No Scents Please. Fragrance Free Space. No Scents Makes Sense. We Share the Air.
The signs are popping up everywhere. Public waiting areas and increasingly more work places are demanding that we refrain from using perfumes and “scented” products.
I get it. We are allergic and sensitive and sickened by the toxicity in the air, sharing close quarters with pertochemical and carcinogenic affects all of us. As we make changes to avoid chemicals in our daily lives, we in turn become healthier and more aware of the reactions our body produces. Watery eyes. Headaches. Fatigue. Nausea. Difficulty breathing. The few of us who react with drastic allergic responses, are the canaries in the coal mines, warning the rest of you. Run People. RUN! You are listening and taking precautionary measures to ensure a safe breathing environment. This is a good thing but…
Here’s the problem…
Essential Oils and natural scents are NOT harmful or irritating. As a matter of fact, they are used therapeutically! We’ve taken it one step too far. How do we reign it in? How do we determine the fine line, or in this case the shear dichotomy from one scent to another? Can we all sense the difference? The power of scent needs to be re-examined, evaluating the discrepancy between the pleasant and the putrid.
Botanical alchemists are using ancient methods of self-care ritual to connect us deeper to nature and to our intuitive selves. Scent is directly linked to memory and pleasure. The smell of baked bread instantly takes me back to warm and cozy familial kitchen time as a child. We had a lilac tree in our backyard, so you will rarely see me pass a branch without gently nuzzling my nose into a bundle of purple joy and closing my eyes. Instantly, the release of endorphins and feel-good hormones flood my system.
We can all attest to the nostalgic powers of the olfactory function, the most primal part of our brain, therefore we cannot deny the medicinal qualities of wildcrafted botanicals, connecting us, grounding us, healing us, one inhale at a time. We should not be denied the use of natural scents.
Next time you’re out and about, sporting the fine scent of rose or lavender, and you are greeted with a sign that states “No Scents Allowed”, don’t worry, they aren’t referring to you.
By: Tara Palov – Earth to Body
Other articles that might interest you:
