I'm so tired of this

I'm sitting here writing this post, it's 11:02 p.m. Monday.  The temperature is finally below 85 and we can open the windows.  Alas, someone in the neighborhood just got home (or perhaps just went out) and the perfume stench wafts in on the evening breeze.  The headache is just starting.  The breathing is getting shallower.  Soon I'll get a painter's mask, take some painkillers and try to sleep.

I would like to find a solution to this.  I would like for the person who is wearing all that fragrance to understand how much it affects me (and, I'll wager, many others).  I believe in my heart of hearts that he or she would listen and try to grasp what the problem is, and would make an effort to stop poisoning my air.  What if I said his cologne was contributing to his daughter's chances of getting breast cancer?  What if I told her that her unborn child was being exposed to neuro-toxins and hormone disruptors? 

But how do I find him?  How do I start the conversation with her?  WHAT CAN I SAY? 

If it were you, how would you want to be told?  What would you be able to hear?  Talk to me.

Who knew?

Christin writes:
 "A friend posted a link to your blog on Facebook.  I enjoy your articles and appreciate the research done. 

I know most people have no modesty, especially online, but I had an issue for over 20 years and couldn't find the cause.  (I leave it to you to post on your blog or not).  Since the age of 9 I had chronic, severe yeast infections.  Doctors would test & test & test thinking it was something else, since it was such an issue for me, but that is all it was.  I was miserable for a very long time.  Finally a Physician's Assistant gave me a print out from the Mayo Clinic listing things to systematically cut from your lifestyle to try to determine the cause.  I picked dryer sheets as my first thing to eliminate.  Less than 2 weeks later, no more yeast infections.  I have not had another one (not even caused by antibiotic use -- which used to cause major episodes) in over 3 years.  I was amazed at how simple the cause and solution were.  

Thank you for your blog & putting the information out there."

 

Her yeast infection cleared up by eliminating dryer sheets from her life!  What a story.  Thank you so much for letting us hear it.   I've heard a few other stories about the wonderful things that happen when dryer sheets stop being part of laundry day.

Please tell us your story.

Let's Review

I apologize for being gone so long -- no excuses, just an apology.  But here I am and I want to hear from you.  How do these issues affect you?  What are you doing about them?  Have you found alternatives for people to use to replace toxic products?  Let us know.  Please.

There are a number of issues in this blog and perhaps it's time to really clarify them and our purpose here.  First, the issues:

1)  Harmful, toxic ingredients in personal care products.
2)  Harmful, toxic ingredients in household (cleaning, laundry, and so on) products.
3)  The selling of said products to the unsuspecting consumer.
4)  The resistance (actually it's more like refusal) of the manufacturers of said products to clean up their products.

And then there's our purposes:

1)  To educate and inform consumers.
2)  To provide alternatives to toxic products.
3)  To work for change in the marketplace.

Wow.  That's a lot.  I think I'd like to do even more, that is, more than just blog about it.  I'm concerned that I'm preaching to the choir here -- not having any impact on the people who most need to hear about these issues.  Of course, there's always the matter of time and resources -- and courage.

It's important to me to remember that everybody is doing the best they can with the information they have.  I prefer to believe that folks who wear lots of perfume simply haven't gotten the message yet and don't know about the choices they have.  It's also important to "be the change you want to see in the world."  One of the changes I want to see is more compassion, so that's where I'll start.