Multiple Chemical Sensitivities and Natural Skin Care

When I was in high school, I had a job cleaning the house of the local "Avon Lady", supplier of perfumes and scented lotions. She had every figurine imaginable on every shelf, nook and cranny in her home (and my job was to dust them all).

Thanks to Mrs. Bandy, my collection grew. 

By the time I left home, I had sooo many bottles of partially used perfume bottles and lotions of every scent.

Back then, I wasn't concerned about the perfume and fragrance ingredients, which I've since learned can be made up of 1, 2... or hundreds of chemicals under the simple name "fragrance."

Today, though, I can barely get through the laundry and dishwashing detergent aisle at the grocery store without feel sick from the scent.

Is it the same for you?

Whether it's someone walking into the room wearing perfume, or the smell of room deodorizers, or your son's new aftershave... it all smells so... artificial.

We're not alone.

As many as 30 percent of people surveyed in a study from the University of West Georgia said they find scented products irritating. Not necessarily allergy-inducing, but enough to make you want to leave the room. 

What if it's more intense... and you're diagnosed with a MULTIPLE CHEMICAL SENSITIVITIES?

WHAT IS A CHEMICAL SENSITIVITY?

Multiple chemical sensitivity (or MCS) is a physical reaction to low levels of chemicals in everyday products. It affects people of all ages, backgrounds and lifestyles, and causes sufferers to have flare ups similar to allergic reactions.

This means your body is reacting to the chemicals in your everyday products, including your lotions and soap.

Essentially, chemical sensitivity prevents your immune system from working efficiently, and means that your body can’t process toxins as well as it should.

HOW MANY PEOPLE SUFFER FROM CHEMICAL SENSITIVITY?

Approximately 55 million American adults have reported symptoms closely related to chemical sensitivity. That's 1 in 4!

WHAT TYPES OF SYMPTOMS DO PEOPLE WHO HAVE A CHEMICAL SENSITIVITY HAVE?

  • Headaches
  • Fatigue
  • Dizziness & sickness
  • Breathing problems or a tight chest
  • Muscle pains and aches
  • Skin rashes and itching
  • Sneezing
  • Chest pain
  • Sore throat
  • Confusion or trouble concentrating
  • Mood changes

WHAT DO YOU IF YOU SUFFER FROM CHEMICAL SENSITIVITY?

First, you'll have to become vigilant about looking at ingredient in your skin care and household items to make sure they're fragrant-free. You *may* not react the same way to essential oils but if you do, stop using the product.

This means, you'll need to check your lotions, lip balms, soap, deodorant, air fresheners, car fresheners, laundry detergent, perfume, aftershave, shampoo... but don't stop there. Don't neglect your cleaning products.

Keep your environment well-ventilated. Use an air purifier if necessary. 

This post just scratches the surface at understanding the difficulty of living a life of MCS. 

TIP: When you buy your scented lotion products and you see "fragrance" listed, know that this can be a catch word for such things as legally hidden phthalates and aldehydes. 

Essential Oil Alternative?

Yes, but be careful with essential oil alternatives as well. You may need to stick with completely scent-free products altogether, depending on how intense your sensitivities are. 

MadeOn Skin Care Products for Multiple Chemical Sensitivities:

Choose our unscented products, made with beeswax, coconut oil, shea butter...

  • Beesilk Lotion Bar, Beesilk Jr, Natural Lip Balm (beeswax, shea butter, coconut oil)
  • Simply Soothing Rash Cream: (coconut oil, beeswax, zinc oxide)
  • Simply Shea Facial Emollient: (shea butter, rose hip seed oil)
  • Milk & Honey Goat Milk Soap:  (olive oil, organic coconut oil, raw goat milk,  organic shea butter, raw honey)

 

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