Perfumes, Candles, & Toxins
Many of us have experienced the post headaches after going through the aisle of household cleaners at the local superstore. Or perhaps you've been to a bath and body type of shop, with aromas galore, only to end up being stuffy and congested the rest of the day. There is a reason for this. It is actually the response of your body's immune system to the prefumes-type of scents. Most of these scents are manufactured with chemicals, many of them reported to be toxic in some way, often creating an ALLERGIC RESPONSE from us, the silly people who buy these products! The fragrances can trigger our bodies to believe it is an ALLERGEN, therefore, histamine, and leukotrienes are released, resulting in allergic symptoms. Common synthetics linger in these fragrances, such as acetone, ethanol, benzaldehyde, formaldehyde, ethyl acetate, phthalates. These are potentially hazardous ingredients to not only breathe in but to also place on your skin! Another common side effect of these synthetics is a hormonal effect. Janet Nudelman, Director of Program and Policy of the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics shared this, “We found fragrance chemicals linked to cancer, birth defects, endocrine disruption and other serious health conditions in everything from children's shampoo to body lotion to perfumes."
When I was in school, I used a popular perfume, which I was crazy over. I purchased countless bottles of it throughout my young years. It smelled so wonderful! It was a 'white musk' perfume which I sprayed on myself every morning just before leaving for school. Another thing that occurred each school day was an upset stomach and slight headache, usually emerging just as I was getting on the bus. It took me years to correlate the two factors. It was the daily use of perfume that made my head ache and my stomach a bit nauseated. Once I had a shot of brilliance (small as it may have been), I finally put a stop to the perfume use, and guess what? My symptoms disappeared. I share this with you because I have many friends, family, and clients who suffer from various reactions to scents. It could be from your laundry detergent, your deodorant, perfume, cleaning products, candles, you name it! Take inventory of what you buy that may hold these toxic imposter aromas that have an ill effect on our immune and hormonal systems. FYI: We are not doomed to never wear perfume again or clean our homes with effective cleaners. There are PLENTY of natural options out there on the market. I will share a handful with you in the resources below. Do your research and find trusted, natural, safe brands you can use in your world!
Resources:
Seventh Generation Cleaning Products https://www.seventhgeneration.com/
Native Deodorant https://www.nativecos.com/
Coops Candles, Soy-based candles https://www.etsy.com/shop/CoopsCandleCo
Inspired Wellness Natural Perfumes (Aromatherapy):
- Amber Moon (musk, vanilla, with a touch of sweetness) https://www.etsy.com/listing/839341446/amber-moon-natural-perfume-aromatherapy
- Iris Essence ( light floral, sweet violets with a touch of wild rose) https://www.etsy.com/listing/806983200/iris-essence-natural-perfume-floral-oil
If you have other resources to share, please do so in the comments!
Be Well,
Cara Iris