When is “scent-free” really “scent-free”?

It's a jungle out there, full of exposures to chemicals which are often hidden from our awareness. Some exposures are small enough that our body simply can do what it is designed to do and escorts such intruders right out the back door—literally! But who even knows what combination of chemicals they have been exposed to on any particular day or how combined chemicals might affect them? Even more concerning is the lack of testing available on how such chemicals might affect he fetus and young child (including the developing brain)!

So what can we do?

Reduce chemical exposures within our home environment as much as possible.

          1. Avoid scented personal care products. But read labels             carefully. “Scent-free” usually means there are no chemicals scents. “Unscented” usually means one chemical is used to mask another so you actually don’t smell anything but the chemical is still present. Unfortunately labelling is not regulated so the only way to make sure your product is free of chemical scents is to check the ingredient list to see if it contains perfume.

            2. Use non-toxic cleaning products which are scent-free and hypoallergenic. See: http://lesstoxicguide.ca/ for sources of such products.

             3. Avoid air fresheners. Keep a few scented geraniums around in places where they are rubbed up against regularly. . . 

    Reducing chemical exposures within the home provides the

body with a safe haven to recover from the everyday chemical

soup to which we are exposed.