Are you sensitive to scents?  May is MCS Awareness Month.  MCS stands for Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, a disorder that affects one in 4 Americans, according to a recent study.  So, if you are sensitive to scents, you are not alone.  Fragrance sensitivity is on the rise, and so are fragrances used in many marketing campaigns.  How do you know if you are sensitive to scents?

• You walk by the candle shop at the mall and suddenly get a headache.
• You’re in a close environment (elevator, public transportation) and someone’s cologne or after shave sends you into a sneezing fit
• The soap in your company’s washroom makes your hands break out in a rash
• Passing the fragrance counter in a department store makes you sick to your stomach
• Magazines with scented flyers make you dizzy

If this sounds like you, or someone in your household, here are 3 things you can do today to reduce or eliminate your symptoms.

Steps You Can Take Today

• Read the labels of your household and personal care products.  Start by getting rid of anything with an artificial scent.  If symptoms persist, get rid of anything scented.
• When buying products, especially personal care products, look for ones that are chemical and scent free.
• Keep a travel size bottle of liquid unscented chemical free soap with you and avoid using soaps in public washrooms.

Read Your Labels

If your sensitivity goes beyond scented products, it could be caused by chemicals that are commonly used in personal care and cleaning products.  You will be shocked at the lengthy list of chemicals you are exposed to once you get in the habit of reading labels.  Rule of thumb – if you can’t pronounce it, question it!  Here are 3 common (and unnecessary) chemicals found in many personal care and cleaning products:

• Sodium Lauryl Sulfate is a detergent added to create a rich lather or bubbles.  This might look appealing but it does nothing to aid cleaning.  Detergent strips the skin of protective natural oils.  Who wants that?
• Triclosan is an antibacterial additive.  Recent studies show it may cause bacteria resistant to antibacterial agents to thrive.  Natural soap is antibacterial.  It’s been used for centuries as first aid to clean wounds.
• Parabens are preservatives.  They are chemicals that mimic estrogens.  If they get into the bloodstream, they could disrupt normal hormonal balance and cause health problems.

Your Best Defense

The best way to protect yourself from chemical and/or scent sensitivity is knowledge of what you are buying or using.  Penns Hill Organic Soap Company is committed to making soap products that are pure, clean and natural.  You will find unscented liquid and bar soap that is made from 2 ingredients – saponified certified organic extra virgin olive oil and water.  It can’t get much simpler!

To honor MCS Awareness Month, all our unscented products are 10% off!  The discount will apply to unscented liquid soap, unscented bar soap and unscented bar soap made with organic oats.  Use the coupon MCSAWARE in your shopping cart!

If you live in a cold climate knowing how to get relief from winter dry skin is essential to making winter bearable.  If you spend a lot of time outdoors in the elements, the following tips should help you make this winter more bearable for your skin.  By making a few easy changes to your skin care routine, you can make winter dry skin history.  You do not have to suffer from winter dry skin any more.Look for properties in your soap and skin products that protect and sooth, like extra virgin oils. Olive, oat, aloe and sweet almond are fine examples.  Gentle exfoliants like organic oatmeal and other soft organic botanicals will help remove rough flaky skin, leaving you smooth and soft.  If your skin is ultra sensitive, try to avoid scents.

What You Want To Avoid

Remember to read labels for your skin care products.  Look for anything you cannot pronounce.  If you have to look up the ingredient it is a red flag! The best way to get relief from winter dry skin is prevention.  Avoid products that contain artificial fragrance, alcohol and detergents.  They tend to dry and irritate.  Also, avoid parabens and other preservatives found in most commercial soap and cosmetics.

What To Use

Try eliminating one potential irritant at a time to find the culprit.  For example, you might try changing to unscented (or scent-free) soaps and laundry detergent.  Next, maybe eliminating any detergent (dish washing liquid, laundry) and substituting detergent-free cleaners.  For extra moisture, try using a very light layer of massage oil made with any of the above mentioned oils.  They can be used alone or in combination.  Stay hydrated by drinking extra water and avoid caffeine which can dehydrate.  Use a humidifier in your home, especially in your bedroom.  And, keep telling yourself – don’t worry, spring is just around the corner!

Happy 4th of July!  Want great summer skin?  We’re celebrating you, our loyal customers!  During the month of July, all non toxic organic soap products on our website are 10% off the regular price.

Please use coupon code JULY4 when placing your order.  Sale applies to orders placed on our website – www.pennshillsoap.com.

But, apparently along with folks looking for organic alternatives, there is a scent-free movement as well.  I read recently a church is offering a “scent-free” sitting area for members that are sensitive to scents.  When my husband shops at our local mall, he has to hold his nose when he walks by the candle store.  The aroma is just too much for him.  Even though I’ve used scent free laundry detergent for many years, I didn’t make the connection that unscented soap would be so popular.  The scent-free movement has spoken!

Eugenia from Albuquerque, New Mexico wrote – “I love this soap, I use it for everything. I’m allergic to coconut and this is a perfect product for me. I make my own laundry detergent, dishwasher soap and dish soap, I use this in all those things. It’s perfect for me. Thank you for making a pure soap that MCS people can use.”

Eugenia, we are thrilled you love our product.  We are happy to create something that improves life for you.  We take special care in keeping and preparing our unscented soaps separate from our scented varieties.  We are open to suggestions to expand the unscented line.  Currently we offer bars with organic oats.  Do you have anything you might like that would add a benefit without adding a scent?  Aloe?  Seaweed?  Let us know!