Brain Fog Gallore

As if my research yesterday wasn't enough, we had an incident yesterday that is convincing me to go completely scent-free.  I had previously gone mainly scent free, but was resistant when it came to hair care products b/c good hair care products are hard to find!  Then, I had some miscellaneous unused items around the house that I just hadn't given away.  In particular I had a bottle of body wash set by my tub for decoration.  It was the perfect shade of purple to match our towels and bath mats so I thought it add some color!  I've never used it.

Well, yesterday when littleA was supposed to be napping he found his way into our bathroom & emptied the bottle of body wash -- all over the tub & all of him!  The scent still lingers -- it seems impossible to wash off him or me or the tub.  It is body wash after all - designed to leave the scent being after being rinsed off.

I really had a hard time sleeping; my eyes are killing me - feels like my eyelids are made of sandpaper.  Before bed I was barking at my hubby for no reason - those uncontrollable emotions that come from being exposed to chemicals.  Today it still feels a little hard to breathe, like my airways are slightly constricted.

So, I've decided to take the plunge and completely purge anything with a scent.  More in particular anything with a chemical.  Unless it is something to which I'm allergic natural scents don't seem to bother me as much as the chemical ones.  I guess that's why they call it Multiple Chemical Sensitivity and not Multiple Natural Sensitivity.

Candace at Infectiously Optimistic has a great explanation:

General Rule and Clarification: "Fragrance free", "Chemical Free" and "All Natural" can be confusing. When you have Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, the confusion can send you back to the store with multiple returns after discovering that the products you thought were "safe" really aren't. Basically, something is "safe" for someone with MCS if it is chemical free and free of synthetic ingredients and fragrances. This is confusing because some "natural" products still have an aroma to them. If you look at the label though, they are safe if the scents in these products come from the essential oils in the product, rather than chemicals. Natural essential oils are not toxic to an MCS patient's body. Don't be fooled though, some products that are labeled "fragrance free" are not all natural, and do still contain things that are not safe, such as petroleum jelly. Products labeled "Natural" sometimes have artificial fragrance as well, so as a general rule, keep an eye on the label because all companies are required to list "fragrance" as an ingredient. Be a detective and check your "natural" products that you've assumed are safe, because to your surprise it may list "fragrance" as an ingredient, clear as day!

I use this database to check up on the safety of my products. It may surprise you that some of your "natural" product may still have a high level of toxicity: Skin Deep Cosmetic Safety Database . It will make it easier when trying to figure out if your natural product's aroma is from essential oils or synthetic fragrance, if you're not familiar with reading labels.

Now I the added problem of needing to find all-natural, chemical free products that are also gluten free!  One of my favorite brand is Aveda -- they use all natural essential oils, but they frequently add gluten.  So, what's a girl to do?  Any favorite brand out there?  I really need some suggestions b/c after today this family will have very little body and hair care products.