What happens when the products used for intimacy enhancement and self-improvement are toxic and repel the opposite sex?  Imagine that the products you use to create a flawless model-like appearance do the exact opposite.  Imagine these products creating health and skin problems that you actually tried to correct or prevent with these cosmetics.  The multi-billion-dollar fragrance and cosmetics industries would have you believe that their products are safe, effective, and beneficial.  The commercials that enter your television space every night depicting sexy models looking carefree and vibrant with their makeup would have you believe the same misconception.  These commercials depict fragrances and cosmetics as a harmless beautiful addition to your beauty collection.  What is the result of men and women using these cosmetics that seem so benevolent?

Fragrance and perfume products have been used for centuries for beauty, intimacy enhancement, and rejuvenation.  However, the perfume that was in distribution before the advent of the Industrial Revolution was not the same perfume we use today.  Yesterday’s perfume is what we know today as purefume.  Purefume is a term the Aveda Corporation coined to differentiate between toxic petro-chemical fragrance perfume and fragrances that are derived from pure plant essences – purefume.  There is a world of difference between purefume and perfume.  Purefume consists of pure organic essential oils that are derived from the life-blood of plants, shrubs, flowers, herbs, and bark.  Pure essential oils are pure unadulterated plant essences that have been completely untouched and unscathed by man.  Perfume, on the other hand, is one of the most toxic unhealthy poisons a person can use on his or her person.

Our natural bodily smells can be unpleasant and offensive, but toxic petro-chemical fragrance perfumes are a thousand times worse.  The worst part about fragrance is that it is found in everything.  It has made its way into every product we use for beauty, hygiene, household cleaning, and deodorizing.  Whether you use shampoo, moisturizer, disinfectant, or face powder, fragrance will touch your life, but not in a good way.

The population has been turned into canaries in a coal mine.  One of coal mining’s earliest systems for warning of the presence of methane gas, the canary in the coal mine, though low-tech, was extremely effective and rather easy to read:   if the bird died, miners had to get out of the shaft.  Today, the citizens have become the canaries.  We are the proverbial canaries in the coal mine, being used as guinea pigs by the cosmetics and fragrance industries.  Every product ranging from shampoo and moisturizer to face powder and cologne is being tested on humans.  What’s worse is that this is being done without our knowledge or consent.  If you were to combine all the chemicals used in cosmetics, plastic surgery, and Botox you could literally create an explosive bomb.  These chemicals are toxic, carcinogenic, and contain petro-chemicals and irritants that create severe illnesses and respiratory problems.

According to the National Academy of Science as of 1999, more than 15% of the population suffers from fragrance and chemical sensitivity and cannot tolerate the exposure.  That number steadily rises every year.  Environmental health awareness writer Andrea DesJardins states that the FDA does not regulate the fragrance industry.  Andrea DesJardins also states that of the 5,000 different chemicals used in the fragrance manufacturing process, less than 20% have been tested for toxicity levels.  Because there is no scrutiny, thousands of chemicals are used to manufacture fragrances.  The result is a toxic witch’s brew.  Most people aren’t aware of the toxic effect of these chemicals.  Most people use these products blindly without even considering or being aware of the consequences.

A Harvard Study was conducted on the constituents and toxicity of fragrance products.  According to this Study, all fragrance products contain phthalates, a substance used in plastics.  Phthalates are chemical irritants that cause adverse health problems, such as labored breathing, kidney, and liver malfunction.  For more information, including a list of cosmetics that are unsafe and contain phthalates and those that are considered safe, please visit the website:  www.nottoopretty.org.  Studies have also shown that adulterated fragrance products contain pesticides, the same toxic petro-chemicals used to keep bugs away from crops.  Once the genie is released from the bottle, the chemical demon comes out and torments us with its toxic poison.  One of the detriments of using fragrance is that it’s difficult to stop the usage.  According to Anne Cheyne, contributing writer for the Camp Hill Medical Centre in Nova Scotia, Canada, the chemicals in the fragrance product desensitize the nerves and cells.  What this means is that as a person uses the product, their nerves experience a dull-like sensation and become somewhat numb to the chemicals.  When one is dowsed in fragrance, the scent weakens and the user’s senses diminish.  Those who don’t wear any fragrance and are sensitive will immediately detect the scent.  This would explain why fragrance users find it strange when a sensitive person is repelled by it.  My husband and I endure this every time we have to go out and take care of errands.  It’s one of the reasons why I’ve had to restructure my life and work from home.  The last time I had a job working under someone’s employ I endured something I’ll never forget.

I had a really cool job in the Pacific Design Center, known for some of the most famous renowned designers in the country.  I started working for a designer and her assistant as their office assistant secretary and I was delighted and overjoyed.  I had found a job that paid me decently with flexible hours and a boss who was fairly cool and easygoing.  I was really excited.  The first few days were pretty good. I performed the various tasks and did my job fairly well.  I even started to develop a rapport with my boss.  She was very kind and upbeat and I really enjoyed working for her.

One afternoon, I was sitting at my desk doing some work on the computer.  The designer’s assistant walked up to me while I was looking at the computer screen.  Before I looked up at her, I started having trouble breathing and I smelled some horrible toxic stench that reminded me of a toxic hair salon.  I held my chest and felt like I was going to die.  I turned to look at her and find out what she wanted and then I took a close look at her hair.  It was teased, perfectly styled, and appeared as if an entire can of hair spray had been used in it. Then, she opened her mouth and her cigarette smoke breath finished me.  I couldn’t breathe, talk, or move.  I nearly collapsed to the floor, holding my chest for dear life.  I couldn’t decide whether to scream, cry, push and kick her away or bolt out of the office.

That’s exactly what I did.  I couldn’t even breathe long enough to explain how I felt.  I was so angry and horrified and scared because I really felt like I was going to die right then and there.  As I bolted out, I could see that the assistant was watching me, wondering what was wrong.  I wanted to tell the main designer what was wrong but I didn’t think she would understand.  I made a beeline for the bathroom and tried to regain my composure and my breath.  I was horrified and could barely get my head together.  Once I splashed my face and regained my composure, it was at that moment that I realized that I would never be able to have a normal job in a regular work environment again.  I wanted to, but I couldn’t because I knew that this was not an isolated problem.  Everyone was into vanity and most people used all kinds of products to make sure their makeup and hair were perfect and stayed in place.  I recount this moment every time I need to explain to someone what I go through and what it’s like for someone like me with asthma and chemical sensitivities.  It’s true hell.  It’s a horrifying nightmare that only gets worse with the more toxic petro-chemical products being used.  People who consistently use fragrance products don’t know what it’s like.  They can’t imagine how a person like me copes and suffers having to endure such toxic poison.

When watching commercials depicting sexy women covering their bodies with a beautifying product, your first thought is that your skin will feel just as young.  You’ll stop the wrinkles.  Your new sensual feminine hair will glow with sexy highlights.  Everlasting youthful beauty is the biggest motivation that keeps cosmetics sales on the rise.  Now it’s time to look at the listed ingredients.  Usually, you’ll see a long paragraph, indicating that this product you’re using is loaded with ingredients.  Chances are, those ingredients are toxic, especially the ones you cannot pronounce. There’s a well-known expression that many health-oriented people live by when buying products.  That expression is "if in doubt, do without".  This simply means that if you don’t understand the ingredient, you should avoid it.  According to Anne Cheyne, one of the biggest problems is that many products claim to be "unscented" and "fragrance-free".  Considering that this really isn’t the case, this can confuse consumers.  While the product may appear to be fragrance-free, the product is still scented and contains potentially toxic chemicals to the sensitive user.

One of the big culprits of this perfume problem is the advent of those discount "perfumery" stores that sell every type of fragrance, perfume, and crazy scent known to man.  These aren’t merely the regular scents that you would find in a department store or boutique. These are fragrances that were cheaply made with so many chemicals, alcohol, and horrible irritants, one could literally transform more than 100 new people into asthma sufferers in one moment.  Fragrances today are made very cheap, fast, harsh, and overpowering.  This would explain why several people who cross your path smell almost identical.  My husband and I often find ourselves enduring this wherever we go.  It seems that more and more people today are taking advantage of the "inexpensive cheap" fragrance impostors and are trying to smell like a glamour queen.  What they’re really doing is adding more toxicity to the air and they’re making more people ill.