There's a war waging among those who love wearing and using scented products and those who claim the affinity for fragrance is giving them a headache - literally.
In recent years, several offices, organizations, schools and conferences have adopted scent-free policies, meaning any lotion, aftershave or perfume that has a fragrance is banned. Now people are picking sides. Those who face the sensitivity to certain smells such as Karen Kraig, are demanding that others around them get rid of the powder-fresh deodorant and almond hand lotion before showing up for work or school.
“If someone comes into my office wearing perfume or with a strong shampoo or laundry soap smell, I have to ask them to leave,” she says. “On occasion, I’ve made people wear a garbage bag over their clothes because the detergent smell was so fierce I couldn’t endure it.”
“We’re bombarded by chemicals all day long,” says Aileen Gagney, an asthma and health program manager for the American Lung Association of Washington who suffers migraines and breathing issues due to multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS). “And there’s no need for it. Does your house really have to smell like pine in order to be clean? Do you really need to smell like Jennifer Lopez? We’ve been sold such a bunch of goods by the commercial industry.”
Others say those experiencing these allergies may be taking things too far and often become scent-bullies and use their health issue as a means of control.
“I understand that there are people who’ve been exposed to hard core chemicals and have legitimate issues,” says Carly Sommerstein, a 42-year-old production editor in New York who became extremely scent-sensitive during her pregnancy. “But I think there’s a whole other group of people who are just using this to boss everybody around. They’re moving away from chemical sensitivity to chemical entitlement.”
“I wear body butter and one of my coworkers will always start coughing and gagging every time she goes by my office,” says Maryam Diaab, a 40-year-old health care coordinator from Long Island, N.Y. “But there’s another woman who wears patchouli and she never says anything to her. I feel like she’s singling me out. I hope she coughs up a lung.”
In 2007, the American Contact Dermatitis Society named fragrances "Allergen of the Year" and experts say that anything from age to gender to race to how much you've eaten in a day can affect sensitivity to smell. For instance, women generally have a strong sense of smell than men, especially those who are pregnant. Those who suffer actual allergies to chemical scents may experience headaches, watery eyes and some say, even a trip to the hospital.
The question remains, should the vast majority of people be inconvenienced to accommodate a minority that are too sensitive to handle certain smells. Should Kraig's co-workers really be forced to wear plastic bags over their clothing or switch to fragrance-free detergent because she is bothered by a smell? Or would it be more fair if Kraig purchased a mask to wear around her office rather than forcing everyone around her to adapt their lifestyle?
Peter Post from the Emily Post Institute sums up these sentiments by saying that those with allergies need to communicate health problems without infringing on the rights of those they are in contact with.
“We all have to get along in this world somehow and share this space,” he says. “And at what point do you make your allergies somebody else’s problem? If people have severe allergies, they have to figure out a way to interact with others without making that person change their life completely, too.”
Sending people laundry lists of “banned” beauty products or telling them to cover up their clothing with a trash bag is pushing the envelope, he says. “You’ve got to figure out another way to handle it.”
» MSNBC Health