain just released a commercial for their new product that makes fun of people who get sick or are disabled by it, saying “Hey, you can’t float everyone’s boat” when a parcel delivery person almost vomited from the Gain, and the homeowner shrugs and walks away, in effect telling people that it’s ok to harm others!!! SO darn wrong!
Elana says
Linda, thanks for all of this incredible information!
linda says
You’re welcome. I fell into the rabbit hole of being disabled from exposures in 1994, after being ‘sensitive’ since the 70s, thinking it was just normal that not all products agreed with everyone. I’ve had to do a lot of research over the years, and I share what I can with others who have fallen through the cracks on the seriously “sensitive” to pollution site and on fb.
Elana says
Linda, thanks for your comment!
Michele says
Thanks for sharing this, Elana, and for all you do. I bring pillowcases with me when I travel because I often find that hotel and AirBnB linens are washed with scented detergent. Sleeping with a scented pillowcase under my head (or with one next to me, under my husband’s head) gives me an instant headache!
Elana says
Michele, that is a great idea!
Carrie Cerezo says
Hello, I have found when traveling that I do best when I have a room that has a balcony door that can open for fresh air, so I can get fresh air into the room to get the dry, air fresher sprayed air out of the room. Sometimes there is not a way to stay in a room like this, but if possible, it sure does help!
Elana says
Thanks Carrie!
Karen says
I love, love , love scents and fragrances. They add an element of joy to my life.
Elana says
Karen, thanks for your brave comment here! I appreciate hearing an array of opinions on this and other matters :-)
Anna says
You raise an interesting question about why we can’t just smell like humans. This is something I have truly wondered for some time. People didn’t used to take daily showers or use soap or shampoo all the time. This makes me think that they had quite a strong body odour, like many animals do. What puzzles me is that the smell of an unwashed human is quite bad. If this is our natural scent, why do we find it so unpleasant? I know I do.
This is not to say we should cover it all up with artificial fragrances. I’m just wondering why our “ancestral” smell is offensive to us.
Elana says
Anna, I know I’m weird but I don’t mind the scent of humans, though most everybody I know does :-)
Anita says
I wonder if the odor that is so offensive is due to all the chemically laden, non-organic foods that we consume. We sweat as a means of detoxing and we are sweating out some nasty stuff because we haven’t eaten “clean” for years. Perhaps after changing our diets and topically applied products and doing a little detoxing, we may actually have more of a neutral odor?
Elana says
Anita, thanks for sharing your thoughts on this :-)
Lori says
Hi there,
I have been reading all the comments and understand how serious this issue is. I am trying to implement healthier choices into my lifestyle but really enjoy fragrance. I’ve worked in the beauty industry for years and feel that fragrance is a part of my life that I enjoy so much. What do you do if you like fragrance?
Thanks,
Lori
Elana says
Lori, thanks for your incredibly transparent comment! Have you tried essential oils? They do not contain the cancer causing chemicals that fragrance contains.
Lori says
I haven’t yet but have been thinking of learning more about them and using them in my day to day life. Thanks for all you do! I love your recipes!
Elana says
Lori, you’re welcome!
Judy Shedden says
This has been such a major issue for me as well. I recently was introduced to an incredible product and company that has transformed all of my cleaning and scent issues. The company is Norwex. Over the past few months I have transferred everything over to using Norwex products, amazing stuff. It is sold at home parties and the demos will blow you away how powerful the products are. No more scents or harmful chemicals for anything. Check it out.
Elana says
Thanks Judy!
Patricia says
Abercrombie & Fitch stinks their stores up so much the whole wing of the mall is a no-fly zone for me. I’m always amazed the malls let them do that.
Elana says
Patricia, one of so many no fly zones for all of us!
Gisele says
Right? I can’t even go in my backyard when the neighbours on both sides of me or doing their laundry stinky chemicals. I also love to hug but I find myself taking a step backwards now when people approach me. Not very nice. As for traveling, you could consider just bringing a bottle of Bronner‘s liquid soap or Castile soap. It will do all of those jobs.
Elana says
Gisele, I do bring a bottle of that, plus all of my other unscented goodies!
Angela B says
While I’ve made our home a scent- and chemical-free zone, my frequent work travels mean lots of exposure beyond my control. I’ve had to learn which hotels to avoid because they use so much air freshener you can taste it – it happens in budget and luxury brands alike. I immediately get headaches and wake up fully congested and with a sore throat. I’ve had to request that canisters be removed from automatic dispensers at several hotels. On airplanes, I just pray that my seatmate isn’t wearing perfume, cologne, or a heavy dryer sheet user because there’s just no escape. Traveling more than 50% of my time, it’s too much exposure and I’m realizing I may need to find a different job, which is really unfortunate.
Elana says
Angela, I love that you said sometimes there is so much air freshener you can TASTE it. I totally agree. It is so sad how the pervasive use of chemicals is affecting so many of us and how we are able to show up in this world. I hope you’ll keep me posted on how you’re doing :-)