A Fragrance-Safe Camp

A significant number of campers suffer from heightened sensitivity to solvents and petroleum products including perfume and fragrance. These chemicals can act not only as respiratory irritants, but also as cardiac stimulants (skyrocketing blood pressure, palpitations) and neurotoxins (symptoms include tremors, mental confusion, equilibrium loss, blurred vision). Exposure to products containing even small amounts of these chemicals can cause these symptoms. Please understand that this is not a preference issue - it is a serious health issue. Chemical sensitivity results from continued exposure to solvents and products in doses thought to be safe: this could happen to any one of us.

Because the dining hall, dance hall, and housing are enclosed spaces, even small amounts of fragrance or scented or toxic products on a few people can add up quickly to intolerable amounts. Our fellow dancers with chemical sensitivities can attend camp only if we all work together to reduce the amount of toxic chemicals in the camp environment. We provide all common restrooms in our housing, dining, and dance spaces with fragrance-free soap, and fragrance-free hand sanitizers in our dance spaces. Campers must bring their own fragrance-free personal care products (soap, shampoo, conditioner, deodorant, lotion, shaving cream, etc.).

We ask - and that's "ask", not require - that you please:

• Do not wear perfume, cologne or aftershave
• Do not use hair spray or dandruff shampoo - even the unscented varieties can trigger reactions in chemically sensitive people because they contain toxic products.
• Consider using fragrance-free DEET free-insect repellant. Use it only outdoors, and use it sparingly, and only as needed. (Bishop's Ranch is not a mosquito-rich zone.)
• If possible use a fragrance-free laundry detergent (eg, All Free & Clear) for the clothes you bring to camp and do not use fabric softener. Air out dry-cleaned clothes and clothes stored in mothballs thoroughly before bringing to camp.

Please consider bringing other fragrance-free personal products to use at camp. This will really make a difference. Here's a short sampling:

• Deodorant: Tom's of Maine Unscented, The Crystal, Le Stick, Liken, Almay Fragrance-Free, Mennen Unscented
• Shampoo & Conditioner: Pure Essentials.
• Hair Gel: KMS, Aloe Vera 80.
• Shaving Cream: Noxcema Fragrance-Free, Kiss My Face, English Leather Fragrance-Free
• Lip Balm:Look for beeswax-based (non-petroleum), unscented varieties (eg, Burt's Bees).
• Body Powder: Use baking soda &/or cornstarch.
• Insect Repellent:Bite Blocker (a soy-based product -- works amazingly well. REI sometimes has it.)

We ask everybody's patience, understanding, and consideration. If somebody's wearing something you have a problem with, come see the camp managers rather than hassling that person. If somebody's hassling you, come see the camp manager. If you're wearing something that you've been told is a problem for particular other people, please dance in different lines from them; if somebody else is wearing something that's a problem for you, please try to avoid them (but let the manager know, so we can advise the person to try to avoid you).