Tag Archives: fragrance-free

Fragrance, Flying, and “Sensitivities”

Posted on January 27, 2016 | 15 comments

Progress is being made!

Even if you can’t actually get a fragrance-free flight, you can now get to the plane along a fragrance-free route if you are in Vancouver, BC!

from Vancouver Airport's twitter account

Maybe it needs some work to make the English language portion clear?

Right now, it could be taken to mean that they have a free route to fragrance!

So, once they get the English fixed for those who don’t understand French (where it’s clear they mean without perfume, but then again, how many people actually read their box or bottle of laundry detergent to see that there’s parfum in there? and in their deodorant? and in their shampoo?)  we can (maybe) get to the plane without being assaulted by fragrance chemicals (but, oh, it’s only “free” from the duty free shops with fragrance).  Still, I guess it IS progress… kind of…   Right?

Assuming we can actually get there without a life threatening (or merely disabling) reaction,  what happens once we are in the actual plane?

Continue reading →

15 Comments

Posted in Accessibility, Air Quality, Disability, Environmental Health, Environmental Sensitivities, Fragrance, Human Rights, MCS/ES

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My Niece Said It Was Easy!

Posted on January 9, 2016 | 6 comments

Guest post by Sandra McPherson

I have a niece who moved back from out west just a year or so ago. I love her dearly. Her son that she had so much difficulty to have is named Owen. I lost a son named Owen and she contacted me to tell me she wanted to name him after my son unless it would upset me. She is so thoughtful!

I was sucking it up and inviting her here to my place, (safe place) for meals and visits now and then when I was strong enough. Her laundry fragrances and personal products were hard on me but it was only every few months, though I wished it could be more. We talked often about my MCS because she saw me go from a person that was at EVERY party and kid sport gathering and family get together, etc., etc., to a hermit.

inside outside

I had not seen her in several months and she inquired about getting together again. We set up a date for lunch at my place again.

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6 Comments

Posted in Environmental Health, Fragrance, Friendship, Health

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MCSVille: A Canary Safe Sanctuary

Posted on December 18, 2015 | 6 comments

Guest post by Laura Canary

Since I could not sleep, I thought I would bake a gingerbread house for our Christmas party. When I still could not sleep, I got carried away and baked enough to piece together this whole gingerbread village.

MCS ES gingerbread village kit 2(image for inspirational purposes only)

But, what to call it?
Canary City? Sansparfumville? Beneficidale? Healington? MCSville? Magic Canary Sanctuary?

Welcome to our Magic Canary Sanctuary, or MCSville!

See all the houses! They are all built MCS safe, to accommodate all Canaries in need.

Continue reading →

6 Comments

Posted in Environmental Health, Green Building, Healthy Environment, Imagination, Medically Required Housing

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An Open Letter to the Scented

Posted on December 12, 2015 | 13 comments

Guest post by Debbie Clark Seely

Dear friends,

I wanted to take the time to write this letter because we (the “unscented” community) are concerned for you. With it being the holiday season we are seeing multiple reports of friends and family members choosing to cut ties to their unscented loved ones rather than make the effort to visit them unscented. This perplexes us. It makes us feel like you are choosing scent over a human being. Continue reading →

13 Comments

Posted in Accessibility, Air Quality, Environmental Health, Fragrance, Friendship

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Scent-Free Buildings Guide from CCIAQB

Posted on October 18, 2015 | 3 comments

From The Canadian Committee on Indoor Air Quality (CCIAQB) 

“This Module provides building owners and managers with information about the sources and effects of scents and fragrances. It also suggests ways to move toward scent-free buildings. The information covers scents and fragrances brought into a workplace by people wearing personal products such as perfume as well as those scents and fragrances that originate from custodial products such as washroom hand soap.”

scent-free buildings guide banner

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3 Comments

Posted in Accessibility, Air Quality, Environmental Health, Environmental Sensitivities, Healthy Environment, Indoor Air Quality, Policy, Precaution

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The Effort and “Inconvenience” of Single-Handedly Trying to Remove Systemic Barriers to Access

Posted on June 29, 2015 | 8 comments

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When she needed accommodation, you won’t believe the rigmarole that ensued.

(unless you have MCS/ES)

equal opportunity 1

“They should not have to make significantly more effort to access or obtain service. They should also not have to accept lesser quality or more inconvenience.”

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Someone with MCS (who wishes to remain anonymous) was asked about how her efforts to receive appropriate, safe, accommodation were going, so she could see a health care provider. She is one of a growing number of people who become disabled from exposures to toxic chemicals found in many everyday products and materials, especially in fragrances.

This is pretty much how the story goes:

She contacted a health care provider by phone and talked to a receptionist.

She asked her if they had a scent-free policy and was told they didn’t.

Continue reading →

8 Comments

Posted in Accessibility, Chemicals, Disability, Environmental Health, Fragrance, Human Rights, Indoor Air Quality, MCS/ES, Policy, Precaution

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When Women Don’t Relinquish Fragrance

Posted on June 20, 2015 | 14 comments

Guest post by By Heidi Utz

Several years ago, I posed to my women’s group a simple question: Can we ask members not to wear fragrances here? A hush fell over the room, then a silence so vast you could have heard a vial of Obsession drop. The same sweet women I’d grown to respect morphed into a pack of rabid wolves. No perfume?! It was as if I’d proposed giving up coffee, sugar, and styling gel in one fell swoop.

Since then, I have spent much time puzzling over their response. Are we so addicted to our scented products that the very notion of relinquishing them strikes terror in our hearts? Or is it more that the perfume industry has done such a stellar job in marketing its wares? Even in Santa Fe, where a comparatively high level of health-consciousness exists, we’re still susceptible to those redolent magazine ads, featuring the young and glossily naked in their evidently perfume-induced attractiveness.

But what if perfumiers, like chemical producers, were forced to include in their ads the manufacturer’s safety data sheets (i.e., the very interesting ways each spritz affects your liver)? Sound far-fetched?

Continue reading →

14 Comments

Posted in Accessibility, Air Quality, Fragrance, Health

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Asthma, Fragrance, and Job Accommodation

Posted on May 26, 2015 | Leave a comment

Fragrances Can Cause or Trigger Work-related Asthma

The Work-Related Asthma Prevention Program (WRAPP) of the California Department of Public Health released new fact sheets on fragrances and work-related asthma.

INHALER

Information available:

2017 Fragrances and Work-Related Asthma: Information for Workers (PDF) – fact sheet

2017 Fragrances and Work-Related Asthma: Information for Employers (PDF) – fact sheet

2015 (editable) Workplace Fragrance-Free Policy (Word) – fact sheet

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Posted in Air Quality, Chemicals, Environmental Health, Fragrance, Human Rights, Indoor Air Quality, Policy, Public Health

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Do It Yourself Air Filtering Mask

Posted on May 16, 2015 | 51 comments

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 →

51 Comments

Posted in Air Quality, Environmental Health, Fashion, Health, Pollution, Precaution

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Have Your Say for May by Leah

Posted on May 14, 2015 | 12 comments

 

Before I got sick, I was a dog trainer. My life was centered around my dogs,maybe too much, but I was happy. I taught basic classes, worked with serious behavior problems, and competed with my own dogs. It was my culture, and my life.

As MCS started to creep in, it make more difficult and even dangerous, to continue. To have poor reflexes or to miss something because I was brain fogged, could be the difference between success and failure, and sometimes failure meant a bite.

So I had to give it up. But I didn’t give up my personal dogs. While the number of dogs has diminished, I still have 3 beautiful and wonderful dogs left that keep me happy, keep me laughing and keep me sane. They make me get up on the bad days, cuddle with me when I’m sick, and keep my spirits up when I’m sad. And on a really good day, I train.

Continue reading →

12 Comments

Posted in Accessibility, Chemicals, Disability, Environmental Health, Fragrance, Health Care

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