Public Service Alliance of Canada BC

Did you know that your perfume may be making some people sick?

There is a dramatic increase in people who are made sick by fragrances because so many products are now scented. Chemical fragrances are present in most soaps, shampoos and other hair products, cosmetics, deodorants, suntan lotion, aftershaves, colognes and lip balms to name a few. Sometimes even products marked as “unscented” are falsely labeled and actually contain toxic fragrances.

For people who are sensitive to the toxic chemicals contained in scented products, this can mean exhaustion, weakness, dizziness, headaches, rashes, muscle aches and spasms, heart palpitations, nausea, stomach cramps, vomiting, asthma attacks and loss of consciousness.

We want to create an environment where everyone can participate and enjoy PSAC education courses, conferences, meetings and other events. In order to make that happen we ask that participants refrain from using scented products during all PSAC events.

Did you know?

• Perfume today is not made from flowers but from toxic chemicals.
• More than 4,000 chemicals are used in fragrances. Of these, 95% are made from petroleum.
• No agency regulates the fragrance industry, yet perfume chemicals are as damaging to health as tobacco smoke.

Download the PSAC awareness kit on scent-free environments (chemical sensitivities / environmental illness) (pdf).