Struggling… everywhere stinks! Toxic scent - is it just me?

[Strawbaler]

Is it just me or has the toxic fug of perfumed scents in everyday life reached unbearable levels?

I am fortunate to live in the countryside and work from home, but when I go into urban/busy places it can be headache inducing…

Toilets with chemical fresheners (especially the ones that squirt perfume periodically) make me feel ill

The smell from the washing powder aisle in the supermarket is so strong I rush through it as fast as I can

I feel that in the last ten years or so, the technology to make powerful, long-lasting scents has spread to everything.

I know there are links between chemical scents & phthalates etc and cancers, so I personally go out of my way to find unscented products, but it’s hard to avoid them in everyday life

I can smell my neighbours washing line from 75 meters away, that can’t be right?!

Is it just me?

It's to hide the fact that there are still some smelly/ unwashed people about. Despite all that it doesn't work.

I think it's more that some people have had years of fragrances causing migraines or asthma or other issues and have looked it to what is going on to find that is in fact not all in their heads!

I have a very good sense of smell and certain scents can set off migraines for me, so I get you. I think a lot of people have gone nose blind to their own perfumes, in particular, so they spray a ton on without realising, but what can you do? People love a nice scent!

I absolutely abhor those little wooden perfume sticks and scented candles - they trigger asthma and make me feel really nauseous!

Conversely, I do sometimes wear perfume, but 1 spray is enough!

Honestly this is very extreme, I don't notice anything like this. And I don't use any scented products, not that hard to avoid are they?

My mum was like you - her idea of total and absolute hell was walking past a ‘Lush’ shop. She hated any scented soap and never wore perfume.

I’m the opposite, as another poster said, always envying the scents of other kids at school and feeling we all smelt of dogs and wet Wednesdays.

I am discerning about the scents I use however, especially since getting an actual dog myself (not a very smelly one so far!) because I don’t want to assault his poor nose.

I use Tallow and Ash washing liquid rather than the very chemically big named ones and have stopped using perfume completely. But I still enjoy the waft of Dove or Comfort when I stand near others in a crowded tube. It’s sort of comforting.

I have noticed more smells and they do seem stronger. I walk past some flats regularly and the overpowering smell of a washing product is usually there.

My husband smells things way before I do, so I guess the OP may be sensitive to it.

As someone with poor smell (it appears) I don't have a general issue but have noticed town and city centres, especially at night, have heavy smells. I don't know if these are from vapes or drugs, I'm not sufficiently familiar with either to know the difference.

I call them "free samples"

Id have to get rid of that as id have itchy flaps.

My apologies. I had no idea it was so debilitating for some people.
I don't use anything scented or use conditioner when washing clothes.

I WFH so don't come across the many smells that have been mentioned in this thread. As I live rurally I can tell when they have been muck spreading around here. I occasionally smell the bread baking from the nearby baker, the odd bonfire and the odd barbecue.

My mum was badly affected by perfume. It triggered her asthma.

it is interesting to read that so many conditions can be the cause of hyperosmia - B12 deficiency, obesity, Addison's disease, lupus, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, MS, epilepsy, brain tumours, hormone deficiency and migraines. Also some medications and pregnancy.

I think some of the hysterical language used around this topic is possibly one reason many posters have been less than sympathetic. I admittedly hold my hand up here, but describing a smell that is pleasant to most people as a stink or a stench is not going to garner much sympathy.

Agree!

I totally agree OP and also with @Pushmepullu , I got like this after covid.

I’m the same! Had Covid 4 years ago & completely lost my sense of smell for over a year. It has very slightly come back, so I can smell some things, but nowhere near as strongly as before, and a lot of the smells are distorted, especially strong artificial fragrances. If I get stuck next to someone on the train to work who is doused in perfume, or has used very strong laundry products it leaves me feeling nauseous for hours!

Probably bonemeal.

I'm in agreement with you and I have hyperosmia. I'm an autistic woman, I've lived with it all my life. Back in the day when it was acceptable to smoke around children I'd have month long migraines, as a child.

My nan used to light one up while she was doing the ironing and my friends and teachers all used to say I smelled fine, but I could not get the smell off me and I'd end up screaming in pain from overstimulation because once a migraine hit, lights were too bright.

Now my visiting family all wear perfume, that categorically smells nice, but it's just too much! I wish I could plug my nose up.

In the time we've lived here a glass recycling factory has also been built over the road. It stinks! Can't hang clothes on the line to dry because the smell just clings. Most people round here are nose blind to it and think I'm ridiculous insisting on washing being dried indoors, but it is absolutely debilitating.

Completely unavoidable though without a lot of money, which I don't have, and becoming a hermit, which I don't want to do.

I really feel for people who are super-sensitive to smells I used to find many scents intolerable, and some actually triggered migraine attacks and/or made me feel really nauseous. A walk along the soap powder aisle of a supermarket would make me sneeze and leave me with a streaming nose.

Post-menopause, this rarely happens. A lot of scents I previously found unbearable I can now tolerate, and I can't recall the last time a smell triggered a migraine. But my sense of smell is still excellent.

She probably can. I can smell my neighbour's highly scented washing if the wind is blowing towards my house. Doesn't happen that often that those things coincide but it can.

I agree about the scented ones and how overpowering they are.

I've got a medication induced neurological involuntary movement disorder called tardive dyskinesia that was caused by some prescribed off label antipsychotic after a head injury, and my involuntary movement symptoms become worse with certain fabric conditioners. The chemicals in them obviously affect the brain and central nervous system somehow.

And they give me a headache too. We still use unscented softener and my symptoms are ok.

I have always had a strong sense of smell. Some perfumes/after shaves have a "back" smell, so first whiff is OK, but then the back notes hit me, triggers my reflux and/or asthma.
I have some perfumes I'm OK with, but have thrown a few away because of this.
If I use spray deodorant I spray under my clothes, hold my breath and leave the room.
Don't use fabric conditioner any more.
I live rurally, can't say that muck spreading smells pleasant, but it doesn't trigger anything, unlike the citrusy weed killer that the farmers have been using round here lately.

Same here, perfumes give me migraine (not talking about the cheap full synthetic ones but all of them inc brands like Chanel etc), washing powder isle-want to get in and out asap, people who wear strong perfumes want to keep a distance, air fresheners are completely no go in my home or car etc.

I actually love the smell of the washing detergents aisle! But a Lush shop makes me feel queasy.

I picked up a few bits from the charity shop recently. I was struck by how strongly the clothes smelt of laundry detergent/softener whatever it is. I don't use anything like that, only non bio and vanish. They still smelt of it after several washes. It was pretty overwhelming.

After posting on here about my itchy skin I was advised to use bio laundry detergent as it is less strongly perfumed than non bio. It worked.

Scented dog poo bags ate the invention of the devil. The combined smell of the horrible scent and the dog poo is worse than dog poo on its own!

I do sometimes get awful eczema..fingers crossed not for years now. I'm wondering if I should try the bio one? I assumed it would be stronger smelling and more irritating. Thank you for the tip.