Why are we avoiding synthetic and strong scents? A few months ago I took Little S to the Ajax hospital, and was pleased to see signs up everywhere that the hospital was a scent-free environment. As well, Little R's doctor's office (because of all the scent sensitive patients) was also scent-free (if visitors did not wear scents). Personally, certain strong smells irritate my sinuses and cause me headaches, stingy eyes and other physical discomforts. If these scents bother me this much, I can only imagine how my children, who are not able to verbally express their discomforts, feel with every inhalation. What bother me most are cleaning detergents (such as Mr. Clean-like solvents) and air fresheners. Potpourri and incense also bother me. These are most troublesome because they are put specifically into the air so every time you breathe in the room, the scent is impossible to escape. However, personal scents (please read the article that I have linked) are also diffcult to escape especially if you do not wish to escape the people who are wearing them ;)
Of course, just the personal dislike of most fragrances (synthetic and natural - yes, I also dislike many smells from flowers), would not be enough for an elimination of them from our home. However, there are more factors to consider: our environment, our health and our dollars. Here's a link to an article about the harmful effects of synthetic fragrances: http://www.emagazine.com/view/?91
For your convenience, here are a couple of paragraphs from the article:
Human health risks aren't the only problem. Fragrances that are washed down the drain from laundry, shower and household cleaning activities may not be removed in waste treatment plants, and so they can stick around to contaminate animals and ecosystems. Synthetic musk chemicals in particular may be ecologically harmful "due to their high bio-accumulation potential in animals and in the aquatic environment, their general persistence, dermal permeability and insufficiently assessed toxicity," says Dr. Gerhard Rimkus of the Food and Veterinary Institute in Neumunster, Germany.
Next time you reach for that bottle of perfume or cologne, remember that you're using powerful chemicals regulated solely by the industry that sells them. Remember that just because they don't affect you now doesn't mean they won't affect someone in line next to you, or that you'll always be immune to their effects. Think about where they might end up once they've disappeared down the drain. If you do have a reaction to scented products, take action. Complain not only to the producer of the product, but also to the FDA (for cosmetics) and the Consumer Product Safety Commission (for other fragranced products).
http://healthychild.org/blog/comments/fragrance_in_perfumes_and_cosmetics/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0hCQOO-cM9g
http://www.nowtoronto.com/lifestyle/ecoholic.cfm?content=159984
If you don't feel like reading, the above youtube link is quite helpful and simple to watch.
About Phthalates:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ICaUTRXn9P4&feature=related
There are, of course, still scents in our house. I cook and prepare food all the time, so there are always those kinds of odors floating around. Some things, although they may be organic and natural, still contain scents: shampoos (we do not use conditioner), hand creams/lotions, soap, dish soap and sometimes detergents. And, I find that even though I buy "unscented" products, that they will still contain a certain smell to them.
In order to assist us in our pursuit of a friendlier environment for Little R (and everyone else), please be mindful to avoid wearing any strong scents when visiting us. These include but not limited to: baby powder, hand lotion, face lotion/cream, make-up, hair-spray, hair gel, hair mousse, strong scented shampoo or conditioner, hand soap, fabric softener, detergents, deodorants, aftershave, perfume/cologne, cigarette smoke and air freshener.
Thank you for your understanding in this matter. And, please do email me any comments you may have, or if you have suggestions for good products (such as shampoos) that do have contain fragrance. Thanks!
