Multiple Chemical Sensitivities Information Page
by Sharon Wachsler,  Massachusetts CFIDS Association
NEW KIDS CHAT & E-MAIL PEN-PAL NETWORK!
    A chat for kids, teens, and young adults (approximately 21 or under) with MCS (multiple chemical sensitivity) or related disorders such as CFIDS, fibromyalgia, food allergies, or severe allergies is held every Wednesday night on AOL at 8pm (ET) in private room MCSK. For directions to the chat or info: SWachsler@aol.com. To get on an e-mail list for kids w/mcs, CFIDS,etc., contact Hanamauihi@aol.com. (We are both Massachusetts residents!)
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WHY ARE WE ASKING YOU NOT TO WEAR SCENTS?
 
    More and more people are becoming sensitive to fragrances and other chemical products. This condition is called Environmental Illness or Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS). It is an immune and central nervous system illness with symptoms triggered by things such as:
     
      perfume, incense, essential oils, smoke,
      scented personal care products
      (deodorant, cosmetics, hair spray/mousse/gel,
      laundry detergent/fabric softener),
    as well as things like:
      car exhuast, new carpet,
      cleaners, paint and adhesive fumes,
      animal dander or mold.
    Symptoms vary from person to person, and range from irritatting or impairing
    to severely disabling or life-threatening:
     
      asthma, sneezing and congestion,
      headaches, nausea, dizzines,
      rashes, muscle pain and weakness,
      mental confusion, irritability, sleep disturbance,
      migraine, seizures, loss of consciousness, or others.
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WHY SHOULD YOU BE CONCERNED?
    We want our events to be accessible to all people. While some disability access requires ramps or interpreters, for people with MCS, access requires cooperation from each person who attends. One person wearing perfume can make the air unsafe.

    Plus, everyone's health is being affected by increased use of toxic chemicals in all sorts of personal, home, and industrial products. For instance, more than 4,000 chemicals are used in fragrances, most of which are made from petroleum. Some common chemicals found in scented personal care products such as perfume, shampoo, and fabric softener are toluene, ethanol, acetone, formaldehyde, benzene, methylene chloride. These chemicals are known to cause central nervous system disorders, respiratory disease, and other health problems. The number of people affected by chemical sensitivity is estimated
    at 10-30% of the population, and is growing at an alarming rate. It can be triggered suddenly, when someone is exposed to a large amount of toxic chemicals, or gradually, as small exposures accumulate, such as with Sick Building Syndrome.

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WHAT CAN YOU DO?
 
    STEP ONE: Consider how your actions may affect the access of others.

    For some of us, the fragrances we wear have deep personal, religious, or cultural significance. Hopefully, with dialogue, we can find creative ways to deal with the fact that what is empowering to one is dangerous to another. However, if someone moves away from you or asks you to move, don't be offended -- please realize she just needs to breathe, and honor her reuest. Dialogue is not possible during those moments of immediate physical distress.
     

    STEP TWO: PLEASE DON'T WEAR ANY SCENTED PRODUCTS TO EVENTS THAT SPECIFY "NO PERFUME" OR "NO FRAGRANCE" OR OTHER SIMILAR NOTICE. (HINT: IF THERE WILL BE PEOPLE WITH CFIDS AT THE EVENT, THERE WILL PROBABL BE PEOPLE WITH CHEMICAL
    SENSITIVITIES THERE TOO!)

     This means, as much as possible, try to avoid the following:
    - Perfume, cologne, aftershave, scented or essential oils
    - Scented lotions, moisturizers, deodorants, or cosmetics
    - Hairspray, gel, or mousse
    - "Deodorant" (scented) sanitary napkins or tampons
    - Clothing that has been recently washed in scented detergent/ fabric softener, OR that has been dry-cleaned OR that has been worn near smoke, fragrance, or petrochemicals.
     

    STEP THREE: **Don't wear perfume to public places or events.**

    Fragrances you wear, while they may feel personal and private, do not stay on
    your body, but float out into the air around you, affecting the breathing air
    of other people. Because of the chemical oils now used in such products, they
    may even linger in the air after you are gone! Like cigarette smoke, people
    with asthma, MCS, or lung disease may be adversely affected by your
    "second-hand scent."
     

    STEP FOUR: For your own health, and those of the people around you, consider switching to non-toxic, fragrance free personal care products.

    Such products can often be found at whole foods or health stores, or even in the drug store. Look for products that say things like "No perfumes, dyes, or additives" or "Fragrance free, hypo-allegenic." Beware that "natural" or "unscented" do not neccessarily mean they are safe. "Natural" can mean anything -- it is an unregulated word, and "unscented" may mean that the product contains an additional (toxic) masking fragrance to cover over other odors.

    For more information on safer products (many are easy to find and inexpensive), contact one of the following organizations, or e-mail SWachsler@aol.com.

    Chemical Injury Information Network
    P.O. BOx 301
    White Sulphur Springs, MT 59645
    (406) 547-2255

    National Center for Environmental Health Strategies
    1100 Rural Ave.
    Vorhees, NJ 08043
    (609) 429-5358

    Human Ecology Action League
    P.O Box 49126
    Atlanta, GA 30359
    (404) 248-1898

    MCS Referral & Resources
    508 Westgate Road
    Baltimore, MD 21229-2343
    (410) 362-6400, fax 362-6401, donnaya@rtk.net
    Offers referral & resources for both patients and  professionals.

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SAFER PRODUCTS: WHAT THEY ARE AND WHERE TO FIND THEM
The following  article is composed of an introduction written by SharonWachsler, and product information compiled by both Sharon Wachsler and Deborah Mayaan. Deborah's text originally appeared in "Environmentally Safer Living: Personal Care Products," originally published in the Food Conspiracy Co-op newsletter, Tucson, AZ, December 1996. An updated version of this article appears in her booklet, Environmentally Safer Living (Tucson, AZ: Three Points Press, April 2000). For more information see: Environmentally Safer Living.

Next time you go shopping, consider replacing scented personal care products with non-toxic, fragrance-free products instead. This is not only safer for people with chemical sensitivities who you may come into contact with, but also for you, your family, and the environment!

Although sensitivities vary widely among individuals, products that say "fragrance-free, hypoallergenic" or "no perfumes, chemicals, or dyes" are usually safer to use around people with MCS. BEWARE! Terms like "natural" or "all-natural" are meaningless! Such products frequently contain fragrances.

Also, some products that say "unscented" are safe, while others that say "unscented" actually contain fragrance with an additional masking agent. This can make them *more* toxic, even if they don't smell. "100% fragrance-free" is a better bet.

Here are some examples of products that are usually safe to use around people with MCS. Some of these can be purchased at your local grocery or drugstore, while others may be found at health-food stores (such as Bread & Circus) or food coops.

SOAPS


Dr. Bronner's Baby-Castille liquid or bar (unscented)
Neutrogena, Original Unscented
Sirena Coconut Soap (unscented)
Kiss My Face Olive Oil Soap
Only Natural Oatmeal Soap
Simple Soap
Granny's dishwashing liquid or shampoo make good shower soaps 
baking soda--sprinkle on washcloth


SHAMPOOS

Granny's Rich & Radiant  (Conditioner also available)
Dr Bronner's Baby-Castille liquid can be used as shampoo
All Ways Indian Hemp Shampoo
Body Shop Unscented Shampoo
Lagona Free
Baking soda--make paste, rub into wet hair, rinse well


LOTIONS/MOISTURIZERS

Eucerin (fragrance-free, hypoallergenic)
Almond Oil or Olive Oil, with no scents added (or any vegetable or mineral oil,
     such as canola oil)
Nature's Plus Vitamin E Cream
Skin Trip Unscented Moisturizing Cream
Granny's Old Fashioned Moisture Guard
Allercreme, unscented

DEODORANTS

Almay
Nature de France, Unscented
Tom's of Maine, Unscented
Or rub baking soda or green clay under your arms.


LAUNDRY DETERGENTS

Borax
vinegar & baking soda (an excellent deodorizer as well)
Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda
Allen's Naturally


SUNSCREEN

Mountain Ocean Sun Screen
Mill Creek Paba-Free Lotion (fragrance-free)


HAIR PRODUCTS

Mousses, hairspray, and styling gels typically contain fragrances, formaldehyde, and ammonia. Plain gelatin makes an excellent styling gel.
Simply dissolve one teaspoon in a cup of warm water. It can be used as a liquid or chilled for a gel. Sugar water makes a hairspray. Salt water can also be used, but will be more drying. Or, try hairspray from The Living Source, P.O. Box 20155, Waco, TX 76702, (800) 662-8787, (254) 776-4878.


BODY POWDERS

 Baking soda, cornstarch, and arrowroot powder all make alternatives to
talcum powders. If you have been using an anti- fungal  powder, try using a
solution of grapefruit seed extract instead. Wearing loose clothing made of
natural fibers can also help.


COSMETICS
Aubrey Organics, Almay, Paul Penders, and Ida Grae make unscented cosmetics.  I don't know if they are free of  petrochemicals.


BATH
Bubble bath products can irritate the skin and urinary tract.  Epson salts
make a very refreshing, cleansing bath.  Baking soda does as well.  Using
both together makes a good bath for drawing out toxins.
 For more ideas, see Debra Lynn Dadd's Nontoxic, Natural, & Earthwise.  Los
Angeles: Jeremy P. Tarcher. 1990. Print.

For products not available locally, try The Living Source (above), or

    N.E.E.D.S.,
    527 Charles Ave., 12-A, Syracuse, NY 13209, (800) 634-1380.
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ARTICLES AVAILABLE FROM SWACHSLER@AOL.COM

This is what I have in my "library" so far. Please don't request more than three articles at a time.

    ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990) Overview
    Advocacy Skills: How to Get What You Need
    Alternatives to Air Freshener
    CFS books and cookbooks
     CFIDS and MCS: What's the Connection?
     CFIDS Fact Sheet (basic overview of cfs and cfs resources)
     CFIDS and Anesthesia
    On-Line Chat Schedule of aol CFIDS, MCS & related groups
    "Code of Behavior for Patients" (Humor!)
    The Disability News Service, Inc.
    Environmentally Safer Laundry/De-smellifying clothing
    Environmentally Safer Basic Construction
    Environmentally Safer Cleaning
    Environmentally Safer Living and Disability Access (good intro
            article for friends, family, on MCS & general disability awareness)
    Environmentally Safer Home Repair
    Environmmentally Safer Living: Sinus and Ear Infections
    Environmentally Safer Sex and Birth Control
    Fabric Softener Facts
    Fibromyalgia Resources (brief)
    Health Risks of 20 Common Chemicals in 31 Fragrance Products
    How to Live With Others (when you have chronic pain/illness)
    How to Lobby
    Info & Resources for newly sick or recently (or not yet) diagnosed (MCS)
    Info on GreenClips (articles on green architecture)
    Info on EPD (Enzyme Potentiated Desensitization, a treatment)
    Lodgings for MCS Travelers
    Massachusetts Resources for People w/CFIDS, MCS, and/or FMS
    Media and Government Contacts
    Milk Paints and other safer paints
    MCS -- A Brief Overview
    MCS Basic Fact Sheet
    MCS Books ***Your Recommendations!****
    MCS Resources (National MCS Organizations)
    MCS Product Info (Good Mail-Order Resources)
    MCS on T.V. and Video
    More Affordable Computer Box
    Making Yourself MCS-Accessible (for friends, family, co-workers)
    "No Perfume Means Healthier Air" & "Making Sense of Scents"
    Nat'l Org'zat'n on Disability Frequently Asked Disability Questions
    Overlapping Disorders: CFS, FMS, MCS, and GWS
    (Environmentally Safer) Personal Care Products
    President Clinton's Veteran's Day Speech (addressed GWS)
    Reasonable Accommodations
    Recogntion of MCS (Gov't, Nat'l & Int'l orgs that recognize MCS)
    Rus' Disability Resource List (cross-disability resources; long)
    Safer sex information and products for people with MCS
    SSA Info (Getting SSI/SSDI w/ CFIDS/MCS)
    "So You Know a Dyke with CFS. . . "
    Travel Trailer as MCS-Safer Living Space
    Travel article & tips for travelers w/disabilities (esp. MCS & CFS)
    Why Are We Asking You Not to Wear Scents to this Event? (general education
    about what to do to attend an MCS-safer event)
For any of the above articles, contact SWachsler@aol.com.

For a copy of the article "How to Provide Safer Space for People with MCS/EI" contact UUdre@aol.com. (This is an excellent guide for use by churches, schools and other institutions, conference planners, etc.)

REMEMBER: Documents from the MCS/CFIDS "Library" are provided as a service by S. Wachsler and MCS Chat Group for informational or entertainment purposes only. No document is intended to take the place of medical, legal, or other professional advice. You are urged to always check references and do your own research on any product, company, treatment, or service mentioned therein. The opinions contained in a document are those of the author(s) and do not
represent the opinions of S. Wachsler, R.D. Font, or MassCFIDS.