We often hear from people who think they aren’t wearing any fragrance while their fume trail is noticeable (and headache inducing or worse) from 100 feet away. Not only that, but the scent residues are left everywhere these people have touched anything, including pretty much permanently in the furniture they’ve used.
How can this be?
Laundry products!
…
Posted in Accessibility, Air Quality, chemicals in clothing, Environmental Health, Fashion, Laundry, Pollution, Public Health
Tagged accessibility barriers, allergies, asthma, chemical sensitivity, Chemicals, dryer vents, environmental sensitivities, fragrance-free, fragrance-free policy, hazardous air pollutants, IAQ, invisible disabilities, MCS, petrochemicals, phthalates, toxic trespass, VOCs
A few of us were talking about the steps some of us canaries have to take to be able to go places: masks, respirators, scarves to cover hair, lab coats, long skirts, outdoor only clothes that are removed before entering our safe homes, and clothes that are never worn inside due to picking up so much 2nd and 3rd hand fragrance contamination.
And the removal and bagging for later washing of everything we did wear or have with us, and the showers we have to take as soon as we get home.
Then there’s the lunch kits and other accessories we need to pack, but that’s another blog post or three.
I’ve posted before about using tyvek suits, both to wear in order to protect us from exposures when we go out, or to have others wear to protect us from exposures to their products off-gassing when we need them to enter our space.
This time though, someone mentioned that they wanted to go to an event that lasted long enough that they would need to use the washroom while out, so a one piece tyvek suit wasn’t going to cut it.
♥Many thanks to the Courageous Canaries of MCS/ES (and mask)
Awareness Month 2016!
Your courage, kindness, and willingness to share your photos and stories in the “What I Wear in Bad Air” series generated a lot of discussion in various support groups, and will benefit so many others who can see some of the options that are available, as worn by their peers, and that it’s more than ok to be visible. Continue reading
Posted in Air Quality, Disability, Environmental Health, Environmental Sensitivities, Fashion, Fragrance, Human Rights
Tagged allergies, asthma, chemical sensitivity, Fragrance, hazardous air pollutants, invisible disabilities, masks, MCS, MCS/ES, multiple chemical sensitivities, petrochemicals, Products, toxic trespass, VOCs
Melanie and Jaiden
When I wear my mask I noticed people couldn’t see me smile at them and would avert their eyes and not smile at me.
I will usually speak and say hello. Most people will nod or say hello back even if they don’t smile or look at my eyes. Some will shrink away like I have Ebola. I’ve felt like a leper when that happens. I just hate that my kids are learning that lesson about humanity so young. I hope it will help instill a more compassionate nature in them as they see how not to be.
I started using fabric stickers on my mask sometimes and noticed that people would smile at them. I felt less invisible even if it was my stickers they smiled at more than me. I have several different ones including penguins, crosses, and holiday relevant ones I wear around Christmas time.
Posted in Air Quality, Environmental Health, Environmental Sensitivities, Fashion, Fragrance, Pollution
Tagged allergies, asthma, chemical sensitivity, Chemicals, dizziness, Fragrance, fragrance-free, hazardous air pollutants, IAQ, invisible disabilities, masks, MCS, migraines, multiple chemical sensitivities, perfume, petrochemicals, toxic trespass
My name is Zoraida and I live in Spain. I was diagnosed with MCS two years ago, but I had been having reactions for a couple of years before that. Everything escalated suddenly in 2014, and this was when I began to need a mask for everyday life. There have been many other changes in addition to the mask. Among them, moving to a smaller, less polluted town.
My safety kit: Continue reading
“I never leave home without it. I picked the fun looking Space Invaders to try and make others more comfortable with me. I take the bus once or twice a month to Seattle for my medicine. With my mask I have reduced my pneumonia by almost 60%. I do feel like people think I’m going to make them sick. Some cross the street with their children. It saves my life, but hurts my feelings. I just want society to understand that my mask is no threat to them.”
~ Heather Drakonis
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For more info on masks, please see Continue reading
Choosing the safest clothing and textiles means knowing something about the life cycle of how they were grown, processed, and made… and the only way to know anything about the life cycle of anything, is for it to have some serious certifications. Here, OECOTEXTILES explains textile certifications
https://oecotextiles.wordpress.com/2016/03/14/textile-certifications
Don’t forget to take a look at our new retail website (Two Sisters Ecotextiles) and let us know what you think. We’re still working out some kinks so your input is really appreciated.
In the textile industry, there are two third party certifications which are transparent and to which we certify our fabrics: the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) and Oeko-Tex. Another logo you see on our site is the GreenSpec logo. To be listed by GreenSpec means that the products are best of class as determined by Environmental Building News.
What does it mean for a fabric to be GOTS certified?
The Global Organic Textile Standard, GOTS, was published in 2006. It was brought about through the combined efforts of organic trade associations of the United States, Great Britain, Japan, and Germany. GOTS aims to define a universal standard for organic fabrics—from harvesting the raw materials…
View original post 1,263 more words
Posted in chemicals in clothing, Environmental Health, Fashion, Laundry
Tagged certification, Clothing, safer, textiles
“Exposure to these chemicals increases the risk of allergic dermatitis, but more severe health effect for humans as well as the environment could possibly be related to these chemicals. Some of them are suspected or proved carcinogens and some have aquatic toxicity,”
Giovanna Luongo found that there are harmful chemical residues left in clothing even after 10 washes and presents the information in her Doctoral Thesis, Chemicals in textiles A potential source for human exposure and environmental pollution.
This scientifically validates what some of us have been saying for years, that some harmful chemical residues can be extremely difficult if not impossible to remove, (as the rigmarole we have to go through in an attempt to have safe to wear clothing to wear attests), and that normally undetectable trace levels can cause disabling effects.
Many chemicals present in clothing (and bedding) enter the human body via dermal absorption, and can be detected in urine hours later!
This poster shows how chemicals enter our bodies:
Posted in Accessibility, chemicals in clothing, Environmental Health, Fashion, Laundry, Toxic Trespass
Tagged allergies, cancer, chemicals in clothing, detox, environmental sensitivities, fibromyalgia, health, MCS, MCS/ES, multiple chemical sensitivity, petrochemicals, Pollution, sensitive to pollution, toxic chemicals, Water
When air is polluted both indoors and out, when people use fragrances and other products with toxic chemicals, when we are made ill and disabled by the pollutants, then we can’t wait for better regulations to take effect, we need to do something to protect our health now.
Sometimes we can buy masks that work for us, especially if we tolerate synthetic materials, but sometimes making our own is the only way. When we make our own, we can use safe-for-us fabrics and even coordinate them to our outfits (if we’re lucky enough to have safe-to-wear outfits).
Some people use scarves as masks. You can sew a pouch on the inside to hold filtering Continue reading
Posted in Air Quality, Environmental Health, Fashion, Health, Pollution, Precaution
Tagged allergies, asthma, chemicals in clothing, DIY, face mask, filter, fragrance chemicals, fragrance-free, hazardous air pollutants, indoor air pollution, MCS, MCS/ES, multiple chemical sensitivities, petrochemicals, sensitive to pollution, sew, toxic chemicals, toxic trespass
Yes way…sighs…
Most of us wear underwear all the time. We don’t think much about it.
I remember when I used to be able to find decent 100% cottom undies with enclosed elastic waistbands at the dollar stores! I could throw them in the wash once, and they were good to go. Those were the days!
More recently, I’ve been disabled from a serious fibro flare caused by trace (?) levels of chemical residues from wearing organic undies that cost me $20 a pair. Even after soaking and washing them at least a dozen times, and then boiling them several times after.
Disabled?
Yes, disabled!
My alternate title for this post was Disabled by Underwear… Here’s what happened:
Posted in Chemicals, chemicals in clothing, Disability, Environmental Health, Fashion, Fibromyalgia, Laundry, Products
Tagged #May12, allergies, chemical free, chemicals in clothing, chronic health problems, chronic pain, Clothing, environmental sensitivities, fibromyalgia, furnishings, furniture, MCS, MCS/ES, pesticides, petrochemicals, sensitive to pollution, toxic textiles
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Seriously "Sensitive" to Pollution 