It wasn't long ago that I would constantly keep a candle lit in the house, spray a little air freshner throughout the house, or keep a little fragrance plugin plugged into an outlet. When my husband started the natural, alternative treatment, Nutrition Response Testing, fragrances and a few other chemicals were showing up in his testing as being toxic to his body. When I got tested I found out that I was chemical sensitive too, which explained the recurring headaches and sinus drainage while in places that were heavily scented.
So we stopped burning candles, using perfumes and colognes, and using air freshners with chemicals and synthetic fragrances. We found alternative and natural ways to add fragrance to our home, started using natural laundry detergent, and beauty products without chemicals. I didn't really understand why all this could potentially be harmful to our health until I started to do some research. I gathered some articles that may be helpful to you in deciding the saftey of these products in your home:
• Consumer alert: Popular air fresheners found to contain toxic chemical
• One Out of Five Cosmetics May be Contaminated With Cancer-Causing Impurity
• Women Warned to Avoid Using Perfumes or Fragrance Products During Pregnancy
• Warning: many dryer sheets contain cancer causing chemicals
• Aromatherapy Candles Can Be Dangerous to Your Health
For those of you, like me, who enjoy burning candles, scented laundry and home, here are some safe and natural alternatives:
• Women's Natural Scent More Seductive Than Perfume
• Tips for choosing the right, non-toxic candle for your home
• Homemade Essential Oil and Aromatherapy Fragrances Make Great Gifts
• Making your own household cleaners is simple and easy on the budget
• Skip the dryer sheets and make your own
You can very easily make your home smell like you've been baking all day. Buy some cinnamon sticks and add 1 or 2 to boiling water, turn down the heat to a low heat and let simmer for as long as you desire. Keep an eye on the water level so that it doesn't run dry. I get compliments on how good my house smells every time. It's perfect for a low-cost solution!
