The Bay Area Country Dance Society Website

Fragrance Free:

Some 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 these chemicals can cause these symptoms.

Please understand that this is not just a preference issue - it can be 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 may not be able to attend unless we all work together to reduce the amount of toxic chemicals.

We ask that you please:

• Do not wear perfume, cologne or aftershave
• Avoid scented versions of products like shampoo, soap, make-up, conditioner, deodorant, chapstick, hair gel, or hand lotion.
• Do not use hair spray or dandruff shampoo - even the unscented varieties can trigger reactions in chemically-sensitive people because they contain toxic products.
• 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
• 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
• Shaving cream: Kiss My Face, Noxzema Fragrance-Free, English Leather Fragrance-Free
• Lip Balm: Look for beeswax based (non-petroleum), unscented varieties
• Body Powder: Use baking soda and/or cornstarch

If you have any questions about this, please contact us.