We require participants in all of our onsite classes, circles, onsite readings, and other events to attend free of synthetic fragrances and chemical fragrance-maskers.

What We Mean by "Synthetic Fragrances and Chemical Fragrance-Maskers"

• Any product which contains the word "fragrance" on the label has synthetic fragrance in it. Check the fine print (the ingredients list).
  
  • Synthetic fragrances can contain many, many toxic chemicals.  The fragrance industry does not have to reveal the exact chemicals involved, because this is considered a trade secret.
  • Search for products that do not contain the word "fragrance" in their ingredients list -- rather than those that claim to be "unscented."  "Unscented" products can still contain chemicals used as "fragrance-maskers."
  • Labels that claim a product is "natural" or "biodegradable" do not mean that it is necessarily free of synthetic fragrances or other chemicals.
  • Most products which list  "essential oils" or "botanical essential oils" are acceptable.
  • For information on products, please see page 3 of this article - Come to Your Scents-es!
• It's not just your cologne/perfume.  Be sure to check for the word "fragrance" in the labels of your:
  
  • Laundry Products (detergent, softener, and dryer sheets)  -- Laundry products are often more problematic than perfume, as they are designed to linger in your clothing for weeks or months after use. Some clothing may be permanently contaminated.
  • Shampoo, conditioner, gels, and other hair care products
  • Soaps, deodorants
  • Lotions, moisturizers, medicinal creams
  • Cosmetics
  • So-called "air fresheners" -- If you use synthetic fragrances in your home (such as Febreze or Glade plug-ins), your hair, body, and clothing will usually be saturated with the chemicals included in the fragrance.
  • Cleaning products, paints, etc. that may linger on your hands or clothing.
• Washing/rinsing before attending may not be enough.
  • Many fragranced products are actually designed to be difficult to get out of your hair, or off of your body and clothing.  Please see the guide on page 2 of this article:  How to Prepare for Attending an Event Fragrance Free.
• Remember -- You probably can't smell a fragrance that you use regularly.
  • "Nose fatigue" or "Olfactory fatigue" is a very real phenomenon.  When we smell a fragrance for even a few minutes, our bodies quickly become desensitized and the nose stops sending signals to the brain, in order to prevent an overload of our nervous system.  This is why many people douse themselves in fragrance -- they literally cannot smell it anymore.  So, in checking yourself for fragrances, your nose is not necessarily a reliable witness.

What Will Happen If You Arrive at an Event Wearing Fragrance

We will tell you that we really, really want you at this Circle/Class/Onsite Reading, and that we feel very sad that we are asking you to leave -- but we will ask you to leave -- even if you have driven a long way to attend a reading or event.

We have been working with this issue for many years now, and have tried many different approaches:  Frequent email reminders, education through discussion and writing, repeated polite requests to please come fragrance-free, etc., and we have arrived at the place that we are simply choosing to experience the momentary feelings of awkwardness that may arise when we are clearly stating our boundaries clearly and being firm about keeping those boundaries.

If we do ask you to leave, please know that it is not personal -- it's your chemicals, not you, that we do not want in our home -- and know that you are welcome to attend at any time in the future -- as long as you arrive fragrance-free. Please check page 2 of this article "How to Prepare for Attending an Event Fragrance Free".

Why We Have This Policy:

#1 Reason (Actually, the Only Reason) -- Because We Want to Create an Environment that Supports Life:

These chemicals affect everyone who breathes them, whether or not we're aware of them. Many people with chronic headaches, ongoing fatigue, breathing difficulties, and digestive problems (that their physician often cannot find a cause for) find that their symptoms clear up or improve when they get synthetic fragrances off their bodies and out of their homes.Children, companion animals, wild animals, and our entire environment - all are impacted by these substances.

When one person comes to a gathering wearing these chemicals, the entire group breathes them in for the duration of the gathering. We want to create and maintain a home and gathering space free from these chemicals.

Some of our attendees experience Multiple Chemical Sensitivity.  If you don't know what this means, here are some educational resources about MCS:

• Wikipedia Entry on MCS
• http://www.multiplechemicalsensitivity.org/
• Read Carol's Blog Post about how MCS has affected her life and her loved ones

For people dealing with MCS, being in the presence of chemicals such as those commonly found in synthetically fragranced laundry or body-care products, perfumes, and colognes don't just make them uncomfortable -- it can trigger reactions that can leave them fatigued or even extremely ill for days or weeks after exposure.

Toxic chemicals in our fragranced laundry products go down the drain and into our water supply, are blown into the atmosphere from our dryer vents, and end up in the earth from which we get our food when we send our trash to the landfill.

In other words, these chemicals don't just end up on the outside of our bodies, making us smell "nice" -- they also get into our water, air, and food.

If you think that that's "no big deal", please read this article about Fabric Softeners:Dangerous Comfort?, or read the about the University of Washington study that shows that plugging in that apple/cinnamon air "freshener" may be making you (and your family, pets, etc.) sick.

You may think:  "Well, it's just me -- it's just one little capful of Downy/Bounce" -- but it's not -- it's thousands of gallons of these products, being blown into our air, poured into our water, and onto our soil.