with Nadine Saubers, R.N., B.S.N.
I can’t get over this country’s obsession with fragrance! If you are like me with allergies or like my best friend with migraines this is a no-brainer. I called my BFF to talk about my latest encounter with this ubiquitous pollution and she told me, “All I have to do is start thinking about it and my head starts hurting.” Here’s what happened recently……
I was going around taking samples of one of my products to dental offices. I happen to live in a newly developed area that has a lot of upscale posh offices. So I walk into these places with their glass, granite, lighting and overwhelming fragrance and immediately my eyes start to burn and my nose starts to run. WHO wants to get dental work done while they are forced to breath that toxic VOC laden air? I really, really, REALLY don’t get it. You are already undergoing stress by sitting in the dentist chair and then you are being poisioned by their air….UGH!!!!!!!!!
Perfume is worse than second hand smoke because it’s more prevalant in our society now than smoking is. And what really gets me is that people by and large don’t know how to wear perfume. Perfume wearers assault people that they don’t know all they time with the toxic cloud they are walking around with. If you want to wear perfume NO ONE should smell it unless they get very close into your personal space, and even then there are people like me who NEVER want to smell it.
I predict that in the future, and I hope it’s the near future, there will be no-scent zones for people who don’t want to be exposed to toxic chemicals. But for now I still have to put up with perfume that’s coming out of the A/C system in my bank, the heavily perfumed air in department stores (Macys is a terrible offender), the toxic air even in places like my church women’s groups, and even walking to get my mail I have to breath in other people’s dryer sheet smells coming out of their houses.
Fragrance is part of the mystery of chronic illnesses, DUH we have over 5,000 chemicals in products that we are rubbing on our skin, breathing, and eating. PLUUEASE if you are going to continue wearing perfume at least try to understand that you are hurting yourself and others. Even if fragrance doesn’t seem to affect you, trust me it is.
posted on February 13, 2011 | 1,661 views | tags: CFS, CFS recovery, chronic fatigue syndrome, fragrance, migraines, Nadine Saubers, perfume, toxic chemicals
KN Smith
February 13, 2011 at 3:26 pm
Nadine,
You’re absolutely right about this. People have no idea what’s in everyday fragrances. And I’ve come across many people in my work who suffer from MCS, mainly because of perfumes and colognes, and can’t even work normal jobs because of it. I hope that people take your advice and think about the effect wearing excessive scents has on others around them.
Laurel Lewis
February 13, 2011 at 11:08 pm
Nadine,
Each time I read one of your articles, I am struck by how much you get it. I post them on my facebook page hoping to increase awareness among my friends and family. Thanks for your research and tenacity in moving this subject forward.
Laurel Lewis, BSW, RN
Illinois
debnose2
February 15, 2011 at 5:48 pm
I believe it’s what these dental offices are disinfecting with, but don’t understand why they have to have a fragrance… why not just use plain old rubbing alcohol or hot steam to disinfect? I cannot get the stench out of my clothes at all after being in a dental office for over an hour and usually bring a towel to lay down over the chair, but it saturates right through the towel and onto my clothes. It’s really AWFUL. Fragrance definitely needs to be banned in medical offices where they can only make people feel sicker. And I had a feeling some of these places use ‘vent scents’ in their central a/c and heating systems, that’s even worse! Thanks for posting this, Nadine.
Rhea
January 10, 2012 at 6:36 pm
Most people know what’s in their fragrances, but they don’t care. I work in a toxic waste land, called an office. They are so proud to say that we work in a smoke free building. Totally ignoring the toxic fumes from buttered microwave popcorn and perfume. The fumes are still in the building even after the buttered popcorn and perfume has left the building.