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That may be true for you, and perhaps many others, but it's not true for me. My allergic reactions to "natural things" result in symptoms far worse than many man-made products. There are several perfumes I can, and do, wear. But on the other hand, there are many 100% pure organic essential essences that I cannot go near. I could soak in Chanel No. 5 bath oil or spray myself head to toe with Halston cologne with no reaction except enjoyment. But wave a tiny vile of lavender, or rose, or gardenia essential oil under my nose and you will instantly elicit a torrent of sneezing, tears, and within minutes a froggy throat. We have beautiful roses growing outside my house that I guarantee have no chemicals on them because I'm the only gardener in the family and I fertilize only with coffee grounds and egg shells. But I can't cut them and bring them indoors or I will be ill. I'm also allergic to grass, pine, and many other fresh, 100% organic scents. Making my own perfumes would not help me in the least. On the other hand, I can refinish furniture using all kinds of nasty chemical compounds, or paint my bedroom with high-VOC paint, and show no ill-effects whatsover.
My point is, this is a personal issue to me, and I have no business demanding laws that would impact others' enjoyment of fragrances as they see fit.
Oh, believe me, my allergies to natural substances are very bad too. I get allergy shots to take care of those, that's how severe they are.
But the allergists don't seem to do anything for those of us who get sick from synthetic chemicals. You should definitely avoid those floral essences (and pine, ick=instant migraine for me) but for most of us they provide a way of smelling nice without getting sick or making others sick.
I am against any laws banning the chemicals but I really do appreciate it when I see a sign in a doctors's office that tells people not to wear perfumes in that office. If there are enough of these signs maybe it will raise people's awareness and that may lead to awareness and change on the part of these chemical companies that make the offending perfumes.
Natural smells/odors such as BO, dirty hair, A.S.S and crotch rot are not things you want to have or leave the scent of wafting behind you or preceding you. They also offend the olfactory sensibilities of most folks. In a way that you need a good scrub down. With a pressure washer.
If this is how a person smells, they need to take a shower instead of spraying themselves with a can of Axe.
I am against any laws banning the chemicals but I really do appreciate it when I see a sign in a doctors's office that tells people not to wear perfumes in that office. If there are enough of these signs maybe it will raise people's awareness and that may lead to awareness and change on the part of these chemical companies that make the offending perfumes.
If perfume manufacturers are using the same chemicals in their products that are already banned for agriculture use, then that's a problem. For me, at least. I don't want to breathe something that the government has already outlawed, just because perfume manufactures have found a loophole in the regulations.
So, unless the "chemicals" you have on your body have an actual scent, they only "harm" yourself and aren't considered as "dangerous" as the chemicals that stink?
Because just using the word "chemicals" doesn't scare me into wanting to ban perfume. If you REALLY cared about 2nd-hand chemicals it would be based on the chemical composition of what you were being exposed to and not the odor associated with it. But I guess that'd be a whole lot harder to enforce...even though it would make a whole lot more sense.
BTW - I'm all for banning public flatulence...can ya work on that one, please?
If you REALLY cared about 2nd-hand chemicals it would be based on the chemical composition of what you were being exposed to and not the odor associated with it. But I guess that'd be a whole lot harder to enforce...even though it would make a whole lot more sense.
This is precisely what is being discussed in many of the comments above. And it's technically much easier to enforce as it doesn't prevent people from being able to buy and wear perfumes and scented products. It simply requires that companies using fragrances in their products to divulge what's in them and refrain from using products that have already been proven unsafe and are already banned for other uses.
Instead of getting the government to dictate, parents need to educate their children on this. Friends, family, and coworkers need to politely inform those who use too much fragrance. As people avoid contact with those who use too much, they'll use less and less.
Here's the thing--one cannot 'politely' inform their coworkers they use too much perfume. It can cause hurt feelings, hostility, paranoia--you never know how oversensitive some people are. Nor should it be the coworkers obligation to tell them. If someone at work is causing discomfort to others, it's the job of HR or a manager to speak to the employee. And if this is happening, quite obviously their family and friends are not cluing them in. If HR would talk to someone about body odor (and they do), then they can also talk to them about their overdose of perfume. It has nothing to do with the government. These are private companies.
In my lifetime (the next 30 years or so) do you think we will see the fragrance-free movement gain enough momentum to ban this crap from public places, the way most states have gone with cigarette smoking? I'm chemical sensitive and have had dinners, movies, and other excursions ruined because I've been stuck near people (women mostly, sorry but it's true) who are wearing way, WAY too much perfume.
Some offices and public places are beginning to go fragrance-free (signs posted saying you can't wear colognes and perfumes into the building). Now it looks like the media is beginning to publish more about the dangers of chemical fragrances.
Here's the thing--one cannot 'politely' inform their coworkers they use too much perfume. It can cause hurt feelings, hostility, paranoia--you never know how oversensitive some people are. Nor should it be the coworkers obligation to tell them. If someone at work is causing discomfort to others, it's the job of HR or a manager to speak to the employee. And if this is happening, quite obviously their family and friends are not cluing them in. If HR would talk to someone about body odor (and they do), then they can also talk to them about their overdose of perfume. It has nothing to do with the government. These are private companies.
Oh, I'd say from the existence of this thread at all that that's pretty obvious.
Out of respect for people I'm around, I've stopped wearing any aftershave or cologne. It hasn't bothered me, nor has anyone complained about other issues with me. I haven't missed the stuff for over fifteen years.
It has to be cooked to smell good. And still warm. So they have to keep it in a container that won't burn them. But it has to not get their pocket greasy. But the container has to breathe, to let the scent out. If any inventors are reading this, it's your opportunity to invent a gadget people can carry around to smell like freshly cooked bacon. Some restaurants might not allow it, because it might interfere with the smell of what they're serving.
It should be legal to physically punch or slap a sales person who sprays you with perfume or cologne without your permission and without asking.
Could be considered battery, could it not?
Quote:
Originally Posted by trishguard
I won't stop wearing my perfume because a stranger might be sensitive to it.
It is not just simply wearing perfume, but wearing too much. There should be just enough scent that someone standing close to you can smell it. If a stranger can smell it, you used too much. If you are going to be in close quarters with strangers, perhaps simple courtesy should tell you to defer the perfume to a more appropriate time.
"When I was growing up, people smoked anywhere they pleased. If I did not like it, tough. Today, smokers have been banned from public transport, pubs, restaurants, theatres and the work place. Though perfumes don’t hurt everyone, certain perfumes can give some people migraines, nausea or moodswings. We are gradually seeing a shift in attitudes. Hospitals are now asking visitors to refrain from using perfumes. The new thinking, fired perhaps by smoking, pollution and global warming concerns, is you don’t have the right to stink up the air for others. Ironically, perfume is supposed to make you more appealing. If you are using so much it is making others ill, it is failing miserably for its intended purpose. People who use too much perfume tend to be self centred. They presume that because their dosage of perfume smells good to them and does not make them nauseous, that it must be the same for everyone else. Common sense says you should go extra light on your perfume for an airplane, train or bus trip, or any other time you will be confined with others, even a long elevator ride."
Why do some people wear too much? It may simply be that their sense of smell is not good. In order to smell it themselves, they have to use a lot. Also, the nose becomes desensitized fairly quickly to a particular scent. As the writer in the link above points out, before you reapply perfume it is wise to ask another person whether it should be done. That brings us to an interesting take on the reason someone might use too much perfume:
Out of respect for people I'm around, I've stopped wearing any aftershave or cologne. It hasn't bothered me, nor has anyone complained about other issues with me. I haven't missed the stuff for over fifteen years.
I do not use perfume or cologne and avoid scented products as much as possible because DH does not like strong smells, though perfume that smelled like gun oil might be acceptable.
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