For all those who suffer from extreme to mild scent sensitivity, here are 21 ways to cope with those harsh chemicals in the environment, at home, and in your workplace. Hopefully, something on this list will help you feel better.
You can cope with a fragrance allergy or cure it all together by using anything from an air purifier to wearing charcoal nose filters. Mini nebulizers and inhalers also help, as well as improving the body’s immune system to cope better. Come explore the many cures and coping strategies written by someone with scent sensitivity.
I never expected to develop an allergy or sensitivity to fragrances while going through menopause, but I did.
Let me tell you how it happened to me.
I was minding my own business, when one day, a friend wore a perfume that bothered me. I knew the moment she entered the room that she was wearing perfume containing some kind of chemical I was reacting to.
Immediately, I got choked up to the point that I felt my throat closing up. I couldn’t breathe normally, and I couldn’t even catch my breath. My head started to pound, my eyes were itchy and sticking together, and my stomach felt nauseous. I couldn’t even think properly.
The smell seemed toxic to me, and going outside didn’t even make me feel better. I left the building for fifteen minutes to breathe, but the smell was stuck in my nose the entire time as if I hadn’t even left.
She tried to wash it off, but that didn’t seem to help either.
It took about three days before I stopped smelling it. Even at home. Even after washing all my clothing. My migraine lasted two days because of it.
I just want to note that it wasn’t my friend’s fault. She had no idea I would react like this. I understand wanting to smell pretty and wear your finest perfume. I’ve done that many times, though lately I refrain from wearing perfume because I have other friends with scent sensitivity problems.
But I will note that if you do know someone has an issue with scents, then you shouldn’t wear perfume out of respect to them.
One friend I know has been hospitalized several times. If she is in public and encounters someone who has loaded on the perfume as many do, she has an attack like asthma. The last bout put her in hospital for three days and she almost died.
Most people laugh at those who struggle with scent allergies or sensitivities, or shrug it off as them being too picky, or a complainer, or even exaggerating it somehow.
Or, there are those people who take it as a personal attack. I can assure you, it is not personal. It actually has nothing to do with you at all and it’s totally about the person with the disability.
And yes, it’s deemed a disability under the ADA (Americans with Disability Act) and Canada is following suit with more and more places of employment and public spaces becoming fragrance-free.
Recently, a woman in Detroit won a $100,000 lawsuit against her employer who didn’t make accommodations for her scent sensitivity.
I’m not saying its right to sue, but I do understand the frustration and the cause for bringing it to that level.
People simply don’t care. Or, they deliberately load on the perfume to antagonize the person with the disability, or hold their noses and make fun of them, claiming they stink too like it’s some kind of tit-for-tat.
Can you imagine deliberately giving a child a peanut butter sandwich when you’re fully aware they have an allergy to peanuts and could die?
I know someone with a life-threatening peanut allergy and it’s no joke.
Can you imagine a doctor deliberately wearing latex gloves during your surgery when it’s recorded on your file that you have a severe latex allergy? What if the doctor said, “Oh well, I’ll wear what I want. The latex gloves are more comfortable.”
Those examples are a given. We don’t do that.
But with scent sensitivities, we laugh and load on the perfume anyway without thinking it bothers people.
In this day and age when there is a heightened awareness of persons with disabilities, this disability is being ignored and disrespected because we don’t understand it, or we just don’t care. We think it doesn’t bother us, so it doesn’t bother anyone else.
Well, what if one day it does start to bother you as it did me?
As we age, our allergies can get worse. We can even develop new ones.
I’ve always had allergies. I’ve had the allergy skin test done and it turns out I’m allergic to almost everything. I had no idea I’d develop an allergy to fragrances though.
I never wanted this.
I wish my nose wasn’t so sensitive, but I quickly realized I had to find ways to cope because people don’t change. They keep wearing their favorite perfume, their favorite scented hair spray, deodorant, shampoo. They keep washing laundry with their favorite smelling laundry soap, or fragranced dryer sheets.
I fear nothing will change.
So, my dear friends with scent sensitivity, what do we do?
I wrote this post, not to tell you to hibernate from people and their smells, but to find ways to cope: to cope in the workplace; in public; at church; at your favorite restaurant, movie theatre, or concert hall.
We shouldn’t have to hibernate just to get away from smells so we can breathe. Breathing is a God-given right!
So, what do we do?
The following is a list of coping strategies for scent sensitive people. I have researched many different techniques that have proven to be effective for many.
I wanted to put it all in one place because when I became ill from fragrances for the first time, I scoured the internet for some help.
This is what I found:
Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. All opinions remain my own.
1. BUY A PORTABLE AIR PURIFIER
In the office or at home, a portable air purifier can clean the air. Take a look at this one on Amazon.
Air Purifier with True Hepa Filter
2. COVER YOUR SKIN
Your skin is the largest organ and can absorb chemicals in the air. Covering your skin can prevent that. So if someone is wearing heavy perfume, throw on a sweater. If you know you’re going to be in a public space where there is a high potential for scents that may bother you, plan to wear a long sleeve shirt.
3. TURN ON FAN OR AIR CONDITIONERS
Circulating the air will help chase away unwanted smells.
4. COUNTER BAD SCENT WITH GOOD SCENT
If you’re stuck in a perfume filled room and you can’t escape, try to counter the bad scent with a good one. Peel an orange and smell it. Carry a peppermint tea bag and inhale. Filling your nose with good ‘natural’ smells will chase away those hard chemicals you’re allergic to.
5. CHEW GUM
Chewing gum will immediately fill your pallet with a new taste and smell, one you can tolerate. It will also help you focus on breathing through your mouth and exhaling through your nose.
6. CARRY AN INHALER
This is hard to get. It’s a long process of going back and forth to the doctor for proper diagnosis of some kind of asthma, in order to get prescribed an inhaler. Not everyone wants to run to the doctor for everything, and not everyone has asthma when dealing with scent sensitivity. It’s hard enough to get your doctor or anyone else for that matter, to believe you have a scent sensitivity and need an inhaler. Well, I have found a great natural alternative on Amazon. Check it out.
Natural Solutions Himalayan Pink Salt Inhaler
7. ALLERGY PILLS
Everyone says, just pop an allergy pill when dealing with scent sensitivity, but it doesn’t always fix the problem. I know, I have tried, but it’s helpful to use the best allergy pills on the market if you do want to try them.
8. WEAR A MASK
Yes, we can resort to a mask as many people in Asian countries do. There are many reasons to wear a mask in public, like sickness, but it’s getting more and more common to wear them for dust allergies, and scent sensitivities. Amazon has a lot of popular unique looking masks.
Breathe Healthy Dust, Allergy, Flu Mask
9. BREATHE THROUGH A SCARF
Wear a scarf whenever you can. You never know when you may need it. If someone’s perfume is bothering you and you can’t escape, put your scarf over your nose and breathe through it. It’s less conspicuous if you are already wearing a decorative scarf around your neck.
10. OPEN A WINDOW
Sometimes the simplest way to cope with a scent allergy is to open a window. This isn’t always possible in an office, but whenever possible, asks to open a window, and get that air circulating with fresh air.
11. HEAL THE GUT
This is a controversial topic, but I have come to respect the wisdom in it. Our immune system lives in the gut, and when you have problems with your gut, you have problems all over your body. Ways I have helped my gut is by taking probiotics. You can buy them in capsule form, or drink Kombucha tea. I make my own Kombucha tea. It’s pure natural probiotics. You can check out my article, Kombucha Tea for Menopause.
12. BOOST YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM
Just as probiotics heal the gut where your immune system lives, there are other ways to boost your immune system. You can eat coconut oil. The main ingredient called lauric acid is the same thing in breast milk and it boosts your immune system preventing sickness. Maintaining a healthy weight is also a huge immune booster as well.
13. GET A FLU SHOT
The flu shot helps build your immune system, but it also prevents the flu. When your body is sick, your immune system suffers and scent sensitivity increases.
14. TAKE MAGNESIUM
Magnesium is my friend. I learnt this many years ago. Not only can magnesium bring you great health, but it can reduce chemical and food sensitivity. Many don’t realize they are deficient in magnesium. Check out my magnesium article How to Stop Dizziness.
15. TRY FASTING
I have done intermittent fasting since 2014 and when in the fasted state, your immune system gets stronger. You can actually heal your entire immune system this way. Check out my Intermittent Fasting article Intermittent Fasting For Menopause.
16. REDUCE INFLAMMATION
Inflammation is the culprit for our reaction to harsh chemicals. When we are in a state of inflammation, our body suffers. Allergies intensify and we become sick. To prevent this we must address inflammation. Natural remedies can include Turmeric (which I take every day). Check out my Turmeric article Relief With Turmeric.
17. PINK HIMALAYAN SALT
Pink Himalayan salt can work wonders. You can breathe it in, drink it in water (called sole), and even inhale it. It’s a known natural asthma remedy because of the negative ions it releases protecting against airborne germs. You can breathe it in through devices like inhalers and nebulizers. Check out my Pink Himalayan Salt article Pink Himalayan Salt for Menopause.
18. ESSENTIAL OILS
Many scent sensitive people have problems with essential oils, but for those who can tolerate them, they are a great natural solution to harsh chemicals. If you are capable of breathing in natural oils, you can counter unnatural smelly chemicals with them. Everyone is different, so all you can do is try it. Check out essential oils on Amazon for a very low price.
A word of caution – the cheapers essentials oils may contain chemicals so know your manufacturer.
Try Amazon’s roll-on kind. Put it under the nose when someone is wearing perfume to counter the smell. Sage is supposed to be great for scent sensitive people.
ArtNaturals Aromatherapy Top 8 Essential Oils
19. USE NATURAL PRODUCTS
I’ve focussed on ways to cope when we can’t control our environment, but I want to also briefly touch on what we can do in our own environment. We can use natural products as much as possible. Coconut oil, for example, is a natural solution for deodorant and soap because of its antibacterial and anti-fungal properties. You don’t have to suffer with using harsh chemical dryer sheets or cleaning products.
20. USE A MINI NEBULIZER
Like mini-aerosol cans, an inhaler delivers medication when breathed in. A nebulizer, however, is not the same. A nebulizer is an electric or battery powered device with medication inside. You hold it to the face and the medication is distributed. You can get them in small or large form. As mentioned earlier, (sole) or pink Himalayan salt solution can be used in a nebulizer for asthma and allergies like scent sensitivity.
21. BUY NASAL FILTERS
These are awesome! A friend of mine just showed me these. She wears them every day. They block and filter allergens and scents and nobody knows she has them in. Incredible!
At the end of the day, the best way to cope with a fragrance allergy is to not let it destroy you. Life is full of smells we can’t control, and that’s just the way it is. Yes, many of us get really sick when we smell other people, but having a good attitude about it sometimes can mean the difference between a good day and a bad day.
Stay positive!
Our brain is the best weapon we have. It controls what we think, how we feel, and what we say. It will also believe whatever we tell it. Conditioning our brain to believe we are okay, is the starting point to good health.
Let’s focus on that, and do the best we can to BE OKAY!
Good luck with your scent sensitivity. Be happy, be healthy, and be blessed!
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References
- Science Daily
- The North American Menopause Society
- Harvard Health
- Endocrine Web
- NCBI (Pub Med)
- Alternative Medicine for Menopause (LCBI)
- Healthline
- WebMD
- Women’s Health Concerns
- Reader’s Digest
- Mayo Clinic
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Author Kathleen Morris
Kathleen Morris is a successful published author, blogger, and Youtuber. She enjoys writing about things she’s passionate about and making a difference in the world.
