No perfume allowed! Perfume free zone!

[MortgageQueen]

The sad reality is, it's all the chemicals and crap they put into perfumes, antiperspirants, creams, deodorizers, cleaning solutions, etc, etc. Our immune systems are under attack and many are very weakened.
Just think of things like peanuts or latex, and many more keep popping up. Entire industries have changed how they manufacture their products because of nut allergies.

If you think reactions to scents are not as serious, ask my mother. She developed allergy to scents in her 60's and it's just gotten worse with time. Her airway can close within 5 minutes. It really sucks. She absolutely avoids malls and is quite cautious about where she is in Public. She doesn't expect people not to use scents, BUT she does expect medical personelle to. That's just common sense.

As for the work place, sometimes we have to make adjustments for those we work closely with. It's no fun for anyone. I know there ARE attention seekers out there and I don't blame anyone for being annoyed with them.

I guess in all, if we apply the Golden Rule, we'll likely come to the best decision in the end.

[Andit]

Here are my 2 cents on the matter. Years ago, people made allowances to deal with things that affected them, these days, too many expect 'society' to bend to their whims and needs. I'm dealing with an issue right now with the city that will affect everyone. They want to change things so that life will be made easier for one group, but don't realize in so doing they are making life very difficult for another larger group.

Decades ago (sheesh, that makes me feel old!), I was dealing with very bad hay fever & ragweed allergies (I would spend the month when the weeds were at their pollinating worst in bed). I had to wear a mask when out & about (long before anyone else did that) and spent years getting shots to reduce my reactions. I also had a hard time dealing with grass (especially when freshly cut). I didn't demand that my friends not have lawns or that we stay in the house when I went over for a visit, or that we sit in the drive way away from it. I dealt with it (I didn't go into anaphylactic shock, but did react the way an asthmatic would - had asthma as a kid).

I know that there are folks who do have horrible reactions to scents. Unfortunately, the attention-seekers ruin it for everyone. I had a woman scream at me because I dared to use unscented hand sanitizer 10 ft away from her (she saw me take out the small bottle from my pocket and accused me of putting on perfume). On another occasion, I had been grating lemon peel (I had been baking then realized I forgot something & had to run out to the store). Despite using soap, the lemon scent was still on my hands. I had someone scream at me in the store that I was a horrible person for using such harsh scents. Oh & then there was the roommate I had during one hospital stay who hid all the soap in the bathroom and screamed at my parents when they tried to enter the room, cause they smelled of scents (I had to call a nurse to get me into a wheelchair to leave the room cause I was so weak and they refused to deal with the roommate ).

As for Axe, at one point a friend's nephew came to stay for a weekend with them. All was well until the nephew took a shower and used Axe - the resident rabbit growled and tried to attack him!

[thriftygranny]

Great idea for a post Lynn! It is interesting to hear both sides.
I may fry for this but I am so tired of people wanting concessions made for everything, it is getting tiresome. I have allergies to certain scents as well as other seasonal allergies. I feel this is my problem, not any one elses, if a scent bothers me I move or pop a Benadryl if I can't move. Pretty simple.
I remember when my son was in Kindergarten there was a girl in the class who had a list of food allergies a mile long, the whole class was restricted in all the items she was allergic to. Fair enough, however I was pulled aside while volunteering in the class room and asked to leave because the teacher could smell coconut from me ( I had used a hair mouse with coconut scent). Coconut was on the mile long list of allergies for this little girl. I was dumbfounded and asked the teacher if it was a scent allergy or a food allergy and if it was the latter was she anticipating the girl licking my head any time soon. This girl had a legitimate peanut allergy, all the other food s that they wanted restricted in the classroom were items they THOUGHT she may be allergic to. This just makes people not take you seriously when they ask for a million concessions. My son in that class has a heart defect and has had surgery, he has to be very careful not to contract strep or impetigo because it can attack the valves in his heart. I had told the teacher this at the beginning of the year, so this same girl came to school with oozing impetigo on her face. Guess who had to go home...my son, the teacher said she could not ask a student to leave so it was up to me if I wanted to risk my son being infected.
The moral of the story is to manage your health issues and don't expect complete strangers to make concessions for you.

I do agree with Mortgage Queen that Hospitals should be scent free.

[Lynn49]

Andi, Thriftygranny, I couldn't agree more. Yes, there are legitimate, diagnosed physical reactions (ie peanuts) but so many with sniffles diminish the severity others may have. Like the woman in our class....no bigger than a peanut, who speaks so quietly one must pay absolute attention whenever she speaks, which I think is just another attention-getting mannerism for her. One day a guy from another class came in looking fir something, fairly reeking from smoking that I nearly gagged! Did this gal react? Nope. Too busy with painting. And did she say anything throughout the class we were in, painting, the other day? Nope. She was absorbed with her painting. It was only when we were all gathered around a fellas's painting did she interrupt (!) our instructor to whine about her {{{king, kiff}} breathing problem! Now THAT is an attention-seeker!

It's just gone too far! The world does not revolve around them!

[thriftygranny]

Agreed Lynn, there is a huge difference between life threatening and an annoyance. The attention seekers have taken it too far making it difficult for people with an actual life threatening issue to be taken seriously.

[thriftygranny]

I`d much rather choke on perfume than a generous mix of body odor and whatever you were cooking the night before.

Too funny!

[ticul]

Very interesting. Thank you to all of you for sharing.

My DH has very bag allergies and has to have 2 needles a week. That men never complaint and if we are some were were his allergies act up he will take some meds. and if that doen't help we just leave. Never he will told people dont were this and dont do that ect......Sure, it is not fun for him but he knows that it is not no one fault. My DH always say " I am the one with allergies and I would not make peoples suffer for me ".

I understand the schools or day care as childrens are maybe 20 of them in one room. Children dont know how to deal with their allergies so we need to protect them.

As for work place. Well if you are close to someone wirth allergies, well you have to be careful but not if you work far away from them and that is what I dont understand wy is it restricted all over the agencie.

Well I dont have any allergies but I see every day my DH suffer from it and always being a strong men. Never complaints.

OMG Lynn, I so understand your frustation. I too were perfum, not too much and I will were it everyday or anywere until the day I die. If someone as allerigies to perfum for sure I will respect that.

And that is my 2 cents............................................. ...

[Zonny]

I don't have any allergies or anything, but do find myself annoyed with scents at times. If I can taste your perfume without being close enough to touch you, you're wearing way too much!

Smoking is an interesting one, some people can be smokers and don't smell at all, others sit next to you and you feel like you've just smoked a cigarette because they reek so badly.

In schools where I live, peanuts (and in many places tree nuts too) are not allowed. I'd love to be able to send my DS to school with a peanut butter sandwich or cookies, but it is not to be.

[Candini]

In all seriousness... I did have a stash of candles/scented melt waxes before and when I opened the drawer the smells made me go into a wild coughing fit, making me get rid of them.
However I have had bronchitis multiple times in the past so, maybe had something to do with it.
@Zonny , nothing worse than walking near someone who smells like they sit in their home, smoking all day with all windows and doors closed. Again, I am more turned off of that then people wearing perfume.

[Lynn49]

In all seriousness... I did have a stash of candles/scented melt waxes before and when I opened the drawer the smells made me go into a wild coughing fit, making me get rid of them.
However I have had bronchitis multiple times in the past so, maybe had something to do with it.
@Zonny , nothing worse than walking near someone who smells like they sit in their home, smoking all day with all windows and doors closed. Again, I am more turned off of that then people wearing perfume.

Candini...after reading all about the crap in "smellies" I haven't had them in my house for years and never will!! Just imagine filling one's child's room with a "lovely lavender scent" that slowly poisons them!!!? And that's not even getting into the lead in cheap candles! Toss them all out, Honey, for sure! I have bronchitis and asthma and have learned to avoid situations that would exaccerbate those conditions...but if there's a "Lush" near-by, I just have to go in even if it means I'm going to be coughing! I love beautiful scents, but I'm very careful about what I bring into my home and it's not "Lush".

You learned the hard way about the poisons in smelly candles, tea-lights, plug-ins, etc....you'll be better off without them from now on...
Really....those coupons are available like falling snow because those of us who are "in the know" don't buy them!! They have to find a way to entice others to buy their poison!!

[Candini]

I love Lush! I`m obsessed. But all that stuff is natural, made in Vancouver, so I`m not concerned about whats in it.
Sadly, I do still have a scentsy burner and I do put waxes in it, I should have learned my lesson but, you`re right it is absolutely pure poison.

[Lynn49]

I love Lush! I`m obsessed. But all that stuff is natural, made in Vancouver, so I`m not concerned about whats in it.
Sadly, I do still have a scentsy burner and I do put waxes in it, I should have learned my lesson but, you`re right it is absolutely pure poison.

Candini.....perhaps it's not fair for me to post this link, but the more you read about the "natural" ingredients, you'll find some UN-natural surprises...sorry, Hon....

http://ecoyogini.blogspot.ca/2009/03...chemicals.html

https://ruralaspirations.wordpress.c...-shampoo-bars/

[MortgageQueen]

l love conversations like this!! It gives one such a great sample of multiple opinions. Thanks OP and all who commented.

[saddlebag]

When it comes to perfumes I'm not a big fan...that's just me. But I like the way a nursing home I once worked in handled it. A less scent environment, it worked both ways, the lovely female residents got to wear the same perfume they had for decades and staff got to wear a light mist of their favorite smell...staff knew this policy before hiring, so if it was something that would/could be a problem, they had been warned.

[Lynn49]

When it comes to perfumes I'm not a big fan...that's just me. But I like the way a nursing home I once worked in handled it. A less scent environment, it worked both ways, the lovely female residents got to wear the same perfume they had for decades and staff got to wear a light mist of their favorite smell...staff knew this policy before hiring, so if it was something that would/could be a problem, they had been warned.

Oh, I love this idea...a "less" scent environment. Personally, wearing my favourite scents makes me happy...it really puts a smile on my face!
I recall when my Mom was in a nursing home for her final year with us: I used to visit at lunchtime every day, then take her for an ice-cream cone when she felt up to it in the small tuck shop in the lobby, then I'd tuck her back into bed, but I'd take out her pink jar of Olay moisturizer that she used EVERY day of her life, and although she may not have known who I was many days, I'll never forget how she'd smile when I smoothed it over her face...it was the scent!!! That lovely scent she remembered!!!!

Thank you for a sweet memory, Saddlebag!