A significant number of campers suffer from heightened sensitivity to solvents and petroleum products, including perfume, fragrance and body care products. Even some of our dance leaders have begun to be affected by the increasingly strong chemicals in the products worn by dancers. These chemicals can act not only as respiratory irritants, but also as cardiac stimulants (skyrocketing blood pressure, palpitations) and neurotoxins (symptoms include tremors, mental confusion, equilibrium loss, blurred vision).
Exposure to products containing even small amounts of the chemicals can cause these symptoms. Please understand that this is not a preference issue - it is a serious health concern. Chemical sensitivity results from continued exposure to solvents and products in doses thought to be safe: this could happen to any one of us. Because the dining hall, dance hall, dorms and lodges at camp and other venues are enclosed spaces, even small amounts of fragrance or scented or toxic products on a few people can add up quickly to intolerable amounts. Our fellow dancers with chemical sensitivities can attend camp only if we all work together to reduce the amount of toxic chemicals in the camp environment.
Beyond this we would simply say that our purpose in coming together to explore the Dances of Universal Peace is entirely sidetracked by someone wearing strong perfume or scent. These things simply get in the way of our focus - which is discovering Wholeness and overcoming separation.
We ask that you please:
Oneness Project will supply the bathrooms at Wilderness Dance Camp with fragrance-free soap, shampoo, conditioner, and hand lotion for your convenience. Please consider bringing other fragrance-free personal products to use at camp. This will really make a difference. They can easily be found at any natural food store. Here's a short sampling:
Please note that products with labels that contain the words "fragrance free" or "unscented" do not guarantee they do not contain fragrance chemicals, they imply that they have no perceptible odor. A product labeled "unscented" may contain a masking fragrance. If fragrance is added to a product to mask or cover up the odor of other ingredients, it is not required to be put on the label. A product must be marked "without perfume" to indicate no fragrance has been added. Even in this instance, it is best to read the label to look for plant extracts that are potential perfume sensitizers and cross-reactors.
We all need to pay attention to this important area because we are all ultimately susceptible to our increasingly toxic modern environment. For more information visit www.nofragrance.org.
Thanks to Victoria Bestock and Ric Goldman of the Bay Area Country Dance Society for compiling much of this information.