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By Melinda
When you eliminate all synthetic smells from your daily routine and body care products, you really start to smell other people's. Has anyone noticed this or is it just me? I don't think I have that sensitive of a nose, but maybe my nose was just too overwhelmed with smell before I went green. It really makes you notice how our culture uses synthetic smells for everything. I guess we are afraid to smell our real natural selves? That could be, some people are pretty stinky.....
Ever since I greened out my body care products and house cleaning products, I can really smell fabric softener on other people's clothes as they walk by....even when I am out hiking in a park. I can't go by the cleaning section at a mainstream store without getting a little grossed out by the strong chemical smell. Seriously, try going to a natural foods store, Whole Foods, or New Leaf and walk through their cleaning section, then go to Safeway or any other mainstream grocery store and smell the toxic difference. And, don't even get me started on perfume. No offense anyone who uses perfume.....
Anyway, it was recently very clear to me how strong synthetic smells are when I was at the beach with my family when a family of four walked by us reeking of fabric softener. It was very strong up close, but when they were about 20 feet in front of us, we all could still smell them and not the fresh ocean air. Today, I was reminded of this when we were taking a hike at Purissima Creek. We were just talking about how the air smelled fresh like trees and plants. Just then, a couple walked by us. We could smell them even after they were about 200 yards ahead of us. Our noses were overwhelmed by the scent of fabric softener (or was it deodorant?) and we could no longer smell the forest. I can see why wild animals usually avoid us! It reminded my husband about how he had heard the troops in the jungles of Vietnam can smell the new soldier from several hundred yards away because he is the only one who has recently used toothpaste.
We all like to avoid offending anyone with our body odors, and it is hard to find a natural deodorant that works. So far, I have found that splashing my arm pits with lavender essential oil does the trick. It even kills the smell if I am already smelly. My husband went through many natural products and none worked for him until he found one by Benedetta. What works for you? What's your preference: synthetic smells, no smell, or essential oils?
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