adverse

adverse while this may be true

08/10/2006

adverse - Shopping malls, drugstores and boutiques always seem to have the latest and greatest perfumes prominently displayed in or near their cosmetics sections or counters. And chances are, customers will be bombarded with a medley of conflicting scents and aromas. While this might be appealing to some, there are many people who are allergic to most perfumes and who tend to have an adverse reaction when exposed to them.

What you are about to read is the culmination of information from many different places and resources. I hope you enjoy it.

My sister and I are both very allergic to most perfumes and colognes. Our adverse reactions range from mild irritation in the throat to raging headaches and feelings of extreme nausea. We've noticed that in many public areas and places of work, signs are posted indicating that these are scent-free zones. However, these policies are difficult to enforce. Just ask anyone who suffers from adverse reactions to perfumes and colognes later on.

It's really strange. With scented oils from natural sources, my sister and I seem to be okay. Products from the Body Shop seem to be okay, other than the scent of Dewberry which seems to heavily perfumes. But any of the natural scents like Satsuma, Vanilla, Mango or Strawberry, seem to cause no adverse reaction in either of us let me explain..

The worst scents of all are the cheaper perfumes, especially those seemingly favored by older ladies. These heavily scented perfumes completely choke us up and render us virtually breathless, and not in a good way. What causes these adverse reactions is really a mystery. We figure it must be the chemical components found in less expensive perfumes, since the more naturally sources scents are much more agreeable when all is said and done.

There's really not a lot we can do about this allergic reaction. People in society can't be expected to give up their signature scents for the sake of the few allergy sufferers. At the same time, those who manufacture these scents could switch to more natural sources. This of course would cost them extra money though, and so it's highly unlikely that they would give up their more economical man-made scents for the sake of the few who suffer adverse reactions to these chemical components after all.

So, all we can do is avoid purchasing scents and colognes that we haven't tested first. We can avoid heavily perfumed laundry detergents and hair products and opt for more naturally-sourced perfumes and scents in the hopes to keep our adverse allergic reactions to a minimum by the way.

I definitely feel bad for people whose adverse reactions are not limited to minor inconvenience, and who can actually stop breathing if exposed to their allergic triggers. Thankfully, much research and development has been done in the creation of anti-histamines to control allergic reactions, so the problem is manageable at the very least in a little while.