I recently had a crazy experience after going over to a friend’s house. Within 30 minutes of being there I started to have a splitting headache (which lasted until the next morning), extreme fatigue, and a feeling of being drugged or drunk for the next couple of hours. At first, I didn’t know what to make of it but then I remembered what I first noticed upon going into the house.
The house smelled intensely of a synthetic scent that was being produced by multiple Glade Plugins on the walls. Later through some muscle testing, I confirmed this to be what had mostly likely contributed to these symptoms.
Another patient of mine was having intense congestion, frequent sinus infections, asthma attacks, very painful periods, and worsening autoimmune symptoms. When I muscle tested her using the Nutrition Response Testing protocol, perfumes and fragrances can up as significantly affecting the function of her liver. When I asked her about it, she mentioned she had 3 Glade Plugins on in the house, a car Glade Plugin, and she wore scented lotions and perfumes heavily. These are not isolated instances, people use these items all the time.
The worst part of it is that they are SUPER TOXIC.
I decided to look up the ingredients in those Glade Plugins and what I found was HORRIBLE. You can find that list HERE.
Almost every single one of those ingredients is a toxic chemical that can destroy immunity. When muscle tested, these products may actually be worse than smoking. On the Environmental Working Group’s page, Glade Plugins are given a grade of “F”, due to the high concentration of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) and its deleterious effects on the immune, respiratory, and endocrine systems.
VOCs are responsible for the odor of scents, perfumes and pollutants and are used in solvents, paints, fossil fuels and many other applications. On the EPA website, it states that VOCs are responsible for many symptoms including:
- Eye, nose and throat irritation
- Headaches, loss of coordination and nausea
- Damage to liver, kidney and central nervous system
- Some organics can cause cancer in animals, some are suspected or known to cause cancer in humans.
- Fatigue
- Headaches
- Allergic skin reactions
- Shortness of breath
These are exactly some of the symptoms I had that day. These VOCs, phthalates, and fragrances can have a great impact on people, especially in newborns. One study showed that exposure to fragrant cleaning agents could be a trigger for childhood asthma, wheezing and recurrent cold/flus. These substances damage lung epithelial cells and weaken immune response. Synthetic fragrances are notorious for worsening respiratory issues.
A primary mechanism by which fragrant cleaning agents can disrupt hormones, promote obesity and ruin immune function is through alteration of the gut microbiome. Especially in the era of Covid, we have disinfected everything to death (pun intended), which in turn is ruining health. Fragrances and phthalates have also been found to show toxic effects on the thyroid, they suppress gene expression and decrease sperm viability, lowering reproductive capability.
Phthalates increase cognitive dysfunction by increasing oxidative stress in the brain. VOCs pass through the blood–brain barrier into the central nervous system, causing toxic effects on brain cells.
In a 2007 study of 14 home air fresheners, the NRDC found that 12 of them contained phthalates, including “all-natural” and “unscented” varieties. Phthalates, which are used to dissolve and carry fragrance, are linked to changes in hormone levels, poor semen quality, birth defects and reproductive harm, says the NRDC report.
A 2011 news report released by the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology linked the VOCs in air fresheners and perfumes with a 34% increase in health problems in people with asthma.
So, what is the answer to all of this? First, throw away all of your synthetically scented items in your house. Included in this would be perfumes, cologne, incense, lotions, creams. People can be very attached to their cancer causing, immune system ruining scents, but I promise they are causing you harm.
If you want to make your house smell great, consider buying an essential oil diffuser (#ad). Buy a starter pack of essential oils. Add a little water, 5-10 drops of your favorite oil(s) and within minutes, your whole house will smell amazing. You can also buy one for your car (car). I also frequently use a combination of tonka bean, sandalwood and bergamont applied directly on my skin (be careful if you have sensitive skin) as a cologne. At times, I use this essential oil cologne as well. There is one for women as well. You can also start wearing an organic, plant based deodorant made with essential oils.
Many products exist that are organic, plant based and non-toxic so that you don’t have to breathe in or expose your skin to these cancer causing, immune system destroying scents and chemicals.
