The thought of going on a trip or a family vacation fills me with dread. In fact, any time I need to go to a place I’ve never been, my anxiety flares up.
It’s not that I don’t know how to enjoy myself. I’m a friendly person and I love doing fun things, seeing new places, and meeting people.
The problem is that when I’m around scented products and environmental chemicals, I get headaches, wheezing, stomach pains, and even brain fog that makes me seem intoxicated or drugged.
And heading off to an airport, staying at a hotel, or traveling just about anywhere means that I’ll be assaulted by synthetic fragrances, cleaning products, and other airborne toxins that most people don’t even notice.
It’s not just me, of course, There are many of us who deal with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity. Here are some tips and helpful items to take along in order to minimize your exposure to everyone’s smells.
Your own, unscented household products
- Travel-sized personal bars of soap.
- Your preferred shampoo that you’re able to tolerate.
- Unscented laundry detergent
- Hand and dish soap that are not antibacterial.
You can put together a travel kit that is ready to go on short notice.
If someone suggests you use their scented products, you can politely explain that you tend to get migraines, so you brought your own minimally scented products.
“Migraines” is something that most people can grasp the concept of, rather than trying to explain confusion, lethargy and brain fog. Even people who have seen me exposed to toxins and speaking in a stream of consciousness brain fog have trouble grasping how serious my reaction is.
Portable fan
Some people find that keeping the air circulating helps them deal with scents, so packing a small portable fan is a good idea.
Use your portable fan in the room where you’re sleeping or any place where smells seem to be an issue.
Granted, it might annoy your spouse, so make sure they can sleep with the fan going.
Your own sheets, blankets and pillows
Sleeping at other people’s houses may mean that you’ll be forced to try and get some shut-eye while tossing and turning in sheets that have been washed in fragranced detergent– or worse, neurotoxic fabric softener.
Eliminate this problem by bringing your own cotton sheets, bed pillows, and even a blanket or two.
You may feel slightly awkward telling people that you plan to use your own bedding, especially if they’ve taken pains to accommodate you. However, you can explain that you get rashes from most laundry detergents, so you brought your own bedding.
Most people won’t question this, and it will save you from getting weird looks over something they can’t really understand.
Extra changes of clothes
If you’re expecting to need clothes for 4 days, then pack for 6.
This is because you never know when you may get something on your clothes at a time when you won’t have the opportunity to wash them.
For example, campfire smoke leaves me struggling to breathe, and I’m not the only one.
Rather than spend the night sleepless due to the smell of firewood clinging to your body, you can simply change into a clean tee shirt and pants or shorts. Remove the odorous items from the room where you’ll be sleeping. Ask your spouse to do the same.
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