Fragrance Free Policy

To ensure a safe and effective session for everyone, my studio space is 100% fragrance-free. 

Sensitive noses and immune systems appreciate your thoughtfulness!

Basics For Your Session

  • In order to preserve a studio space that is safe and accessible for everyone, arriving fragrance-free means that you are arriving to the session with no chemical fragrances on your body or clothes.

    Fragranced products include: deodorants, laundry detergents and products, shampoos, conditioners, other hair products, lotions, perfumes, colognes, insect repellents, aftershave, sunscreen, and makeup. Basically, any product you put on your body—or that comes into contact with your clothes—needs to be fragrance-free.

    A quick rule of thumb: If a product isn't labeled "fragrance-free," it almost certainly contains "fragrance" or "parfum” and is not safe to use.

    Please read the two options for your session and use the checklist below to help you assess how to arrive fragrance-free!

  • → OPTION 1: Go 100% Fragrance-Free (Strongly Encouraged)

    “Making space accessible is an act of love for our communities….One small (and huge) thing you can do to ensure access is to work towards  being scent/fragrance free.”

    ~ Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha, “Fragrance free femme of colour genius”

    Make the switch from any fragranced personal care products you've been using to fragrance-free ones before your session. This is the best option for me and others who are negatively affected by fragrances.

    The best, and really only, way to be truly fragrance-free where you won't trigger reactions in people you physically cross paths with who have acute negative reactions to or health issues affected by fragrances (including people who you walk by on the street, or share space with in a store or office), is to actually stop using any and all personal care and laundry products with chemical fragrances, and switch to continuously using fragrance-free products instead. (*Note: The label “unscented” does not necessarily mean fragrance-free, it can contain fragrance plus masking fragrance, so check the ingredients carefully.)

    This is because the chemicals used in synthetic fragrances deeply penetrate surfaces, your body, and clothes. These residues of fragrances persist long after a product is used—ranging from hours to even months afterwards.

    So both for the sake of ensuring our sessions are truly fragrance free for myself and other clients, and for the sake of not triggering reactions for other people you share the air with in daily life, going 100% fragrance-free is one tangible, powerful thing you can do which means the world of difference to and measurably improves accessibility for all of us‍ ‍who have come to be aware of how fragrances give us headaches, cause respiratory issues, give us brain fog and inability to concentrate, make us irritable, contribute to cancer, hormone and thyroid disorders, cause seizures, fatigue, and more. If you want support with making the switch, please reach out to me anytime, I would be happy to help you find price comparable products and answer any questions!

    • What to do with your old fragranced products?

      You can donate them to the Redistro space in Greenfield, a free store open Sundays 11am - 2pm and Mondays 5pm -8pm, or give them away on Freecycle on Facebook or in PV Curb groups on Signal. I’m happy to assist in making sure they don’t go to waste if that would make it easier for you!

    • Discounted Session Rates offered for those that choose this option!

      • Fragrance-Free Discount: $100 (You already use only fragrance-free products — OR you complete the switch to 100% fragrance-free before your session. This means every single product you put on your body or that touches your clothes is labeled "fragrance-free" — and you use them continuously and exclusively in your life, not just on session days. You never intermittently use any fragranced products, even between sessions.

      • Transition discount (first 3 sessions after switching): $80 — For clients newly switching to 100% fragrance-free — your first 3 sessions after completing the switch are discounted an extra $20 each = $60 total saved to put toward new products. This discount applies only when you commit to using fragrance-free products for every single product, continuously in your life, going forward — without ever intermittently using fragranced products.

    → OPTION 2: Trial Approach — Come as Fragrance-Free as Possible

    If you are not yet able to switch to 100% fragrance-free products, you are welcome to try this approach and we can see if it works — but please know that switching permanently is strongly encouraged and is the only guaranteed way to prevent reactions for people you cross paths and share space with daily.

    Prior to the session, wash off previously applied chemically fragranced products with fragrance-free soap and water (or a DIY alternative—see below), and refrain from using any synthetically fragranced personal care products before coming to the session.

    Clothes: Choose your outfit in advance. Wash it with fragrance-free detergent, or white vinegar or baking soda (choose just one—baking soda and vinegar combined cancel each other out) in place of detergent, and then dry it without dryer sheets. Ideally, hang it up to dry and air out for a day or two.

    Please know: Residues from fragranced products—especially laundry detergent, deodorant, lotions, shampoo and conditioner, and perfumes/colognes—often linger on skin, hair and clothes. If you are continuing to use fragranced products between sessions, this approach may need to be readjusted for subsequent sessions.

    If I can still detect fragrance, I'll let you know and we can discuss options for subsequent sessions. If it's possible to pinpoint which product's residue is there, and you're open to switching that particular product to a fragrance-free version, that would be the surest solution.

    If this approach works and I cannot detect any fragrance at your session, you are welcome to continue using this method for future sessions!

  • For each of the following products, ask: “Are they explicitly labeled “fragrance-free”? If not, can I start using a fragrance-free version instead? If I’m not able to, can I skip using them on the day of my session and wash them off after the last use before arriving?”

    (Note: the latter approach may be done as a trial but may not work for future sessions if the residual fragrances are still detectable. In that case, we can see if we can pinpoint which product’s residue is an issue so that you can switch to a fragrance-free version of it ahead of your next session.)

    ☐ Shampoo, conditioner, and other hair products

    ☐ Lotion (face, hand, or body lotion)

    ☐ Deodorant

    ☐ Perfumes and colognes (skip entirely)

    ☐ Laundry Detergent

    ☐ Laundry products (rinse aid, dryer sheets, color brighteners)

    ☐ Insect repellent

    ☐ Aftershave

    ☐ Sunscreen

    ☐ Makeup

    Please wear clothes that were washed in fragrance-free laundry detergent without fabric softener, have not been dried with scented dryer sheets, and have not come into contact with any fragranced personal care products. Fragrance-free laundry detergent is easy to find—look for "free and clear" labels, and still double check to make sure it says “fragrance-free” somewhere — usually right next to the scented stuff, often for the same price.

    Note: Even products with no noticeable aroma to you can contain these chemicals. Even if you use just one product that is not fragrance-free, it will likely be detectable by and impact those of us who have health issues affected by fragrances.

    If you are unsure about a product you use, or if you are unable to secure fragrance-free items for your appointment, please contact me before your session. We can discuss it!

  • Discounted Session Rates offered for those that choose OPTION 1 above (going completely fragrance-free with all of your products permanently). For those that chose OPTION 2 above, standard rate of $120 applies.

    • Fragrance-Free Discount: $100 (You already use only fragrance-free products — OR you complete the switch to 100% fragrance-free before your session. This means every single product you put on your body or that touches your clothes is labeled "fragrance-free" — and you use them continuously, not just on session days. You never intermittently use any fragranced products, even between sessions.)

    • Transition discount (first 3 sessions after switching): $80 — For clients newly switching to 100% fragrance-free — your first 3 sessions after completing the switch are discounted an extra $20 each = $60 total saved to put toward new products. This discount applies only when you commit to using fragrance-free products for every single product, continuously, going forward — without ever intermittently using fragranced products.

    Eligibility: You have fully stopped using all fragranced personal care and laundry products and are now using only 100% fragrance-free products for every single product you use — going forward, continuously, without ever intermittently using fragranced products, even between sessions.

    When it applies: Starting with the very first session after your switch, and for the next two sessions after that (3 total).

Practical Info for Going Fragrance Free

  • Almost all products are scented and include the ingredients "fragrance" or "parfum" unless they are specifically labeled "Fragrance-Free." Look for the words “Fragrance-Free” on the container. Laundry detergents, and other cleaning products, will also often have the label “Free and Clear” which usually means it is fragrance-free (you still need to double check for “fragrance-free” somewhere on the label though!).

    Some products are marketed as “natural”, “organic”, “paraben and sulfate free”. Note that this does not mean that they are “fragrance-free.” Also, many products will also include “fragrance*” as an ingredient with an asterisk next to it, and the asterisk will denote: “ * plant derived fragrance, natural essential oil derived fragrance, or 100% natural fragrance.” None of these labels can ensure that harmful chemical fragrances have not been included in the product. If the word “fragrance” is used at all, even if described as “plant derived and natural”, it is a no-go.

  • Unfortunately, the label “unscented” does NOT mean “fragrance-free". Products labeled “unscented” OFTEN mean that they contain both fragrance ingredients and fragrance masking ingredients, which means they can contain the same kinds of toxic chemicals that negatively affect people’s health. Many deodorants and anti-perspirants labeled “unscented” will still include “fragrance” or “parfum” in the ingredients list, for instance. Some products labeled “unscented” ARE in fact fragrance-free, you just won’t know until you look through all the ingredients and scan carefully to ensure “fragrance”, “parfum”, “aroma”, “scent”, etc. are not included.

  • I understand that finding fragrance-free products can be a big adjustment. But if you’re interested in switching any of your own products to fragrance-free versions, you’ll likely find that it’s easier than you think!

    Most stores carry fragrance free options for all personal care and laundry products, and they can often be found for the same price you were paying before. Many more fragrance-free options for all kinds of products are available online. 

    If you would like to switch to a fragrance free version of a product you currently use and would like support in finding an alternative that is the same price or less as what you currently use, let me know and I will help research an alternative.

    Below is an in-progress list of resources and shopping lists for finding fragrance-free products. It’s important to remember that only products with the label “fragrance-free” on the actual physical product can be trusted to be fragrance-free, and that the label “unscented” can still contain fragrance and fragrance-masking agents.

    I’ve done my best to screen the ingredients - if you find any products listed below that are not truly fragrance-free, please let me know!

    I’ve included an array of products below, including products that while fragrance-free, might contain other ingredients with potentially harmful health effects.

    If you are wanting to choose products that are non-toxic overall, you can use these sites to investigate the safety of all of the ingredients:

    Note that sometimes these databases have outdated ingredient lists from products, so check that the product listing is up to date. Also, a good rating on these sites does not necessarily mean the product is fragrance-free.

    Again, if you want help finding any product in particular, at a particular store, for a certain price point, also reach out! I would be more than happy to help.

    _____________________

    GENERAL FRAGRANCE-FREE PRODUCT RESOURCES:

    Fragrance Free Nation: https://www.fragrancefreenation.com/products/

    Check out the baby and kids section of stores - there are often more fragrance-free products available there.

    _____________________

    DEODORANT + ANTI-PERSPIRANT

    Note: These stores carry many more deodorants and anti-perspirants labeled “unscented” but which actually contain both fragrance and masking fragrance ingredients. I’ve tried to screen for the ones that are truly fragrance-free. If you notice any mistakes or omissions please let me know!

    Amazon:

    Target:

    Walgreens:

    CVS:

    Walmart:

    Trader Joe’s:

    DIY homemade fragrance-free deodorant:

    • Coconut oil: Rub about ½ teaspoon into each armpit. It works all day and does not stain.

    • Baking soda + corn starch: Mix one part baking soda with one part corn starch. Apply by patting some under your arm.

    • All three combined: Combine all three ingredients in equal parts.

    • No deodorant and natural BO is totally fine with me for our sessions, and I will take any day over chemical fragrance! Truly.

    _____________________

    HAIR PRODUCTS:

    Amazon:

    Target:

    Walgreens:

    There are a number of fragrance-free Cerave products - I’m not including them in this list because they support Israel. They’re not on the official BDS priority boycott list, but since there are so many other fragrance-free options to choose from, might as well avoid Cerave.

    Vanicream Conditioner Fragrance-Free, 12.0 fl oz

    _____________________

    LAUNDRY PRODUCTS:

    Detergent: Fragrance-free laundry detergent is now readily available for the same price as chemically fragranced detergent at any store you buy laundry detergent at. Look for the "free and clear" labels. There are also many options available online.

    Dryer sheets and fabric softener have extra strong toxic chemicals that stick for a long time. It’s safest to stay away from them even if labeled ‘fragrance-free.’ Switch to using wool dryer balls.

    Oxiclean and other laundry boosters: If you use Oxiclean, you can get a fragrance-free version — just check the label for "fragrance-free" or "free and clear." You can also relatively easily make your own.

    DIY (if you can’t get fragrance-free detergent): Choose your outfit in advance. Wash it in plain water, or with white vinegar OR baking soda in place of detergent (don’t mix both as they cancel each other out), and then dry it without dryer sheets. Ideally, hang it up to dry and air out for a day or two.

  • Myth: “Natural”, “organic”, “paraben and sulfate free” on the label means it is okay, or fragrance-free

    Truth:There are many products that use the above terms that still contain synthetic fragrances. Unless the product is specifically labeled “fragrance-free”, it 99% of the time contains chemical fragrances, which you can confirm by reading the ingredient list.

    Myth: “Fresh Scent”, “Lemon Scent”, “Lavender Scent”, etc. on products means neutral, or fragrance-free, or not harmful

    Truth: Thousands of chemicals are hidden behind the ingredient “fragrance”, and companies are not required to disclose what they are. Regardless of the type of scent, if the product contains the ingredient “fragrance”, “perfume”, or “parfum”, it likely contains chemicals that are known carcinogens, endocrine disruptors, and allergens.

    Myth: “unscented” means fragrance free

    Truth: The term “unscented” is often used on products where there are fragrance ingredients and then masking agents on top of the fragranced ingredients. So do not rely on “unscented” alone to find a fragrance-free product. Read the product label ingredients to ensure the word “fragrance” and “parfum” are not included at all.

    Myth: “If I can’t smell it, it is not an issue”

    Truth: Each use of scented products/essential oils/vapes/etc. further deadens olfactory receptors, and many people experience odor habituation due to chemical saturation. People who are aware of their sensitivities to fragrances can often still smell the scents that you may not. Additionally, the negative health effects caused by fragrance chemicals (which are often carcinogenic and endocrine disrupting) affect anyone who is exposed to those chemicals through inhalation and skin absorption, regardless of the person wearing the product’s ability to smell the chemical fragrance.

    Myth: “I only wear one possibly fragranced product (deodorant, shampoo, etc.) - so it must not be a big deal”

    Truth: People who are aware of their sensitivity to fragrances more often than not will smell and be negatively impacted by any fragranced product, even it is “just” someone’s deodorant, or “just” someone’s shampoo, or “just” someone’s laundry detergent. The health impacts can be equally as serious, regardless of the type of scent, and regardless of the number of fragranced products someone is wearing, because even just one product that contains chemical fragrances will travel through the air and affect many people besides the person wearing the product. The particles in fragrances are especially small, which means the toxic chemicals can be inhaled, absorbed through the skin second hand, and remain in the air and on surfaces for hours, days, and even weeks and months.

    Myth: “I don’t use fragrance-free laundry detergent, but I didn’t wash the clothes recently and I don’t smell anything so it must be fine.”

    Truth: Scented laundry detergent and other laundry products often contain some of the most toxic fragrance ingredients. They are often designed to linger for prolonged amounts of time. Often times the synthetic fragrances in laundry products are hard to remove even after washing clothes with fragrance-free detergent and natural deodorizers. If you don’t smell anything, it is likely from your olfactory receptors becoming desensitized over time. Fragrance-free laundry detergents are widely available in the same section as conventionally scented laundry detergent in any store, for the same price! Just look for “fragrance free” or “free and clear” on the label. Note that “sensitive skin” and “hypo-allergenic’ does not guarantee that it will be fragrance free.

More Info and Resources

  • What's really hiding in your products?

    Did you know that "fragrance" or "parfum" on a label isn't one ingredient — it's an unidentified mixture of thousands of synthetic chemicals? And that 95% of all beauty products list "fragrance" as an ingredient, yet companies are not required to disclose what that mixture actually contains?

    Unfortunately, this isn't a minor loophole. The chemicals hidden under the word "fragrance" include known carcinogens, allergens, endocrine disruptors, neurotoxic chemicals, environmental toxins, and respiratory irritants. They are linked to a wide range of health issues: cancer, asthma, migraines, brain fog, irritability, mood changes, headaches, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, hormonal disorders, and reproductive harm.

    And although most of us grew up thinking that what we put on our bodies is a personal choice that only affects us, these chemicals don't stay on the person wearing them. Many are designed to persist — phthalates (linked to hormone disruption, reproductive harm, and cancer) are added to make scents last longer, while synthetic musks (which are known to accumulate in human fat tissue and breast milk, and are also linked to cancer) are formulated to resist breakdown and can build up in the body over time. The chemicals enter the air, travel, are breathed in and are actually absorbed through the skin, and affect everyone nearby — and can linger on surfaces for hours, days, or even months.

    Even if you can't smell your own products anymore — because our noses become desensitized with repeated exposure — the chemicals are still there, often overwhelmingly strong for people who are sensitive to them. So both because of the toxicity of the chemicals in ‘fragrance’ and because of how the chemicals travel and get absorbed by the body, wearing fragrances actually affects everyone and every space we come into contact with.

    For this reason, I maintain my studio space as fragrance-free — both so that I can be fully present and focused during your session (which I can't do when fragrance-triggered headaches get in the way), and for other clients who might be experience similar negative effects from chemical fragrances.

    While keeping this studio fragrance-free is my immediate ask, I'd also like to invite you to think bigger — about what it would mean to go fragrance-free in your everyday life as another way to increase access for everyone. (see section below)

  • “Making space accessible is an act of love for our communities….One small (and huge) thing you can do to ensure access is to work towards  being scent/fragrance free.”

    ~ Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha, “Fragrance free femme of colour genius”

    I hope you'll consider extending this same courtesy beyond our sessions and switching permanently to 100% fragrance-free products — because unfortunately, the scent you wear doesn't stay with you. It travels, permeates the air, and affects everyone who shares the air with you.

    There is a whole community of us out here who are negatively affected by chemical fragrances daily — experiencing everything from headaches and brain fog to respiratory issues, cancer, and endocrine disorders. Many of us have a hard time just going into stores, walking down the street, or participating in social events — constantly bombarded by the fragrances in other people's personal care products, from laundry detergent to deodorant. We're often adjusting our work, social, and daily routines to avoid getting sick.

    I know this might be the first time you're hearing a direct ask like this. Most of us grow up never thinking twice about the products we use — we're never told that "fragrance" is a loophole for thousands of unregulated chemicals, or that what we wear doesn't stay with us. And it's easy to assume that one person's products couldn't possibly make that big of a difference. But the truth is, if you wear fragranced products out into the world, you are inevitably contributing to someone else's negative health symptoms. There will be at least one person you cross paths with daily — if not many more — who will be negatively impacted by the fragrances in your personal care products. The effects are so constant that all of us who are made sick by chemical fragrances desperately wish that everyone who wears them would switch to fragrance-free products instead.

    And here's the thing: this isn't just about one space, one event, or that one friend you have who is fragrance-sensitive. It's about every person you pass on the street, share an aisle with at the grocery store, or sit next to on public transit. We each have the power to make a simple, doable change that will directly improve the lives of people around us — mostly people we won't even meet. From that perspective, it's pretty incredible that such an individual, discreet, and doable choice can make such a positive difference for so many people.

    I know this can feel personal. We're conditioned to think what we put on our bodies is our own business. And honestly, I used to think that too. I'd seen community events advertised as "fragrance-free because chemical fragrances make some people sick," but I didn't make the switch to being fragrance-free until I realized that synthetically fragranced products were giving me headaches. Then, after a breast cancer and fibroid diagnosis at 40, cutting out carcinogens and endocrine disruptors became a lot more urgent.

    I wish I'd appreciated sooner how my previous fragranced products were affecting not just my own health, but everyone I crossed paths with — and that I'd made the switch before I realized chemical fragrances were negatively affecting me. I hope you'll consider going fragrance-free sooner than I did — not just for yourself, but for everyone who shares the air with you.

  • Although 1 in 3 people reports having a chemical fragrance sensitivity, the truth is that fragranced chemicals negatively impact everyone's health—whether they notice it or not. These chemicals are linked to a wide range of illnesses and conditions, including cancer, endocrine disorders, neurological issues, heart disease, and respiratory problems. Consider how common these conditions have become:

    • Cancer: 1 in 3 people in the US will be diagnosed with some type of cancer in their lifetime

    • Uterine fibroids: Up to 70% of people with uteruses will develop fibroids by age 50

    • Endometriosis or PCOS: At least 1 in 10 people with uteruses will develop one of these by age 50

    • Breast cancer: 1 in 8 people with uteruses will be diagnosed in their lifetime

    • Thyroid disorders: 1 in 8 people with uteruses will be diagnosed in their lifetime

    The chemicals hidden under the ingredient "fragrance" directly contribute to all of these conditions—and many more.

    If you’d like to explore the science behind this, see the section of key articles and medical studies that helped me understand the full toll fragrances take on our bodies.