I've become very sensitive to certain odors

I am sensitive to scents as well in similar ways plus I have asthma. I have a couple suggestions. One is to speak to your coworkers about the your sensitivity to their haircare products and perfumes. I can understand if you don't feel comfortable talking to your coworkers directly. People can be real a@@holes about their "right" to wear scents. The other thing you might do is  go to human resources and discuss the issue with them. I believe that you have a right to a workplace that doesn't make you sick. I wish you luck and hope people will care enough to make your environment safe for you.

I have the same issue. It's horrible. Some mornings Bart is so bad that I'm nauseous and have a headache for hours. It's really amazing to me that people think that it's okay to bathe in cologne. It got so bad at work that I couldn't even use the restroom some days because a secretary would do her hair in there every day with really smelly products. I used to talk to people about the problem. Good people immediately stop poisoning me. But the secretary (and many others) refused to stop, said that it was her right to do whatever she wanted with scents, screamed at me for being rude, and then complained to her manager about me. I had to ask for a disability accomodation from HR. It involved getting a letter from an allergist (what I have is called nonallergenic rhinitis), working with HR on a new policy, getting the new policy implemented, having my manager help me enforce the policy, and having every secretary in the office complain about it afterwards and say that I was making up the problem. It was unbelievable how these uneducated women decided that because they weren't bothered by scents that no one was. It was brutal but after getting HR and my manager on board, I can finally breathe comfortably at work and all the drama was worth it.

I'm not as sensitive as you, but I've had co-workers whose perfume/cologne/hair products I've found distracting.

If it's causing you illness and lost productivity, I think it's totally legitimate to go to HR about it. It's comparable to a kid having a peanut or dairy allergy (though yours is not life-threatening): a lot of preschools allow peanut products UNTIL the day they have a kid who's allergic. Then they change their policy. If your workplace doesn't have guidelines about strong scents, it's probably just that no one has come to them with a problem yet. You have to be that person.

If your HR person/department is professional, there should be NO negative repercussions for you. Make it clear that this is not "personal" about the co-workers wearing the scents (in fact, your case will be strongest if you don't even name them); it's all about you being able to get work done and not get sick. If you think it'll strengthen your voice, put together a list or calendar of the days of work you had to miss because of headaches.

Dealing with Chemical Sensitivities

My heart goes out to you. I am a fellow sufferer with chemical sensitivities. The problem begins with governmental agency failure.  The FDA does not require safety testing of personal care or home care products. Fragrances, based on petroleum distillates since at least` the 1970s, are toxic by definition.  They attack everyone’s central nervous system.  You and I just register a reaction.

Laundry and other home care products can be toxic as well.  For instance, fabric softeners contain three ingredients the EPA has listed as toxic waste in addition to their fragrances. Yet the FDA does nothing to encourage or force manufacturers to change their products. For people with chemical sensitivities like you and me, living is walking a mine field of avoiding exposure.  We can hardly open a magazine or walk into a public restroom with risking a health assault.

Here is how I have dealt with these problems over the last few decades:

1. I have talked to the offenders (who are often unaware there is a problem) individually.If you go through the HR Department to get help, you might be out of luck.I have found little sympathy or cooperation there.I have offered to buy products that I can tolerate and bring them into the office for the offenders to try out.For the housekeepers I have employed I have sent them home with laundry detergent and shampoo to use which does not offend me.

2. Experiment and take notes on what products you can tolerate.My own home is successfully unscented.Here are products I like and where to find them:

3. Dove unscented bar soap (any big drug store),

4. Neal’s Yard Bee Lovely Body Lotion – e-mail me for a local US dealer’s name.This product does contain natural orange oils which are subtle and not a problem for me.

5. Mennen Speed Stick Unscented deodorant (Amazon.com),

6. Kiss My Face unscented stick deodorant (Whole Foods),

7. Olive Oil unscented shampoo (Swanson Health Products online),

8. 365 brand unscented shampoo and conditioner (Whole Foods),

9. Oasis Laundry Detergent (El Cerrito Natural Foods); this is safe to use as gray water in the garden because it does not contain sodium.

10. Organic wool dryer balls from New Zealand (available online).

11. White vinegar and water to clean hard surfaced floors.

    Read more: http://stason.org/articles/wellbeing/health/environment/Fragrance-A-Growing-Health-and-Environmental-Hazard-Part-1.html#ixzz2BqZso39o.  This article and another I can e-mail you spell out the problem.  They might help you negotiate with your HR Department for healthier indoor air.

Best of luck to you.  Contact me if I can be of further help.

Pam Condie  

pam@pamcondie

I have had this problem since my mid-twenties, so I feel your pain. What you have to do is talk to people and ask them not to wear scents. I've had to do it at least three times at my current job and it's never fun to be in that position. But everyone has been very cooperative with a 1-on-1 polite request. What doesn't work as well is general announcements or emails (I've tried to work through the admins at the office a few times), but it seems the problem people never connect the announcements to what they are wearing. I think they really can't smell it properly, or they wouldn't use so much. Lately I've been having increased problems with laundry detergent scent--the manufacturers seem to think omitting a cloud of scent for weeks on end is a selling point. 

I hold out little hope in this situation. People feel they have a right to dirty the air.  You may have to find another job. However, here are some thoughts

Get a room or desktop air purifier from Foust so that you can feel a little better while you work on this. http://www.foustco.com/airpurifiers.html Go completely fragrance free yourself: personal care products, laundry detergent, etc. Every little bit helps. 

Fragrance sensitivity is actually part of the ADA and your employer is required to make "reasonable accommodations."  However, I think you are likely to lose your job if you go that route. I would instead see if you can find a friendly manager who doesn't use fragrances. Ask if they are willing to email everyone and ask them not to wear perfume or cologne. Also ask if you can post a sign at the front door declaring the office "fragrance free." 

In addition, join the Environmental Working Group. They are trying to make these toxins illegal. 

Meanwhile, I am going to beseech readers of BPN. Please don't use fragrances. Ask your friends, family, neighbors and coworkers not to wear fragrances. I can make it very difficult to enjoy a movie, a dinner out, or a class. In addition, it can make it impossible to earn a living. Please be considerate. Many people have this sensitivity. 

Good Luck!