According to the Environmental Sensitivity Coalition of Canada, about a third of the country’s population “has self-identified as having negative health reactions to fragranced products.” Coast Reporter spoke with two local women about how this issue complicates their lives. Both asked that their names not be published, we will call them “A” and “B.”
Issues when admitted to hospital
“B” spent a week in St. Paul’s Hospital in Vancouver last year and took extras steps, including bringing her hepa (high efficiency particulate air) and charcoal filter room air cleaner with her for the stay as a “self-defence mechanism.” She said some of the dedicated staff there don’t realize that many of the laundry products they use are scented and that the "off-gassing" from those can have impacts for the patients they are caring for.
She said the St, Paul’s nursing staff were curious and became more aware of the unintentional scents that invaded “B’s” room during her stay. They witnessed the warning light on the filter go from the “OK” blue light reading to yellow and then red warning displays when individuals whose clothing had been laundered in scented products entered the room.
And products marked "scent-free" aren't a full solution to this situation. “If a product says “scent-free,” a chemical has been added to neutralize fragrances,” “B” stated.
For her, that can be equally as problematic. Whether it is a product with a fragrance or one with the neutralizing additive, exposure gives “B” an “instant headache” that can easily escalate to a migraine. Asked about the range of health impacts scent-sensitive people can experience, she said “others get rashes, have trouble breathing, some go full anaphylactic.”
Scents in work and public places
An employee of a mid-sized retail outlet in Gibsons, “A” has asthma, which is triggered by fragrance additives in products.
“In scent-free workplaces, people think “it doesn’t apply to my deodorant, but it does”” said “A.”
One of the most challenging areas for her is the workplace washroom. She said she has shared with her co-workers that she would rather experience the smell of their bodily eliminations than have them spray air freshener in that tiny common space. Another work and public washroom challenge for “A” is the soaps that are commonly supplied. She carries fragrance-free soap for her own use, but the scent of soaps provided in such facilities usually results in a reaction, so she avoids using those bathrooms as much as she can.
Issues with the hidden fragrances, including hair and cleaning products, items commonly used in public washroom facilities, along with scent transfer from public seating areas mean that “B” can’t frequent restaurants, concerts or other sites normally welcoming to all.
“It’s very isolating,” she commented, noting that even visiting medical offices can be challenging. She noted that her physician’s office purchased an air filter, not just to benefit patients, but the people that work there.
Awareness and new regulations can help
While both women appreciate it when others are understanding of their sensitivities, neither are looking for a change to a world with fewer fragrance additives simply for their own benefit. Both have concerns about what fragrance additives in everyday products are doing to air quality and our environment. In their opinions, awareness of the impacts fragrances have for some and using less of these types of products could be better for society as a whole.
“B” stated that when a product says “fragrance or perfume” on its ingredient list, the “manufacturers are not required to list which of the 200 possible chemicals were used,” so the potential dangers are unknown.
But that is changing. Health Canada regulations published on April 24, 2024, aim to enhance the transparency of cosmetic ingredients by requiring the disclosure of certain fragrance allergens and other ingredients in cosmetic products sold in the country. This move is a response to the growing concerns about the potential risks associated with the use of certain ingredients in cosmetics. These rules are being phased in and full compliance is not required until 2028.
