In this post I will be talking about the development and implementation of a fragrance-free policy in a hospital, school, or other institutional setting. I will also consider how I would deal with the fragrances that are in employees’ personal care products.
I think that having a fragrance-free policy is very difficult. Just about everything have a fragrance. If you don’t think so I suggest you make a trip to Target and walk down the personal care products. I’m sure you will find more items that have a fragrance than those that are fragrance-free. I believe the market has made it even more difficult to get rid of fragrances. Yes, they smell great but if ill informed you do not know the harm you could be causing your body. Not only that, but our skin can absorb fragrances put on our skin or from our clothing.
Upon some brainstorming and thinking of the best method to go about having a fragrance-free policy I believe that people should go through an educational course on the effects/exposure fragrances can have on the body. Part of being employed, enrolled in school, or at in institutional setting would require an agreement to be fragrance-free. With that being said, the policy would educate the individual on the benefits of being fragrance-free and provide an agreement that would need to be signed. I understand this may be difficult initially but my hope would be that once and individual or parents see and understand the harm fragrances can cause they would be more likely to be fragrance-free.
If they decide not to sign that agreement they I would ask them to be mindful of everyone else. In order to encourage individuals to go fragrance-free I would suggest they visit the Safe Cosmetics website (www.ewg.org/skindeep) and see how their daily product rate. This website is great to provide a visual for people and explains products quite well. I know this may be a far fetched idea, but I know first hand that I am more aware of the personal products I use and mindful when I am around others. Let me know what your thoughts are.
-Iliana
Hi Iliana,
ReplyDeleteI would agree that a fragrance policy would be very difficult to develop and implement. I like your idea of a fragrance-free agreement for those who work or are in school settings. While it we cannot and do not want to control what people do in their own personal homes, we can prevent them from using these products in work and school settings. I also think that educating the public, as you mentioned, may stop them from using fragranced products and therefore persuade producers to make products that are more natural and fragrance free.
Hi Iliana,
ReplyDeleteI really like your idea of implementing a course that every student should go through before graduating high school. Time and time again it has been proven that education is the key to progress! If we educate kids at a young age, they are more likely to be receptive to what we are teaching them, and slowly we can change the plight of our environment through the molding of young minds. I like that they would also get the option to either agree or disagree to the wearing of perfume/fragrances, so that they can still keep their own sense of independence.
Great idea!
-Aveena