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BACDS 2002 Playford Ball
"A Midsummer Night's Dream"
March 23, 2002 |
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Fragrance Free:
A significant number of dance attendees 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 thee 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
dance halls 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 only if we all work together to reduce the amount
of toxic chemicals.
We ask 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.
- Avoid scented versions of shampoo, soap, make-up, conditioner,
deodorant, chapstick, hair gel, hand lotion or hair spray.
- Use only fragrance-free DEET-free insect repellant. Use it only
outdoors, and use it sparingly, and only as needed, not as a preventative.
- If possible use a fragrance-free laundry detergent for the clothes
you bring to events and do not use fabric softener. Air out dry-cleaned clothes and
clothes stored in mothballs thoroughly before bringing to events.
- Please consider bringing other fragrance-free personal products to
use. This will really make a difference.
If you're not familiar with fragrance-free products, here are a few
suggestions:
- Bar soap: Trader Joe's ($.50 a bar), Puget Consumer's Co-op ($1.10 a
bar), or Pure & Natural Unscented Glycerin Soap
- Liquid soap: Dr. Bronner's Baby Castile
- Shampoo and Conditioner: Pure Essentials fragrance-free, Organic
Essence, Magick Botanicals, KMS Fragrance-Free
- Hand Lotion: Neutrogena Fragrance-free, or Kiss my Face
fragrance-free, or Lubriderm
- Deodorant: Tom's of Maine Unscented, Le Stick, The Crystal, Liken,
Almay Fragrance-Free, crystal salts, baking soda
- Hair gel: KMS, Aloe Vero 80, or make your own from Knox plain gelatin
- Shaving cream: Kiss My Face, Noxzema Fragrance-Free, English Leather
Fragrance-Free
- Laundry soap: Ecover, PCC, Arm and Hammer Fragrance-Free, All Free
& Clear
- Lip Balm: Look for beeswax based (non-petroleum), unscented varieties
- Body Powder: Use backing soda and/or cornstarch
- Insect Repellent: Bite Blocker (a soy-based product that works
amazingly well)