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We'd like to know what you think about our web site. Please leave your comments in this public guest book so we can share your thoughts with other visitors.
I found this site to be very informing as it was suggested to me that fragrances were triggering my asthma - I thought this idea was ridiculous until reading the information provided on this website.
I found this site to be very informing as it was suggested to me that fragrances were triggering my asthma - I thought this idea was ridiculous until reading the information provided on this website.
Dear Betty ... thanks for all your devotion and hard work! Without your efforts, we would be in the "dark" just like the rest of the World! Let's hope that with all the valuable information you have collected and your undying research, we will one day soon be able to breathe in public places, and, most importantly, hospitals and doctors' offices. BTW, over 29,000 hits to your web site is very impressive ... hah
I was pleased to find this site, I would like to see more information published in the general media about this subject. Smoking has been stopped in most public places, I hope the same can be done with fragrance.
Thank you, thank you, thank you! I have adult onset asthma that is triggered by fragrances. There are people at work who have no idea what I go through because of their perfumes, hairsprays, etc. I hate being treated like a hypochondriac and social outcast. Here is the evidence to prove that I'm not coughing and wheezing just to annoy people.
Keep up the good work! I suffer from migraines due to chemicals. I have them on an average of one to three a week. The problem is they are brought on by other people. Its bad when you can't even go to the grocery store or take a walk around the block. People don't understand and to be honest they don't want to because it might cramp their lifestyle and that includes family members also. Thank-you
It sure is nice to FINALLY see that after all these years, I'm NOT the crazy one!!!!! I've known about this since I was a kid and finally the media/medical establishment is catching on.
Thanks for your great website!
Great site...very interesting, and so glad I came across it. Easy to navigate and quick to load too. Our website below offers an enormous range of jewelery in association with Ashford - ( <b><a href="http://www.digital-price.com/pg/shops/ashford.com.html">www.digital-price.com</a></b> ) - we're sure you'll be impressed by the enormous range. Also vintage and modern watches to diamonds, top of the range sunglasses, beautiful leather handbags and lots more - hope you'll pay us a visit.
Best wishes on your great site, Donna
Thank you for this informative web site. It is great that you have listed references and given so many articles and information on this.
I have known for several years that I am sensative to perfume but in the past year that sensativity has gotten to the point of paralyzing me. I believe that my doctor does not believe that perfume sensativit could cause the headache, light headness, and dizzy spells that I have been having. This is affecting my personal and professional life very negatively.
I will push this information upon my doctor. I will visit this sight many times over. I do not have time to see it all in one sitting.
For all of us that suffer from perfumes, THANK YOU!!!
This sight and a few others are giving me new hope.
Susan Parsons
thanks for the information ,i have asthma and i am not workinmg because of fragrances in my work place i worked at .i missed alot of work because of it.
Thanks for your website. Fragrances are such a problem for me. At work, out shopping, at church etc. Sometimes, I even have to hold my breath in the restroom -- because of all the chemicals used!!! I've spent up to $100 dollars trying to find a shampoo I can use that does not have a fragrance. I can't even go down several isles in the grocery store -- because of the smells!!!
I was very interested in your site,I thought I was one of a few who suffers from migraines caused by perfume, after shave and hair spray. H Leclair hleclair@igs.net
I was very interested in your site,I thought I was one of a few who suffers from migraines caused by perfume, after shave and hair spray. H Leclair hleclair@igs.net
I am very happy to find this site I thought I was the only one with this problem. If it wasn't for Shaklee products I don't know what I would do. I also started taking Nature Sunshine products they are very helpful. Shaklee has good cleaning products, shampoos, deodorants and supplements. I'am waiting for the day when fragrances goes the same way cigarettes did. Especially in the workplace.
Thank you for your effors to educate people as to the effects of perfumes. Not only am I grateful to know my symptoms are not "in my head" but that I can refer those who care to this web site so they can get valuable information and make new choices. I too, hope for the day when awareness of these toxins will motivate people to support the ban of perfumes in public places. My chiropractor has recommended Antronex and it seems to lessen the affects of exposure to perfumes. Thank you wcj@alaska.net
what a relief to know i am not alone with my"scent sensitivities".my list of products is growing. I believe your site will help me to better understand WHAT IS HAPPENING. thank you for your efforts!!!Jeff Larson
Hello we came here on a school trip and got very bored ARGH!! BYe we're going 2 wear perfume and have fun!!!!!!!
Beautiful work. Very helpful. thank you
I am trying to get my employer to initiate a scent free environment at my workplace. The information here will be an excellent tool for me. What great work you have done!!!!
conhonn@aol.com
thank you so much for the info. on this site. i have had mcs for about 12 yrs. rare is the person that is sympathetic and tries to understand. most people react to the comment "i am sensitive to all chemicals, especially soaps, perfumes and deodorants" as if you'd just said, "excuse me, i'm trying to find my way back to venus and i was wondering if you could direct me in the right direction." it is really great to know mcs is finally being taken seriously as a health risk. linda
Your site is very informative!!! I am taking copies of it to work to try and get a fragrance free policy in my workplace.
Thank you for supplying us with such important information. My husband is a naturopathic doctor who has been teaching about this subject for quite a while now. I was sick for many years with Multiple Chemical Sensitivities, Chronic Fatigue/Fibromyalgia and truly understand the importance of removing "fragrances" from one's life. An individual could feasibly stay sick for many unnecessary years not understanding the importance of removing their "toxic" products. If anyone would like some support, please contact us @healthmaps@hotmail.com PK (South Dakota)
I would like to know every detail I can about WHAT I CAN DO. I am not an activist type, but have been progressively getting worse until to date, I lose strength and sink to the floor with heart palpitations, sometimes losing consciousness momentarily, and then being very confused, dyslexic, and forgetful for hours after being exposed to MOST perfumes. AND I MEAN MOST, so far I have not had any reactions AT ALL to greenhouses and natural flowers.
I would like to know every detail I can about WHAT I CAN DO. I am not an activist type, but have been progressively getting worse until to date, I lose strength and sink to the floor with heart palpitations, sometimes losing consciousness momentarily, and then being very confused, dyslexic, and forgetful for hours after being exposed to MOST perfumes. AND I MEAN MOST, so far I have not had any reactions AT ALL to greenhouses and natural flowers.
Dear Betty: You are doing a lot of us a great service with this really great website. Thank you very much. I have been looking for this information for a long time. Like you say, the ingredients in these is a "Trade Secret" so it is almost impossible to find what is in them. As you have probably surmised, I have MCS as well as some other problems like heavy metals poisonings, Candidiasis, food allergies, mold allergies, etc. I have most, with the services of a good Environmental physician, under control now except the chemical sensitivities. I am currently trying to find what the common ingredient in Dial soap, Irish spring, dove, etc. as well as several deodorants is. These scented products cause pain that is as severe as a heart attack, as well as loss of ability to think or reason or carry on a conversation and other symptoms. If I can find the common ingredients I may be able to find a conjugate to De-tox them. I have already done this with Benzene, Toluene, & Xylene which has enabled me to go back to work even though I still have to isolate myself from most other people and am on restricted duty. Thank you again for this very much needed website. --- Sincerely: Dave Watkins Edgewater, Fla.
Betty, each time I visit your website I am amazed at the amount of information you have amassed. Thank you for all your research! I recently realized that your web site is given as a link from an EPA web page. What I would like to know is, with all the information available here, why has the FDA (the regulatory agency) not let people know there is a serious problem with these products?
I hope this site will give me the factual information that I need to enable me to convince the recreational facility that I go to and my workplace that they need to be fragrance free. I have been suffering with swelling eyes, burning throat, rash and hives. Here in Nothern Virgina we have so many people with allergies, asthma, reactive airway disease and chemical sensitivities and yet people are reluctant to face up to the problems that fragrances are causing. People need to be educated to the risks just as they did with the risks associated with tobacco. Thanks for your work Betty. Sheila Booth RN BS CCM
Betty Thank you for all the information you have gathered together. I have been submitting articles from it to our work newsletter and have managed to educate some of the people there. Our local hospital has drafted a scent-free policy to be used by the staff and will be requested of patients and visitors. I hope this will help people realise that fragrance is a health concern. My own workplace is purchasing air filters to help make the air more breatable. If we all make the effort we can effect a change. I would like to get the shampoo/soap/cleaning industries on to the un-scented way of life also. I have written to companies stating that I no longer use their products because of the fragrances and the damage they do to my health (asthmatic) and have suggested they bring out an unscented product. If more people joined in perhaps we could make it happen. Thanks again Lisabeth cosmicsparkle101@hotmail.com
Hi Betty - just found your site while researching fragrances and their effect on one's body. I have had MCS for 12 years, after nearly dying of pesticide toxicity; I was detoxed but the after -effects of the chemical toxicity have persisted. Two of many reactions stand out as being so severe that I am now researching the "chemical" causes of same. Twoyears ago, I was on a plane ride home from SF to Hawaii, and fell asleep; the folded handtowel I normally keep over my mouth and nose during flight fell to my lap, and when I awoke 4 1/2 hours later, I was very ill. My muscles were all in spasm, had a blinding migraines, was high irritable and physically combative when provoked, highly irrational...well, it goes on. Suffice to say, that when I finally went to a psychiatrist, I was diagnosed with "chemically -induced bipolar- like disorder." It's taken two years, and am almost back to normal; however, the doctor feels that the chemical changes cuased by the chemicals on the plane (pesticides, biocides in the AC system, VOC's, cleaners, poor air circulation, etc etc)are most probably permanent but can be controlled by carefully monitoring my environment and psychiatric medication. The second set of symptoms occurred as a result of being in a hospital for a prolonged period of time while my father was hospitalized for the last three months of his life; I am an RN and in the testing I have had done over the years, there are many chemicals routinely used in hospitals that are very toxic, and these have also added to my overall problem. Thus, the extended exposure, once again, to hospital chemicals precipitated several attacks of "chemically-induced pancreatitis". My amylase levels go from normal (somewhere around 100 or so, give or take...)to 35,000 to 40,000, and then, within 15 - 18 hours, they are back to normal. Best guess is that the chemicals are causing a GI spasm in general, including the gallbladder and pancreas. I have also had two attacks of this same type of pancreatitis from exposure to two candle shops (one of them also had potpourri fragrances) - I should mention that they are VERY aromatic stores and I just should have stayed OUT! Wanted to write in because my reactions are more severe than most, but I have now found 4 other YOUNG people who have had the same pancreatic syndrome that I have - and none of them drink, but all work INDOORS, in buildings where there are no windows to open and where they have no occasion to breathe fresh air during the course of their work day (or night). Two of them work in shopping malls, one in a health food store (but she shops in malls), and the last worked in a hospital. I do want to thank you for your site...I am learning alot! Do you ever hear of anything about what specifically is IN airplane air, ie, types of chemicals? I do love to travel but am now terrified to get on a plane! The Dr. has even warned me about traveling on boats, unless I stay out in the fresh air at the back of the boat and not spend much time indoors...even to sleep! If you want to email me, my email address is adamss003@hawaii.rr.com L. Adams RN, MPH
I am grateful that you are out there and providing all this information.
3 months ago, i was exposed continually for a week to a person wearing VICTORIA'S SECRET BODY LOTIONS (various scents). I became very ill from it and now am allergic to all kinds of scents. It attacks my respiratory system and mouth (red bumps on the roof of my mouth and tongue) as well as other burning lungs, headaches, inability to focus, etc.
is there any way I can find out what is in VICTORIA'S SECRET BODY LOTIONS? Is there a list of perfumed products on your site or a link where i can go to find out what is in this stuff?
Also SUAVE HAIRSPRAYS AND BODY LOTIONS cause big reactions for me...
Where is Anderson Labs? Do they have a list of products and what is in them? Maybe they would analyze VS Body Lotions (they are lethal as far as I am concerned).
Please let me know if there is a list of specific products. Thanks also for the info on the workplace and policies. I am trying to get my workplace to go scent-free, but they denied my request. i don't think they even believe this is a real concern.
My employer's insurance company is balking also at my Worker's Comp claim (as i initially was exposed 8 hours a day, for 7-10 days, in a "dead-air environment" ) and doesn't really believe this is a problem or one caused by repeated and intense exposure to what is, I'd say, poisonous to me.
Please let me know if there is a list of products and what is in them. And how I could go about get Victoria's Secret Body lotions analyzed.
Thanks so much for being out there. lisa m. engelken lisa@mbvlaw.com
THANK YOU!! I have adult onset asthma triggered by fragrances. Your site has given me proof that I'm not a hypochondriac and I'm not the only one.
I found this website to be very helpful. I have a lot of problems going out and being around people that love to "bathe" in perfume. Even the slightest odor causes headaches and coughing. I now know that I'm not alone. Thanks for the information.Keep up the good work.
Thank you for all the work you have done to compile this great information. I believe I have MCS, and my symptoms have gotten worse since the early 80's. I am currently being forced to work in a research building where many chemicals are being used. My reactions to the chemicals has gotten increasingly worse, but I have yet to find an advocate at Auburn University (not in AA-EEO, Safety & Environmental Health, College of Veterinary Medicine, Human Resources etc.)Last Thursday I actually caught a primary investigator not following standard safe lab practices while he was conducting his research. (He was using a very potent glue that contains phenol, and possible wetting agents and ether--and was not using them under a hood, and didn't even have the exhaust fan turned on in the hood) Because of this I received a large exposure to his chemicals, which were seeping into the hallway. I have tested allergic to phenol, formaldehyde, ethanol, and many other substances. I have asked for an investigation into this matter and a written response to my concern. My only hope at the present is to get into a safer work environment. Nobody seems to understand my need to limit exposure. I carry an epi-pen now, and have many signs of anaphylaxis weekly. Any help anyone can provide as to what resources are available to me in Alabama, or what documentation I should accumulate for the future if I do find it necessary to quit my job would be much appreciated. Jo
I think what you are doing is great. Keep up the good work. I have made copies of the material and distribute it everywhere that I go. After getting in contact with numerous agencys, with no responce to my requests, I get discouraged. How did they accomplish what they did in Nova Scotia? Wearing the buttons, creates many comments from people re: their problems with fragrance.
Dear Betty, I hope to be able to help some of you with perfume and chemical sensitivity. I have gound that Granny's Old Fashioned Products have helped me enormously. They ave shampoo,tearless shampoo, creme rinse, moisturizers, laundry detergents (one tablespoon does an entire load), body wash liquid,dish detergent,fabric stain remover and carpet shampoo. All are fragrance free, biodegradable and not animal tested. I ahve tried htese products and liked them so much that I have ordered them with my with my wholesale license. If you try them you will find that they leave no residue, they can be used even to clean window with no streaks. The other product that I found is Seventh Generation Automatic Dishwashing Detergent Powder. I had ordered that through a health food store. It actually works better that Cascade or Electrosol, even in hard water. For painting and home restoration there are SafeChoice Products which are available on line. They are also fragrance free and non-toxic. Please e-mail me if anyone need s any other information. This information has helped me, since my doctors never were able to give me any answers-Just put up with it, they told me!Suecars@aol.com
I find it very comforting to be able to share and hear about others' problems with fragrances. I find it very awkward to tell a co-worker or friend that their fragrance is truly giving me a headache. Would appreciate advice on how to tactfully tell someone that their fragrance is bothering me.
I found the web site informative and interesting. I get migraine headaches. If policies were in place that restrict use of perfumes in the workplace and in concert halls, my life would improve significantly. I work in a hospital but there is currently no policy!
This is an excellent site. Perfumes trigger my migraines, and also trigger dysautonomia episodes in my 6 year old granddaughter. Years ago we were taught to use one drop of perfume behind each ear; now people spray gallons on, in airplanes, in restaurants, anywhere they happen to be, without the least concern for others--perfume is definitely a health hazard to anyone with breathing problems or allergies. Anything that invades my space compromises my rights. I have often wondered how these people would feel if I sprayed them with skunk oil.
Betty, what you're doing with the Workplace Policy is a great idea, but I believe you should go a step farther. I work with CMSI the Travel Nurse Company (800) 468-2772, and they have a great policy, but it is broader--they have an "allergen-free workplace." That way, it doesn't point to any employee who might wear perfume, for example. But it rules out perfumed products of all kinds, and chemical cleaning products, and perfumed stuff in the bathrooms and kitchen, etc. They made agreements with the leasors about the cleaning staff and the products they could use. No one can have blooming plants delivered to the office (if someone gets them, they go to the building manager), but we are expected to tell our significant others the rules-and the plants in our offices are green leaves only, without molds. We order Odor Be Gone for the bathrooms and kitchen. When we got the new offices, we got hard floors instead of carpet, and we don't use wax or anything like that. Of course, we are smoke-free; the whole building complex is smoke-free. We make it clear to all applicants, and we find out if there is anything we need to add to make life easier for them. It's really great, and we are all happy to work together to make an allergen-free office, rather than a fragrance-free office. And some of the fragrances we are free of are cleaners like that awful stuff they used to use in the bathroom that we could smell for days! Now they use vinegar and water and rinse with clear cold water-- and the boss makes them use CLEAN mops! Anyway, I'll bet CMSI would be happy to share their policy statements with anybody. It's a good idea for any employer to cut down on lost time due to allergies, colds, upper respiratory illness, etc. You're doing such a great job here. I'm sending this site to my friends and contacts on the political side. This is something the guys at OSHA need to take a good long look at, too. Thanks again.
Thank you for shedding light on this very important subject. Fragrances have become pervasive; I'm still trying to get some cooperation on this matter at work. Few take the illness and suffering seriously and some think I'm the one who should seek medical treatment. Very interesting since these same individuals are likely outraged at other pollutants but not those they cause. I continue to plea, even beg, for their cooperation. Joyce
I feel very good about NOT BUYING any of these products. Latest decision, closing account with a department store that bothered me by mailing badly "perfumed" charge account statements that had to be handled with disposable gloves. Thank you for this information. I will tell others.
It's great to be able to get information without having to be a healthcare professional and have a subscription. I have perioral dermatitis related to toothpaste and cystic acne. Most of it has gone away because I stopped using toothpaste. I just need to find out what chemical I'm sensitive too. Of course, that is really hard... So, thanks for the site. Every bit I can find out on any chemical helps. Best regards.
Just wanted to thank you Betty for all you have done for the MCS community. When my family first came down with MCS after an oil exposure (long story) I came across the work you've done. You helped us see that we weren't all going crazy and that our concerns were legitimate! Who ever knew that perfumes could be toxic! Please continue to help educate the professionals, as well as those like us who are sick about the toxic health effects of certain substances. Excellent work! Seibert Family of NC
FOR YEARS I USED SUAVE LOTION COCOA BUTTER WITHOUT THE CREAM. THE FRAGRANCE WAS LIGHT AND IT HELPED MY DRY SKIN ON A DAILY-YEARLY BASIS. SUAVE CHANGED THE FORMULA AND I AM ALLERGIC TO THE CREAM THEY ADDED. IS THERE ANY WAY I CAN GET MY HANDS ON THE OLD FORMULA? IS THERE AN ALTERNATE LOTION WITH THE SAME PROPERTIES AND FRAGRANCE? VERY UNHAPPY CUSTOMER.
I am having the hardest time convincing people around me that the chemicals in those products they refuse to part with are irritating me. They blow their nose, sniff, and are always coming down with what they believe is a cold. But actually, they too are being effected but are too stubborn to give in. I can only do what's best for myself and avoid them and their environments. And there's many places I cannot go, live in, or work in. It's a shame our society is so ignorant on this issue. I'm glad to have found this website. Hopefully they will visit one day.
It's me again, I forgot to mention that neighbors can be very spiteful in a trailer park if they know that you are sensitive to chemicals. Living in close quarters gives them the opportunity to run an automatic 'air-freshener' right by their open window all night long as you sleep. I have been woken up by this several times as the chemical scents drift right in my window. I can't understand why people go out of their way to be so spiteful towards anyone desiring to feel good. May I also mention that this neighbor goes on a breather machine and is stupid enough to still inhale those 'air fresheners'. Is she asking for it or what? Well, she's not going to make me sick because I've moved!!!
I think everybody's effected by poisonous chemicals since we are ALL living things! But the majority of us is so numb, so used to the stuff, that we may not realize we don't feel good. Many people take aspirin and other drugs/prescriptions that may cover and hide their symptoms from chemical exposure. And it is a fact that one can 'burn out' their sense of smell from repeated inhalations of strong artificial scents, which is why they don't smell the stuff. I know, I experienced being away from any chemical exposure for a few months, breathing only natural, pure, earth-given air and when I walked into a public place....PHEW all them chemical scents I picked up and they seemed so strong! Anyone who doesn't believe how bad their products smell, just try omitting them from your breathing environment for a few months and go back to them...if you want to!
Thank you for making so much information available. At my worksite, people wear increased amounts of perfume and spray perfume into the air to harass those of us who are sensitive to fragrances. So far, our human resources division refuses to cut down on the indoor air pollution, but with sites like this one getting out the facts, they may not have that option for too much longer. Good work!
The site is great, I wish everyone would read it and take it to heart. In answer to the people asking where to get natural and fragrance-free skin care products check out http://dakotafree.com the stuff is really good. Keep up the cause Betty, I admire you.
I hope you can help me!
Thank you for putting this together! It's nice to know I'm not the only one with an allergy.
This is a great site!! Thanks for your good work! Carol David
Thank you for a very informative web site. People who wear perfume do not understand how it effects some people's health. I appreciate your hard work.
How do I get to your site?
Hi---I've just found your web site and have reaad through most of the comments that appear here. One thing I thought I'd mention, especially for those folks who wanted information about toothpaste and soaps---to avoid Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS). This is one bad, nasty chemical that is in almost all toothpastes, shampoos, laundry detergents, and even some prescription drugs. Being chemically sensitive myself, I have found one good way to find out about particular chemicals in products is to search the internet for the MSDS sheets, which contain info on side effects. Simply search the chemical name and MSDS after it, and you will get it. I have been making home-made toothpaste for the last 2 months: baking soda, salt, (organic) vegetable glycerine, and (organic) peppermint oil. It takes some getting used to, but my dentist even said it was wonderful, since they clean teeth in his office with baking soda and salt. Moral of story: Eliminate SLS. It's BAD NEWS.
Thank You. I am so happy to have found this site. For years I have been affected by frangrances both perfume and cleaners. When I tell people they think it can't be real, even my doctor shrugged it off, so I've just learned to try and avoid the scents that I know triggers me. When I am affected it is all in my throat and lungs and has turned into bronchitis at times. It's nice to know I'm not the only one out there like this. I think I'll show my doctor some of your article so maybe she'll understand a little more of what i've been trying to tell her for years. Teresa Sharp ksstzoo@netzero.net
My husband loves the Bridges perfume on me and I am unable to find it in the Springfield, Missouri area, can you tell me where I can find it or can be ordered. email: bboops41@yahoo.com Please help me I am running my legs off trying to find it.
Like many of your commentators - hurrah that I'm not the only one who suffers from fragrances - they trigger dreadful migraines. This was diagnosed by a neuro surgeon here in the UK, but my GP did not believe in it. I've been quite supported at work - eventually, but it caused quite a lot of upset asking some colleagues not to wear a particular perfume. Fortunately, one left so solved the problem. Hard to go shopping these days. And be warned its going to get worse. The plastics and packaging industry are looking to put all sorts of aromotic chemicals to release from plastics - eg mint scented tooth brushes and strawberry scented pens. The underground in london was experiementing the the smell of freshly mown grass!!! However, I work in the Chemical industry and the group actually makes some of the aromatic chemicals used in to make fragrances and flavours, so have some inside knowledge. If you talk to the chemical companies -such as Quest International about this they are absolutely pertrified of regulation. The cosmetics industry tries to get away with saying that they don't cause skin allergies or upset animals, but I don't think that you can ask a rabbit if it has a headache or feel sick and dizzy!
Dear Betty, I think your web page is absolutely marvellous. My personal thanks for the work you have done in making this information available. Being a MCS sufferer I appreciate the extent of the research that you have carried out. God bless you.