Fragrance is the New Secondhand Smoke

 "Fragrance is the New Secondhand Smoke" is an article by Madeleine Hawks on the blog Branch Basics. You can read the full article HERE.

She is calling for people to boycott scented products and gives excellent basic information on chemical sensitivity and the ramifications of "secondhand fragrances". I love it.

I wish they had t-shirts or something I could wear to support and advertise this idea. I think lots of people who are chemically sensitive will find her article, but in that way she is preaching to the choir. It's not the choir that needs to be convinced, but the millions of unenlightened stinkers who are still poisoning themselves and the rest of us without any thought or cognitive consideration. They just don't get it.

But the following paragraph from her article was a validating moment for me:

Unfortunately the term "natural fragrance" or "essential oil" on an ingredient list doesn't necessarily mean it is safe. In a study analyzing 35 top selling products, green, natural and organic fragranced products emitted just as many hazardous chemicals as regular fragranced products. That's because most essential oils in consumer products are processed with a toxic solvent. In addition, essential oils containing terpenes such as pine and citrus oils react with ozone in surrounding air to create secondary pollutants such as formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, acetone, and ultrafine particles.

I knew it! It's wonderful to read someone else has discovered essential oils or these "natural fragrances" aren't as natural as everyone assumes! I feel vindicated!

If you were to design a t-shirt for an anti-fragrance campaign, what would it say?