Fragrance can be harmful to your health

Fragrance is absolutely everywhere. It is extremely hard to avoid these days. If you aren’t wearing cologne, perfume, or aftershave, you are probably smelling it somewhere as you walk down the street or pass someone in a store or office. Stores have scented candles, laundry detergents, air fresheners and more.  People are wearing fragrance in their hair from shampoo, conditioners, hairsprays, and gels, on clothing in laundry detergents and fabric softeners, and in makeup, lotions, and more. Unfortunately, the majority of those wonderfully smelling scents are dangerous for our bodies.

One of the conditions I have is Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (“MCS”). What is that you may ask? I’m extremely sensitive to a wide array of chemicals. I experience severe symptoms to synthetic fragrances and chemicals which may be included in the following products but aren’t limited to these: scented laundry detergents, perfumes, body splashes, shampoos, dryer sheets, candles, hand soaps, hair products, face washes, candles, air fresheners (plug ins and sprays), chemical cleaners such as chlorine bleach, and the list could go on and on. My doctor has required that my entire family go fragrance free.

You may be thinking, “Oh that stinks for you, but I don’t have MCS. So, I have no reason to give up fragrance.” I know you love your favorite perfume or body splash. It makes you feel “good”, “pretty”, or “sexy” and you can’t go out without it, right? I was there too several years ago. Unfortunately, I realized after doing my own research that fragrance isn’t just dangerous for the health of people with my conditions. It is concerning for the health of everyone whether you realize it is causing immediate symptoms or not. Believe me when I say you can still feel beautiful and confident without fragrance.

Upwards of 3,000 synthetic or man-made chemicals or natural ingredients can possibly be used under the labels of “fragrance” or “parfum”. Yes, you read that right! The actual composition or formula of the fragrance doesn’t have to be disclosed. Rather alarming, isn’t it?

Fragrance has been coined by some as the “new secondhand smoke.” It is estimated that over 90% of the chemicals used in products with synthetic fragrance can be made from crude oil or petroleum. Fragrance can contain phthalates, benzene derivatives, aldehydes, and more. They can include carcinogenic chemicals that have shown links to cancer. Almost all products now from dryer sheets, to perfumes, to hand soaps, to shampoos, to cleaners have fragrance. Take a walk down the aisles next time you go shopping anywhere. Read some labels. You’ll soon understand what I mean.

To give you an idea of the seriousness of it for me, I’ve had to give up going to church for now. For many years I’d go and I didn’t understand why I’d feel so much worse during church. We attend a large church in Atlanta. My overall body and muscle pain would spike, and I’d get extremely fatigued and tired to the point where I couldn’t hold my head up. I’d feel extreme stomach sickness and most of the time, I’d cry. My body was overwhelmed. I remember thinking I love God a lot and all, but why am I crying every time I’m at church? Something isn’t right. Headaches would start with a runny nose and itchy eyes  too. I’d usually lay on my husband’s shoulder crying until I fell asleep during church, missing almost the whole sermon. It wasn’t until I learned about my MCS condition and the vast amount of chemicals that I could experience while in that kind of environment that I understood my symptoms. Sadly, my doctor said to stop going. My body just can’t handle the exposures from perfumes, air fresheners, chemical cleaners, scented laundry detergents, fabric softeners, and more. So, we now watch church online. I hope that my body will get stronger to one day go back.

Your secondhand scents may be making others around you sick as well. It is sad to admit, but I have had to avoid getting to know certain people at events that are wearing very strong perfumes. It is hard for me to hug others or even sit by them if they are wearing strong scents because I literally get immediate symptoms from it. Babies and kids are the most susceptible, even to products their parents or other family members are wearing or using. The chemicals can also be potentially passed through breast milk.

So, what potential symptoms can people (not just me) develop from continuous use of products with fragrance? Here are just some possible symptoms or potential conditions that may be caused by fragrance:

• Skin irritation
• Asthma or breathing difficulties
• Allergies: itchy eyes, sneezing
• Gastrointestinal problems
• Contact Dermatitis
• Immune system issues
• Depression
• Sleep disturbances
• Sinus problems: runny nose and stuffy nose
• Muscle and joint pain
• Difficulty concentrating
• Nausea
• Hyperactivity (especially for children)
• Fatigue and lethargy
• Endocrine system disruption
• Reproductive system issues and hormone disruption
• Headaches or migraines
• Birth Defects
• Nervous system disorders
• Cancer
• And more

Continuous use of fragrance products especially on your body (face wash, perfume, make up and more) or in your clothing (detergents, dryer sheets or fabric softeners) can possibly lead to a chronic illness. There is potential for these chemicals to be stored in our bodies. They can build up over time until your body is overwhelmed by them.  That’s when problems can arise, and your health may be affected in a major way. Even having scents on your bedding or sheets at night can interfere with you or your children’s sleep.

So, what do you do? My recommendation is to give up all synthetic and artificial fragrances in your home, personal products, and everyday life. It’s no easy task. I’ve been there and done it, so I know it’s quite a challenge.

The best plan of action is to begin to slowly reduce them in an effort to eventually get rid of all of them. Avoid buying products with the words “fragrance” or “parfum”. These words can mean a wide variety of ingredients and most importantly, dangerous chemicals. Once you begin to look for fragrance free products,  you’ll realize fragrance free products are actually hard to find. Also, be aware that unscented and fragrance free are NOT the same. Unscented doesn’t mean fragrance free. Confusing, right? There could be added fragrance to cover up scents in an unscented product.

So, be informed shoppers. Read labels. Buy fragrance free products. Giving up that pumpkin spice candle, that expensive designer perfume, or that super fresh scent in your laundry may be really hard, but it will make you and your family much healthier. And, you really never know how much it could be bothering you or anyone in your family. Consider this as preventative health advice if you are in great health and consider it required health advice if you already have any health issues you are battling.