Pullout Nov 26, 2014 at 4:00 am

No One Seems to Know What They're Made Of or How They Affect Your Health. Have a Nice Day.

Comments

1
Being anywhere near a Bath & Body Works used to trigger an instant migraine anytime I was anywhere near one of their stores in the mall, in the 90s. It's not so much of an issue anymore, but I don't know if it's because that ingredient has changed or I just grew out of it. Either way, ugh. I can't stand to be overwhelmed by fragrances of any type. Less is more, people. Less is more.
2
Targeting our brains without a medical license, without express informed consent or permission, and without regulatory approval of the specific drugs and chemicals used should be a criminal offense!
3
Often I have to walk quickly on the other side of the mall while holding my breath to get past Bath and Body Works because the scent is so strong it triggers my asthma. It gets worse as the day progresses because of people going in there and spritzing the testers to experience the scents. By the evening it is overpowering because of the non-evaporating bases they use which do not allow the scents to dissipate as rapidly.
4
This could be fun to "tinker with". Make Bath and Body Works smell like the Barclay's Arena, for example.

http://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20130520…
5
I think they need to get OSHA down there to run some air quality tests for the employees.
7
Good lord! I had no idea this was going on. I stopped going to enclosed shopping malls roughly 20yrs ago because they gave me headaches. Must be a living hell today why the fuck would anyone shop in one?
8
Just one more reason to stay out of malls. Not that another was needed.
10
Bath & Body Works doesn't even need any added fragrances. That shit, in the bottle, can stink up a room. I had a coworker who used BBW lotion. You could smell her down the hall from the front door of our office. You could smell the stench for hours after she left.
11
I live in an area so rural there's no WalMart within 120 miles or so—though the local Indian tribe (their preferred term) has threatened to plant one next to their little casino—but not so rural it doesn't have a KMart.

For anyone sensitive to odors, I'd recommend staying the hell away from KMart unless you're forced to shop there by lack of other options—they have bins of "cinnamon"-scented pine cones in mesh bags amongst their holiday kitsch that stink up the whole store and give me an instant headache.
12
For years I have felt like I was allergic to the stores. I walk in the super market and suddenly experience sneezing, watery eyes, runny nose, itchy ears, and coughing. They're doing this on purpose?
13
Hotel lobbies are the worst. I've had to tell managers that the lobby overscenting ruined an otherwise positive experience.
14
@13

So true -- the Westin (Bellevue) will always smell like algorithms and heartbreak.
15
I like fragrances. I like scented candles. I like incense. I like room sprays. I like scented aftershaves. I like scented drawer liners. I like scented deodorant. I like scented moisturizers and lotions. I like scented soaps and bath products.



I'm hopelessly politically incorrect when it comes to fragrance in the Seattle of today. And, know what? I don't give a rat's ass If other's have politically correct issues with fragrance in any form.
16
Simple. Those of us who can afford it just have to buy one of these:

http://solutions.3m.com/3MContentRetriev…

http://appscleanroom.com/prods/respirado…

Air is no longer free. At least, cleanish air, uninfested with "motivational" scents is no longer free. We Tivo/dvr our television programs to strip out ads. Now, if we want/need to, we can strip advertisements out of the air we breathe. For a price.

The first few people to start doing this will be considered super-odd. But, what would happen if 10-20% of shoppers are walking around with these? I think we'd see the rest of the populace demand that these scents be banned. (Either that, or legislation banning the use of respirators on the grounds that it disparaged businesses using scents.)
17
@8 Yeah.
18
There are a few problems with this issue. First of all, A&F turns that shit up to 11 in order to achieve two things: 1) They want the smell to travel THROUGHOUT the mall, reminding people they exist and hoping to coax them inside, and 2) They want the scent to permeate the clothing of the shopper to achieve a similar result.The problem is that with such a high potency, it really does become unbearable for shoppers who are sensitive so strong scents, like myself. Working in the mall for many years, I oftentimes had to plug my nose or refrain from breathing while approaching A&F. I'm headache prone with scents. :(
19
Most people are not overly sensitive to fragrance. But apparently the few whiners that are have posted here today.
20
@Arthur Zifferelli. I think you are very rude to call fragrance-sensitive people "whiners". It's not like it's their fault that the smells give them headaches or respiratory difficulties. For the same reason I would not call someone a whiner for having an allergy, and saying that they do. People should be more considerate of others, even those who are not "most people". And "most people" might not be as many as you think.
21
The chances that you will get cancer is now 1 in 2. Just 10 year sago it was 1 in 4. In 1900 it was 1 in 30. Most of the chemicals that enter your body are ingested from the air not from food as most people think. Good luck with all those artificially scented candles, perfumes, pine cones, air fresheners!
22
It's not about being politically correct and I don't believe it is whining to point out when one has a legitimate health concern. Grocery stores post warnings when fish is being sampled so people with allergies are aware. This is no different. Scent intolerance can result in headaches, asthma attacks, depression, nausea, airway closure, confusion, and many more symptoms.

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