WELLNESS--Why is it that I am always the one to sit next to the person who has poured on cologne and perfume just before heading out to the movie, theatre, or restaurant? And why is it that when I am exposed to such excess scents, I feel awful?
You may be able to relate. In fact, many people have similar experiences. A number of my friends and family get migraines, allergies, and tired spells when in the vicinity of a well-meaning perfume-wearing individual who may be clueless as to their negative effect on others.
More and more, chemicals and toxins are bombarding our environment. Many of these invaders we have no control over while others we do. Our bodies are often overloaded which is why they begin speaking to us with negative reactions as a way to say, “I can’t take this much longer, I am overburdened.”
Perfumes, body sprays, colognes, and even shampoos, and body gels are filled with so-called natural fragrance. What exactly does that mean? Well, that special designer blend that you wear may contain trace amounts of natural essences, but it is most likely concocted from any number of the fragrance industry’s 3,100 stock chemical ingredients!
In fact, the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, commissioned independent laboratory tests that revealed 38 secret chemicals in 17 leading fragrances which don’t need to be listed on the bottle. As a consumer, we are left in the dark as to exactly what is in our products. While the American Cancer Society makes no conclusive claims that such chemicals cause cancer, many other studies do in fact reveal a connection.
As a wellness advocate, I speak regularly about detoxing our body and home from harmful chemicals in order to lighten the load from overexposure and to help our bodies to heal and rebalance. Aggravating reactions such as headache, sinus issues, skin rashes, allergies, and asthma for example, are signs that something is wrong. It is up to each of us to pay attention and listen to what our bodies are trying to tell us.
Our skin is our largest organ and it absorbs everything that we put onto it and rather quickly. With perfumes and colognes, we are hitting our body from two sides both topically and inhaling the potentially hazardous ingredients too.
If you’re committed to wearing your favorite scent then do yourself and others a favor and use it sparingly or better yet, look for a new favorite made from only pure essential oils. The goal with any scent is to offer a personal expression of our personality to the world but applied just light enough so that somebody next to us in an intimate setting can smell it. We shouldn’t wear it so that we are immediately noticed when walking into a room as if leaving the perfume counter at Bloomingdales.
It is time for us to not only think about ourselves but also others. Be considerate when going out and especially if you’ll be in an enclosed setting with others sitting near you. Just because you aren’t bothered by your scent, doesn’t mean that others wont be.
For more information go to the Environmental Working Group’s (EWG) website and research a list of what chemicals to avoid in order to improve your health.
(Jay Bradley is a Youthful Aging, Wellness & Lifestyle Expert Living in Los Angeles. http://www.JayBradleyLifestyle.com. He is the Best-Selling Author of LIVE LOOK FEEL, The 12-Week Guide to Live Longer, Look Younger & Feel Better!)
-cw
