They Said I Wasn’t Fragrance-Free. How Can That Be?

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Has anyone ever asked you to be fragrance-free or told you that your fragrance is affecting their ability to function in some way, and you didn’t know what they were talking about?

You may or may not have heard that fragrance-free policies are becoming much more common now since so many people are being adversely affected by fragranced products.

Unfortunately, many people still don’t know why fragrance-free products are healthier for themselves and others, or unaware how common fragrances are!

It’s not just perfumes and colognes!

I’ve had people tell me they didn’t use any fragrance when they couldn’t name a single product they used for laundry or personal care and cleaning.

I’ve had people tell me they didn’t have any fragrance on when all of their products had fragrance listed in the ingredients.

People have also said “but I don’t smell anything”, or “I only used a little this morning” (or yesterday, or the day before yesterday).

They Said I Wasn’t Fragrance-Free. How Can That Be?

https://www.facebook.com/SeriouslySensitivetoPollution/photos/pb.1412075955674064.-2207520000.1548303019./2255235201358131/

Think about that! Read the labels on all of your products, if you haven’t already.

There are all kinds of undisclosed and toxic ingredients in everyday fragranced products that are  linked to cancer, birth defects, and other chronic illnesses.

And it’s not only the fragrances from the products you washed with or applied to your body, or the residues of laundry products in your clothing that are problematic!

Did you ever walk into a room where people were smoking, or have have smoked in the past?

Yea, they be sticky molecules too.  Same with vaping or e-cigarettes (which also have undisclosed fragrance ingredients and  emit toxic chemicals).

“”Thirdhand smoke consists of gases and ultra-fine particles that go deep into the carpet, upholstery and fabrics, and they even penetrate deep into walls and furniture,” Matt said. “Tobacco smoke does not simply disappear. Smoking indoors builds up a reservoir of chemicals that leaves a long and toxic legacy of tobacco use.”

Likewise, if you have an  essential oil diffuser, a scented candle, or an air effer (“freshener”) at home or at work, that fragrance will infuse everything in the space with hazardous fragrance molecules that pollute the indoor and outdoor air, and are absorbed in through your skin, and you won’t be fragrance-free.

It’s time to read all the labels, look up the disclosed ingredients on EWG’s Skin Deep and Cleaning guides, to get an introductory idea of what is in the products (most fragrance and some other ingredients are not disclosed) and some of the known health effects, and also realize that some of those chemicals are designed to make the fragrance last… and last… and last… (and maybe make you nose-blind so you’ll buy more product too).

There are more than enough reasons to go fully fragrance-free!

Please remember too, that no-one is asking you to be fragrance-free to make your life difficult or because we think it’s fun to ask people to change things.

We’re just asking you to choose products that don’t disable us.

We’re also asking you to help clear the air for everyone’s benefit!

Being fragrance free is good for you! Being fragrance free is good for me!
Being fragrance free is good for all living beings!

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Below are a couple of signs that can be printed and posted.

Be aware though that the act of hanging up these signs is not enough to claim you have a policy, if it is not enforced.  It becomes wallpaper and can be dangerous to the lives of those who need fragrance-free policies to exist in the world.

Please take this at least as seriously as you take peanut-free, gluten-free, smoke-free, and dress code policies.

This is a fragrance-free area 1:

“This is a fragrance-free area” jpeg.

Printable PDF of the above poster is available here:
sign-this-is-a-fragrance-free-area-pdf

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This is a fragrance-free area 2:

This is a screenshot of the poster

Printable PDF of ^ poster is here: sign this is a fragrance-free area 2

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“Finally, for public officials, the problem of “secondhand scents,” or indirect exposure to fragranced products, has parallels to secondhand tobacco smoke. Prevention from fragrance product exposure will enable individuals to work in their workplaces, attend school, and function in society
without suffering involuntary harm.”

Health and societal effects from exposure to fragranced consumer products (AU)

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Need more help and ideas? Check out the resources here:

Help for How to Be Fragrance-Free

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