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Fragrances and Asthma / Allergies

Asthma & Allergy | Last Active: 2 days ago | Replies (70)

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@rosemarya

Jennifer, I do not have a breathing sensitivity to perfumes, but I do intensely dislike the smells of heavy perfumes on people, and especially in a shopping mall or cosmetic counter in a department store. I also know people who have to avoid going to the shopping malls because of this. Personally II have had to change seats at an event because of the unpleasant smell.

I don't like to use strong scents, but I have a question - What about the hand lotions that come in 'original scents' (Jergens, Johnson Baby Lotion, etc)? I understand that you don't use them, but what about if another person uses them in a moderate/normal on their hands around you? Are you sensitive to those?

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Replies to "Jennifer, I do not have a breathing sensitivity to perfumes, but I do intensely dislike the..."

Thanks for asking. Some mild fragrances in lotions are tolerable and some are not. My mom got in my car with some highly fragranced lotion on her face and I started reacting right away with trouble breathing and I put on my respirator. She washed her face when we got where we were going. I have trouble at hotels. Some have fancy designer soaps that set off my asthma. Basic Neutrogena soap at the hotel hasn't bothered me, but at home I use unscented soaps and lotions. Some things which natural scents like lemon or grapefruit are fine. I did have trouble with a rose scented liquid soap, but that wasn't a natural scent, it was manufactured and really smelled awful to me, not anything like an actual rose flower. I have trouble just walking through the grocery store sections with laundry detergent (I use fragrance free) and even outside when neighbors doing laundry with fragrances coming out of the dryer vent will bother me. I always sniff test anything in the store first before bringing that home. Jergens and Johnson's might be tolerable, but I'd have to test that and let you know. Another issue at hotels is carpet powder that is not only scented, but has fine talc dust in it. I now take a respirator to sleep with if I find myself in that situation. I try to ask about that before I make reservations, and sometimes the staff doesn't know what the cleaning staff does.