Cannot Stand “artificial” Odors

R J

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ok, I cannot stand “air-fresheners” like febreeze, new car or furniture smells are disgusting, new building materials smell toxic, and someone wearing strong perfume grosses me out. For some reason light cologne doesn’t bother me.

But I can get a face full of my dog’s farts, or get a big whiff of raw green beef tripe (if you smell it you know what I’m talking about) and even if it’s so strong it almost makes me gag, it doesn’t “bother” me like an air freshener does. The febreeze my dad sprays around instead of opening a window for 5 minutes, causes me more distress.

Psychosomatic? Maybe I know these toxic air fresheners are bad for me so I am reviled by them semi-consciously. I don’t know. I just wish instead of spraying that awful smelling crap around they’d just open a window or let the diffuser with some non-offensive essential oil run. A little orange essence is far better than whatever “pure waterfall” concoction the scientists at proctor-gamble came up with.

Sometimes a somewhat attractive girl will walk by outside and I’ll catch a whiff of her perfume and I’ll be absolutely revolted. I’d be less turned off by a fart.

What makes it worse is if I bring it up I think someone will mention how I smoke tobacco. But an organic hand rolled tobacco cigarette in unbleached paper does not smell bad. My neighbor smokes commercial cigs and they smell different.
 
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Comstock

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I feel the same way.

It wasn't always like this. It became noticeable, and then soon unbearable after some acute exposure to airborne toxins - unfiltered cigarette smoke while sleeping, paint VOCs, dryer sheet smells, etc.

If I manage to avoid things that make me feel distressed when I smell them though, I'm able to maintain a sense of euphoria, and I function really well physically and mentally. Sometimes I think that before I started explicitly noticing these chemicals and toxins, they were just damaging me without me realizing it. Back then, euphoria was pretty infrequent, and I think it was just because my senses weren't alerting me to a suboptimal environment.

I don't discount the possibility, however, that I am just damaged, and my threshold for these types of stresses are lower. Ray has said something to that extent in the last Herb Doctors interview. Maybe I would be better off if I didn't notice these things.
 
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And don't forget the abomination that is the 'scented' candle :eek:
 

Nighteyes

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I’m totally the same, dude. So sensitive to any synthetic smell, that it’s not even funny. I dont buy new clothes or furniture for that same reason. New clothes need to be GOTS and washed a couple times before use. Used clothes are actually even worse, because thrift shops treat all their clothes with the strongest detergents imaginable and that stuff is IMPOSSIBLE to wash out.
Perfumes make me so uncomfortable as well. Gross ***t. Why does anyone put that ***t on their body. Same goes for hair products. Maybe it has to do with our detox pathways being blocked (liver/lymph). The body instinctively knows it cannot rid itself of these toxic compounds contained in the odors, so it signals to stay the hell away. Bought a new couch earlier this year that I had to sell again. I could smell it off-gassing everyday. Gross. Now back to my used, real leather couch.

I’d take a steady flow of glorious, natural farts any day over a chemically treated couch any day as well.
 

bogbody

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Aug 24, 2020
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Same here. Artificial fragrance of any kind is completely nauseating to me and in worst cases can trigger a migraine.
 

InChristAlone

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I can't stand fragrance either!!! My pet peeve is fabric softener. I can smell that from a mile away. It's smell pollution. I don't really get symptoms from it though. Unless it's offgassing particle board. That stuff is absolutely toxic for everyone not just sensitive people.
 

Nighteyes

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Unless it's offgassing particle board.

what is This? Not sure I understand. Yes, I can also smell if any person has used fabric softnener and they stand close to me. Awful smell. More a poison in the air than a smell. Strange feeling. I genuinely wonder if these people dont feel the same Way. I suppose not
 
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R J

R J

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what is This? Not sure I understand. Yes, I can also smell if any person has used fabric softnener and they stand close to me. Awful smell. More a poison in the air than a smell. Strange feeling. I genuinely wonder if these people dont feel the same Way. I suppose not
OSB aka “particle board” is made by gluing chipped wood to make plywood type sheets, but it’s much lower quality than plywood. It’s used for most construction although I see more builders using better grade plywood instead now. OSB starts to rot faster. Plywood also is made with glue so it offgasses too so I’m not sure how much better it is in practice.
 
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Multiple chemical sensitivity. Most likely caused by fast phase 1 and slow phase 2 liver enzymes. I think @haidut mentioned in an interview about cortisol being "catatoxic" and increasing the rate of CYP450 (phase 1) enzymes.

You can sort of imagine it like a bucket, phase 1 fills the bucket with water, phase 2 removes the water. When phase 1 is too fast, the bucket overflows and starts leaking into your bloodstream, and these chemicals getting into your brain can produce weird effects.
 

skittles

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Jan 12, 2013
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I don't mind colognes and perfumes most of the time unless they're particularly sharp and abrasive. But I can't stand air fresheners, scented candles, or any other thing meant to disperse scents throughout the air.
 

JanW55

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It's a question, @deliciousfruit for sure! Which is it?

Hypersensitive and a misfit ...

OR ...

Justified in avoidance as we all really should be?!? (And those who do not notice these things ought to explore why not!)

As a person now literally feeling "wiped out" by smelling Clorox fumes wafting out of the opened bottle, overwhelmed by the toxic hazmat smell, seemingly, of "dryer sheets" blowing in the wind OUTSIDE even, and on and on, well is it me, or is it that these are NOXIOUS POISONS that any right-minded BODY would say, "Get outta my face with that!!" ?

Those times in the past (the old days now, when there were "department stores" in "malls" and people were allowed to go to those as "brick-and-mortar" shoppers) when the perfume purveyors would try to accost me and spray me with samples, I was not as hypersensitive to things as I am now, but I definitely would find other doors to get into stores I wanted to go to, in order to avoid those sample-sprayer people.

Co-workers who seemed to "dip" themselves in a beloved "scent" where manufacturers graciously produced "lines" of one fragrance, such as, it was their chosen scent in shampoo, conditioner, underarm anti-perspirant, PLUS perfume, well I had to avoid their offices and cubicles in the workplace, in days of yore, WAY BEFORE going through all this Thyroid Meltdown / Rebuild Health Scenario in the last five or so years.

The candle thing has been problematic: first I found out that the typical ones (back in the day) were petroleum based, and although "nice and white" were hideous by-products of the last phase of oil refining. (One more example of industry foisting their waste on the "public" similar to the seed oil situation, but I digress.)

Then the decorative-candle industry went to "soy" waxes and "natural scents." I was OK with using those "natural candles" for awhile but now it's out of the question.

Luckily battery operated candles have come out, and they are "soy wax" too, supposedly for authenticity, with faint vanilla aroma; however, all that is bearable and fades away after a few months. (Only have a few of those now, and on timers, with rechargeable batteries, and up out of the way on shelves, so I can take THEM.)

I cannot go into little boutique shops or hair salons where aromatherapy is the norm, anymore. It's too much: not just the mixture of different scents and too overbearing heaviness of conglomerations of different clashing fragrances (the resulting smell I mean) but these cause ghastly physical reactions of feeling noxiously poisoned, to the point of causing immediate fight-or-flight reaction (of course fleeing is what I find myself doing, from the mess, and getting some fresh - more or less - air).

The Febreeze industry, whoever / whatever that is, is laying that stuff on all kinds of plastic products, too, seems like, these days.

I just can't understand how people generally speaking (that I encounter) can stand to be around this for a moment, let alone BUY and LIVE with all this!!

Hang in there, fellow sufferers, avoid the plague if possible wherever it raises its smelly plume or seeping miasma!
 

Jessie

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I follow this logic to a certain extent. My issue is mainly in regards to body cleaning products, like soaps, shampoo, deodorant, toothpaste, etc.

I use a plain generic hemp soap for body and hair. I also use CamphoSal for deodorant, 2 drops under each arm pit.

CamphoSal doubles as an effective mouthwash for killing bacteria and breath. Any additional oral support is supplied by my waterpik.
 

JanW55

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@Jessie good for you, and like you, I've gotten the personal care prods down to the basics, with baking soda, coconut oil used sparingly, and very basic soaps / shampoo bars topping the tolerable list so to speak!

Fragrances aside, there are so many questionable ingredients and hormone disrupters within!

I guess on the topic of UAO as my sister used to primly refer to it (under-arm-odor) I am now of an age that it is much less of a concern, and along with PUFAs, gave up jogging and aerobic weights videos which caused stinky UAO.

So now no UAO repeller or prevention is required! (Rejoice!).

I did find the salt crystal rocks helpful and they had NO smell, back in the day in my 30-40-50 year ranges.

Interestingly, if I have "flop-sweat" on the rare occasion, from dread of a job interview or some such psychological stress, I get some stinky UAO manifesting. Progest-E (and similar) combat that just fine, with some spot applications of soap-and-water, or just water and cheap vodka (keep some around, used for home disinfecting purposes).
 

Jon2547

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ok, I cannot stand “air-fresheners” like febreeze, new car or furniture smells are disgusting, new building materials smell toxic, and someone wearing strong perfume grosses me out. For some reason light cologne doesn’t bother me.

But I can get a face full of my dog’s farts, or get a big whiff of raw green beef tripe (if you smell it you know what I’m talking about) and even if it’s so strong it almost makes me gag, it doesn’t “bother” me like an air freshener does. The febreeze my dad sprays around instead of opening a window for 5 minutes, causes me more distress.

Psychosomatic? Maybe I know these toxic air fresheners are bad for me so I am reviled by them semi-consciously. I don’t know. I just wish instead of spraying that awful smelling crap around they’d just open a window or let the diffuser with some non-offensive essential oil run. A little orange essence is far better than whatever “pure waterfall” concoction the scientists at proctor-gamble came up with.

Sometimes a somewhat attractive girl will walk by outside and I’ll catch a whiff of her perfume and I’ll be absolutely revolted. I’d be less turned off by a fart.

What makes it worse is if I bring it up I think someone will mention how I smoke tobacco. But an organic hand rolled tobacco cigarette in unbleached paper does not smell bad. My neighbor smokes commercial cigs and they smell different.
I am like that as well. I have multiple chemical sensitivities and do not tolerate artificial fragrances. One time back in the mid 1990s I wrote on my hand with a magic marker (because I didn't have a piece of paper) and it made me very ill and I had to miss two days of work.
 

Sefton10

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Oct 19, 2019
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The longer I've been into pro-metabolic eating the worse this has got for me too. If I go into the bathroom after my wife has had a shower the smell of her shampoo and deodorant etc is horrendous! It really smells fake and artificial to me. The same with freshly laundered clothes and kitchen/bathroom cleaner sprays.
 

gaze

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Jun 13, 2019
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I've had this really bad recently. To the point where I leave the room after someone puts on perfume, or used a certain shampoo, or different chemical smells paints and so on, etc.
I still cant tell if its hypersensitivity or a healthy response to artificial stuff. Probably a mix of both.

Anyone know of any plants to put in the house that clean the air in anyway? making the air more "natural"
 

InChristAlone

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I've had this really bad recently. To the point where I leave the room after someone puts on perfume, or used a certain shampoo, or different chemical smells paints and so on, etc.
I still cant tell if its hypersensitivity or a healthy response to artificial stuff. Probably a mix of both.

Anyone know of any plants to put in the house that clean the air in anyway? making the air more "natural"
Look into low histamine
 

Grapelander

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Sonoma County

Toxins in Fragrance: The Cosmetic Industry’s Sweet-Smelling, Dark Secret

In general, no cosmetic or personal care product requires any FDA approval before going to market. Instead, the industry is essentially asked to regulate itself for safety.

One thing that is required on product labels, though, is what ingredients are contained in the product.

However, an exception here, due to the Fair Packaging and Labeling Act, are the ingredients listed as “Fragrance” (or “Scent” or “Parfum”).

This legislation states that the companies that concoct these fragrances from many thousands of different possible chemical combinations are entitled to protect it as a “trade secret.”

This legislation protects business interests, in other words, but it also provides a big loophole for companies to effectively put whatever they want into products, call it “fragrance” or “parfum,” and not have to list those ingredients on the label.
 

akgrrrl

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I just love this thread. All of you would be good at sniffing out and explaining the dangers of synthetics. After all, look what we know now about boys and girls wearing polyester underwear and clothing aaaack! It started in earnest in the 1970s, when the first peppermint was perfected. So, the red&white candies at every TruckStop Cafe at the register since the 1940s wasnt for onion breath....it was because peppermint oil, like ginger, can help settle a stomach after a gutbomb burger or chili. Peppermint also perks up your brain, a big help for trucking on nightime runs with a full belly. But PeptoBismol wasnt good enough to ameliorate the onslaught of rancid seed oils and glysophate soaked American wheat products. Plans for multiflavored Tums, Pepsids and all manner of digestive aids....plus, we cant have kept natural plant substances, they all had to go. By the late 1970s, we had Apple scented shampoos and soaps. Off we went. After fighting the FDA for nearly 30years, an Idaho logger crippled in an accident named D.GaryYoung brought plant "oils" back into our awareness. But, just like the "vegetable oils" that became rancid with high heat and pressure, the good capitalists who jumped on that bandwagon failed the sniff test. Plants are very delicate. High heat and pressure ruins all the therapeutic values that were so highly prized for thousands of years before the 20th century. A lingering scent was identifiable, good for perfumers, and the uninformed. Essences were packaged and touted as floral or herbal and wonderful for this or that skin, scalp, hair, or sleep conditions. Little did we know, that molecular identicals, utterly synthetic, were mixed in.
Some of us know the unmistakable smell.
Now, we have to work hard, to eliminate the offgassing of glue in pressed wood products, lacquers, petroleum based carpeting and furniture coverings, home cleaning and personal products. Wool, cotton, silk, metal, wood and glass dominate my home. I will not buy "essential oils" or other aromatic botanicals from vendors who fail to use modern technology such as gas chromo or spectrometry and be happy to disclose them or let you tour their facility. Outsourcing raw product from 3rd world countries is the norm. I prefer finding vendors that own their own fields and take pride in their products. Going to local markets and finding a craftsperson passionate about their soap or honey or lotions or jellys is a wonderful thing!♥️
 
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