Do I stink?
This blog post is from the Nurse Kim archives of myth busting. I want to share some "alternative" or maybe just lesser known health and wellness viewpoints for you to chew on.
*These posts are not intended as official medical advice.
They ARE meant to be fun, informative, and thought provoking, hopefully sparking an interest for you to do your own research (you can start with the links I provide!) and discover the marvels of the human body, and how it can function at its optimal performance level if we understand how it works and interacts with our environment and our diet.
I have a passion for health and wellness through lifestyle and nutrition and have done thousands of hours of research in addition to being a registered nurse for 23 years. I have done A LOT of self-experimentation in and around diet, lifestyle, body care, and supplementation and have spent a lot of time looking into the science behind it all (or lack thereof!). Check back weekly for the latest post!
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So, we have talked about overdoing hygiene in a prior post and how we are generally an over washed, over deodorized society (in
my humble, and well researched, opinion). But I want to talk today about something
else that ties into that, and something that I think we should all
eliminate for a healthier existence. And that is…
Perfume.
Yes, I am going to majorly pick on perfume,
and I am sorry to all the perfume/cologne connoisseurs out there, but to be
real, YA’LL STINK! Hehe, I couldn’t resist.
So, I get the general appeal to spray oneself with fragrant
mist, but these proprietary blends of TOXIC CHEMICALS are absolutely horrendous for health and frankly, so completely unnecessary (and
expensive!). It is also not cool for your fellow humans. Perfume is now being
referred to as the new secondhand smoke, and it affects EVERYONE we encounter
as these chemicals are pervasive and persistent.
Those who have had to give up perfume simply because their sinuses
and lungs could not tolerate the noxious substance will tell you how absolutely
intolerable it is to be around someone who is doused in it. When I was a
hospital nurse in labor and delivery, we were not allowed to wear
perfume for the courtesy of the patients and families, and the health and allergy
implications that often come up.
The other problem with perfumes is the government, in the US
particularly, has a very relaxed approach to cosmetics and fragrances,
in other words, pretty much ANYTHING GOES. This chart gives a sneak peak at
some of our favorite famous stinks:
One word, eww.
Fragrance
Another thing to look out for even outside of these unbelievably
expensive outright health hazards is the word “fragrance” on any run of the
mill body care product. Again, just like in perfumes, you have no way of
knowing whether that is simply some lavender oil (although when it is a pure essential
oil it will usually just list that), or a proprietary blend of 75 unregulated, cancer
causing compounds. So, in general, avoid fragranced products and choose the unscented
versions instead, I know… boring. Sorry.
Scented Candles
And finally, so as to REALLY ruin your day and round out
this smelly post full force...
GET RID OF YOUR SCENTED CANDELS AND GLADE PLUG-INS!!!
These things are absolutely toxic and are in your home for
the express purpose of you breathing them in 24/7.
The good news is there are several candle companies that use
clean ingredients now so by all means, do your own research if you love candles,
and HAVE to have them, but run far and fast from anything that just lists “fragrance,”
“fragrance oil”, or heaven forbid a thousand-word list you can’t pronounce.
And now, what shall we spritz on when we want to smell like a plant and not a human?
So glad you asked. Once again, let’s get back to basics. Get yourself some rose or orange water (available on Amazon) and spritz away! Make sure you read the ingredient label first though to make sure it is what it says it is!
Until next week ya’lll!!
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