I Miss the Real Smells of Life

I miss the real smells of life. When I was a kid, I loved the wholesome smells of newly mown grass, New Jersey tomatoes bursting at the seams, and my mom or sister as they stepped out of the shower. Where have all the real smells gone?

I was raised in the fifties, before deodorant soap and heavy fragrances dominated everything from toothpaste to shampoo. I’ve always had a super sense of smell and chemical odors sent me running. I didn’t know until years later that I was chemically sensitive, and would be hounded by these smells for a lifetime.

When perfume hits my olfactory nerve, I become jumpy, hyper, distracted, stressed, and my skin starts hiving immediately. After considerable research, I learned that perfume (and "fragrance" in other products) consists of 85-95% volatile organic compounds, such as formaldehyde, benzene, xylene, and toluene.

In the fifties and sixties, perfume was something you wore on a special date, and very discretely; a little dab behind the ears that could only be detected when you were dancing cheek to cheek. Now, it’s common for some of us to wear a keg of it to work. What’s wrong with smelling like our clean selves? Many perfume wearers don’t stop to consider how uncomfortable or downright sick they can make others.

Fresh flowers picked from the garden are a fond childhood memory. We didn’t feel the need to plug toxic chemical air fresheners into the wall. Dish soap didn’t need to smell like vanilla, deodorant didn’t reek of menthol, and dirty socks---well, they smelled like dirty socks---maybe we’d sprinkle a little baking soda in our shoes to soften the punch.

The artificial scents of today are a sort of mask for the authentic smells. I’d prefer to smell a real cow paddy than artificial apricot scented fabric softener. When did we decide to allow industry to dictate how things should smell?

I don’t expect the world to become as pure and healthy as the environment I’ve had to create. But a little education would be helpful. There are some great organizations that are getting the word out about the dangers of chemically-laden products, many of which are carried in their fragrances. The Environmental Working Group has done a stand-up job of educating the public and so have smaller groups like Marin County’s Teens Turning Green. The average person looks at me cross-eyed when I bring this issue up, even though they may react physically to perfume. It's become a political issue, even a civil rights issue now that the populace seems to have lost all sense of moderation, let alone courtesy.

When I blow out my birthday candles, I’m going to wish for a little more consideration on everyone’s part. Next time you douse yourself in perfume before going to work, think of those of us who truly suffer as you pass us in the hall. And bring back the good old smells….Personally, I enjoy a whiff of someone who has worked hard in the sun all day, just for old time’s sake. Sweat is honest.