Flushing perfume down the toilet
How many of us wish to reduce toxins in the food chain, save wildlife, reduce the pollution of our waterways? Yes many of those same people flush perfume and bleach down their sinks, baths, showers and toilets every day. Among the average ten toxins contained in perfume almost all synthetic perfumes contain carcinogenic (cancer causing) Phthalates , toxic to the liver and kidneys, and linked to birth defects, behavioural disorders and immune suppression. Although regularly not listed in the ingredients of perfumed products phthalates thy are almost always present when tested. Some perfumes inhibit an enzyme necessary to detoxification pathways in the body, meaning they really do make people ill.
Others, including those labeled unperfumed and common in baby shampoos and baby lotions, contain Quarternium which is formaldehyde, which suppresses immune function.
A chemical in antimicrobial soaps we wash down our sinks is called methylisothiazolinone stucturally akin to Agent Orange used in the Vietnam War, causes nerve damage.
A chemical common in under arm deoderants and other personal care products, paraben, is linked to breast cancer. We wash it off, in the shower and bath, and down into our water ways it goes from billions of homes worldwide.
Thinking about giving the parent of someone with behavioural disorders, cancer, asthma, allergies, learning disability, ADHD or autism a bottle of perfume for Christmas or their birthday? Think again. Do you really want to make their child more allergic, feel more toxic and even less able to manage their behaviour and process information?
Imagine your luxury, bleached, perfumed quilted 4 ply toilet paper flushed not just down your toilet but billions of toilets worldwide. This water, treated for germs but not these chemicals, ends up in our oceans and fish and is often recycled and ends up in our food chain, even our drinking water. Do you really need such luxury?
Would you rather contribute to the dramatic increase of childhood cancers, asthma, allergies, ADHD and developmental disorders than dare a few natural smells or go out of your way to find natural products without harmful toxins?
If this is what we’re doing to ourselves, what the hell are we doing to our waterways and the wildlife and food it sustains?
We have the power to change these things.
We can vote with our pockets.
We can break habits based on the brainwashing impact of advertising spin and associated popularity.
We can decide to be part of the cure instead of the problem.
Small steps to a better world, for those who dare to step outside of the system.
Donna Williams
Hurrah!!! As a person who has had seizures from perfumes for a long time, it does my heart good to read this. Thank you for opening some eyes. Dodie
Natural fragrances are great. They are healthy for the environment and for the person wearing them. But as a person who looks at all sides, man made perfumes/colognes do not ALL contain earth damaging, disorder causing compounds. Brand name or no brand name I don’t think we can blanket ALL man made fragrances as ecologically and physically detrimental.
This is the first time I’ve heard of anyone else suffering seizures from perfumes and it’s a relief to know I’m not alone in this. During the last five years or so I have had seizures from formaldehyde, chlorine, and especially perfumes & colognes, although anything that is heavily scented will trigger one, including clothes that have been dry cleaned. As this has really limited my life … where I can go, what I can do, and who I can be around, since everyone seems to douse themselves with something … I am wondering if there’s anything I can do or take to stop these seizures. I am really getting tired of being a prisoner in my own home. I would like to be able to fly on an airplane, go out to dinner, go shopping, etc. and not worry about IF I’m going to have a seizure. Any help you can give me would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you!
Hi Tami,
I don’t have seizures but in my 20s I got a dx of Atypical Epilepsy and my tics may be seizure related and they are exacerbated by inflammatory reactions including allergies.
I did twice get desensitisation to a range of food and chemical allergies. In each case it did work for 8 months. Because I had primary immune deficiencies, I ultimately found the best answer was in treating the underlying immune deficiencies which I wrote of in Everyday Heaven. But I will say that the highest load re inflammatory states in those allergic to perfumes, is usually the diet being too high in Salicylates and Phenol. Check a Salicylate food list and see what you can reduce/replace to lower your levels and you may find the airborne allergy levels then reduce. I’m also on 2000mg L-Glutamine which is a big time immune booster, but Glutathione is even better and I was on that for around 2 years and get back on it if I’m ill. Remember lowered immunity means raised allergy levels – like a see-saw.
I do feel woozy and ill if I have to share the car with a perfumed person. I wind down the windows but by the time I arrive I usually have brain fog and a degree of brain edema causing me a headache. What a shitty way to start a night. Anyway, check my posting on Dandelion Coffee… its a liver detoxer and used to reduce brain edema (which can be allergy related)… it works for me in 30-60 min, YAY.
good luck.
Donna *)
Gee that’s interesting
I use quaternary ammonia as a cleaner
( it’s a disinfectant )
I have wondered what it is, you prompted me to google it
Thanks Donna
Nev
Perfumes give me alot of bad headache.