Scentsy, perfumes, and other "smell emitters" - how do they affect you? (floors, dishwasher)

[TexasHorseLady]

What I'm saying is that MOST of the "sensitivity" today, not just to odors but to other things, is excessive and not based on fact. Just as most of the allergies are. When people are seen to be able to make everyone else change their behavior just to suit their "sensitivity", making them appear "special", a whole lot of people jump on that bandwagon - people who want to have that control over others, people who want to appear special, people who are looking for something to make them "different" (and, of course, these people don't recognize their own motivations).

Why is this a problem? Well, beyond the fact that they get rules and regulations passed so that the rest of the world has to kowtow to them, all of those people who aren't medically diagnosed with whatever condition du jour is popular but claim it nonetheless make it harder for people who do have serious, life-threatening allergies and such to be taken seriously. (And I say that as someone who carries an epipen with me everywhere after being informed by a physician that that was the wise thing for me to do, living far enough out in the country that medical assistance might not reach me in time without it.)

For this reason, I don't think we should be encouraging the bandwagon jumpers-on.

As for a whole lot of talking behind people's backs, yep, that went on then and goes on today about anything people can come up with to talk behind other people's backs about.

[Backintheville2]

Originally Posted by haggardhouseelf

OH! Flights are the worst. I feel your pain. We flew to Hawaii which is kind of a long flight for us and this woman in the seat in front of us sprayed body mister stuff all over herself - it got onto us! She's really lucky I am a nice person and I didn't ***** or complain about it... but I was miserable for the next 6 hours - scratchy throat, irritated eyes, sneezing, blowing my nose, headache - plus however long it took us to get off the plane, get our luggage, get the rental car and get booked into the hotel. It was horrible!

Yes and women's makeup is stinky stuff. It's one reason why I don't like to wear it.

Same thing happened to me. A woman sitting on the same row (middle seat in between us) had on so much perfume that I literally started crying and developed a splitting headache. I asked for a different seat but the flight was totally full. It was a miserable flight and several people experienced the same reaction as I did. Was I ever glad to get some fresh air when getting to my destination!

[dizzybint]

I have MCS which makes me very sensitive to all petro chemical products, perfumes , air fresheners being the most common. as nowadays they seem to be everywhere . if only people knew all the dangers in these toxic dangers people put on their bodies and inhale.. belive it or not can be just as dangerous as cigarettes. only no one seems to care enough to try and give out warnings .. Many other illnesses are affected perfumed products, and this covers, paints, with VOCs... perfumed candles, perfumes, deoderants, makeup.. hair dyes and sprays.. gels, soap powders and especially fabric conditioner which is lethal...so many dangerous household cleaners we use daily that should have warnings on them or regulated more closely. Even most baby products supposedly kind to a babies are also full of dangers..

[elvisluvs]

Hi THL- I am way past the point of being "special". But coughing up texas sized spews the day after being around smokers- that was special. Thanks for your insight-m

[TexasHorseLady]

What does your physician say, elvisluvs?

[themudpuppy]

I can hardly be around perfumes or scents without getting a sinus infection or a rash. I actually like the smell of certain scents but can't be around them. My doctor says it's more the chemicals used in making scented products that people are allergic to rather than the smells. He believes the reason more people are allergic these days is because the world has gone scent crazy and we're being overloaded with the stuff now compared to many years ago. I think he's right. Just about everything is scented these days.

Anyone who thinks allergic reactions to scents are made up and that people are jumping on the bandwagon trying to be "special" has obviously never experienced it to the extent some of us have. I think most of us would rather not be "special".

[Bobilee]

After wandering in and about the little shops in New Hope, PA, I came down with potpourri poisoning.

[haggardhouseelf]

I understand what you're trying to say TexasHorseLady - I usually tend to agree with that and think a lot of people love nothing better than to attach themselves to whatever the coolest bandwagon is currently rolling through town. But this is different. Artificial aromas/scents/chemicals really do make people feel ill and have real, and negative, reactions to them. It is why, as another person mentioned, many doctors offices and places of business have chosen to go "scent-free".

My son is this way as well. Surprisingly, he cannot even use Aveeno products. We found out the hard way - I bought him some Aveeno hand lotion because it was winter and his hands and knees were dry. He has had bad reactions to other lotions before, so I bought Aveeno unscented lotion thinking it would be safe for him: nope. His hands became all red and swollen. We took him to the after hours doctor and that doctor explained that even the so-called "unscented" lotions have ingredients in them which, if you are sensitive to the scented kind, chances are the unscented ones will give you the same reaction. Aveeno has stuff in it that comes from lavender and oatmeal - and those are triggers for a lot of sensitive people. I was really surprised by this.

Lately we've been using this stuff called "Egyptian Magic" now to moisturize everything - bodies, hands, face, lips, feet, etc. It goes on a little greasy but it soaks in quick and all the ingredients in it are totally REAL. You just use a tiny amount, less than you think you'll need. It's just olive oil and what I call "bee stuff" (royal jelly, honey, bee pollen, bee propolis, beeswax). Sometimes I'll just use olive oil. Once you figure out how to do it right (just use a tiny amount and pat it on, then gently pat any excess off with a clean dry cotton cloth) it works really great.

[TexasHorseLady]

It's not really different. There are real allergies, too, but that doesn't mean that there aren't a lot of people playing allergic. Based on my observations, and the very few people statistically who are really chemically sensitive (now, THAT is a bandwagon!), a lot of people are using that excuse as a way to enforce their own preferences on others.

I disagree that there were fewer scents around in past - at least, in the past 60 years. It was a given in the past that women wore perfume, for example, and men wore aftershave. It's only in relatively recent years that, bowing to the noisy, places have gone "scent-free" rather than deal with the bandwagons. And the world is a greyer place for it, frankly, and getting greyer by the day as those kinds of folks move from one bandwagon to the next, wiping out one color after another as they go.

There is, of course, also the negative form of the kind of reaction that one gets in a more positive form with the placebo effect.

tnp, I don't think allergies don't exist - remember, I carry an epipen with me everywhere lest I die of anaphylactic shock, I KNOW they do. I just also know that allergies effect a small percentage of the population, that a much much larger number claim them, and that they've become an industry, as well.

[tickyul]

Honestly IMHO, the best Frankenairfresheners are the heated-oil type that plug into wall outlets.....actually smell pretty natural.