Re: Re: ponderings on allergic reactions

[Guest guest]

Maggi Quinlan, Ph.D.

Hi Maggi,

I have read news articles describing allergic reactions to fragrance, but

until now have not read such a personal description of the problem. Still,

I am baffled. I can understand how a person can be allergic to certain of

the molecules that are found in fragrant materials. But, what is it that

makes these molecules allergins solely when they are in synthetic blends?

Why do they not produce the same reaction when they are in " natural "

surroundings? If you were allergic to, say, phenyl ethyl alcohol, why in

synthetic rose but not in natural rose? Why are our perfumes safer? The

chemist (long ago) in me says there should be no difference. Has the

medical profession weighed in on this question?

Steve Earl

Glen Custom Perfumery

Hi Steve,

My thinking about this does not go to the chemicals themselves, but rather

to the wisdom of the body. Given that the olfactory nerve goes unmediated

to the limbic part of the brain, (center for emotion and memory) which

controls the hypothalamas and pituitary, the primary biochemical centers of

the body, I'm more inclined to think that these glands have the innate

intelligence to determine what is harmful and what is not. We smell rotten

food, and are repelled, safety has happened through the nose.

My experience may also have to do with saturation. For many years,

synthetics did not bother me at all. It was only after working with them

directly in great quantity that my allergy developed. Did my body reach a

maximum safe saturation, after which the biochemical brain says no to more?

I know this happens to people with foods, why not with smells?

I do know one person who has severe reactions to select airborn essential

oils, just the same as I do to chemicals, and synthetics don't bother her at

all. I don't think there are clear cut answers that apply to all people.

But my bias is that we have too many synthetic chemicals in our lives, in

ways we do not think about. The fact that so many people are developing

sensitivities, and auto-immune problems, etc., makes my bias want to err on

the side of caution. Only time and lots of research will determine what has

merit. I don't think the medical community has weighed in yet, because I

don't think there if enough recognition of the difference between naturals

and synthetics in allopathy.

In the last 13 years I have had to teach many hundreds of people how to

smell deeply. I recognized that as North Americans, we have developed a

habit of smelling in very short intakes. My assumption is that this

developed as a protective mechanism for the body. When I would ask people

to smell the essential oils deeply they were able to follow the smell right

to the part of the body that was in need of support. It happened every time

and taught me about the relationship between high quality, therapeutic oils,

the body wisdom and healing through the nose. Only the high quality oils

had this effect. The synthetics stopped right at the bridge of the nose, as

did the low quality essentials.

So I think it's important to recognize the relationship between living

substances and the resonance they create with the body wisdom. There seems

to be a communication that happens there. What determines the nature of

that dialogue is going to be dependent on an infinite number of variables.

It is part of what determines who likes what smell. Simple recognition,

complex causality. I don't know if this is an answer to your question, but

perhaps just an opening for more questions. In any event, for now I am

enjoying the mystery, and appreciate diving deeper into it. Thanks for

stimulating the thoughts.

Breathe in Health

Maggi

[Guest guest]

( -- moderator here -- a lot of your post was snipped because there were

so many quotes. It was also edited to correct topposting.)

Maggi, et al.

I have a severe reaction to patchouli, part of the reason I think this is,

is due to the fact that it is made from a wood and distilling this does not

remove the mold completely (it's very hard to remove mold from anything

entirely or so it seems to me.). I am highly allergic to wood molds. Pine

mold, oak mold, etc. I have passed out 2 times due to inhalation of

patchouli once I almost had to be hospitalized.. However I have only ever

had one reaction to a perfume.. It was obsession.. I believe that some of

the synthetic chemicals can mimic the original so closely that it causes the

same reaction, in some people (not everyone is that sensitive to scent.)

You also have to take in to account that the synthetics may be made from

similar chemical components. If they are and the person is allergic to the

component and not the actual scent they will have a reaction. If they are

not allergic to the synthetic, then the component of the Natural that they

are allergic to is not there. Since everything has a chemical make up and

it takes many chemicals to make up one scent you would have to be able to

isolate the specific chemical component that the person is allergic to...

and exposure to certain things over a period of time can cause allergic

reaction... I also have a sensitivity to sandalwood EO, but not the

synthetic. It just boggles my mind how different combinations of the same

thing can get a totally different reaction, but it is all about chemistry

isn't it...