# Am I having a reaction to fragrance oil



## Guest (Dec 9, 2010)

Made my first batch of scented soap - Crafters Choice Mango Papaya - last night. Put the soaps in the mold, cleaned up and headed to bed. When I got to bed and all of the sudden the room started spinning. T It lasted a few minutes but settled. 
I woke up this am, stood up and the world has not righted itself yet. I am walking unsteady. If I sit still the world stops spinning

Is this a reaction to the scent or maybe coincidentally I am catching a bug?? Anyone do something like this before?


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## Catmehndi (Dec 9, 2010)

Fragrances can cause all sorts of reactions. The other day, someone spilled a large amount of fragrance at the office and the result was all of us got a severe headache and felt nauseous. 
It may be that since you were making the soap, you had a bit of an 'overdose' of fragrance.


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## agriffin (Dec 9, 2010)

How are you feeling today?  I hope better!


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## Bubbly Buddha (Dec 9, 2010)

Yes, are you feeling better?


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## Guest (Dec 9, 2010)

Thanks for asking and responding. I was really worried. Google effects of fragrance oil and the top 20 responses are practically all the same article. I DO believe it is possible that I am sensitive to scents. It went away after an hour or two. I do not think I have a bug.
I quit wearing perfume years ago because I sneeze so much with them....I may try making soaps with a mask on. If it happens again with a different scent, I will no longer make scented soaps.
Heah, I use honey and that gives a nice mild scent, so......
Fran


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## carebear (Dec 9, 2010)

Almost everything in your life has a fragrance added, so I doubt you are reacting to the fragrance in that way unless you did something like drink it.

Some scents make my head hurt, or cause congestion; maybe mild eye or skin irritation if I do something stupid.  But that's just me.

Some swear synthetic fragrances make them sick, but most of the same people use deodorants and fabric softeners, etc with synthetic fragrances.

Essential oils, IMO, are more likely to cause distress, but even...

But I'm not a doctor, nor do I play one on TV...

I have big time reactions if the level of lavender EO is too high - I get palpitations and a headache and get downright nauseous.


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## soapbuddy (Dec 9, 2010)

I'm glad you're feeling better.
Make a batch that's unscented. Try it on your skin after it cures and see how you react to it. Some people do have sensitivities due to certain fragrance oils or soapmaking oils. Since the actual ingredients in fragrances are proprietary info, we'll never know what it might be.


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## honor435 (Dec 10, 2010)

ive never heard of that kind of reaction, usually frag sens people get stuffed up, or get a headache, I suppose dizziness could also happen. I couldnt give up fos! wear a good mask.


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## Sunny (Dec 10, 2010)

I do get really dizzy and a little nauseated when I use fragrance oils. I think it's just because of the concentration of the oil. I have been making soap for almost a year (wow! just realized that) and it happens pretty consistently for me.

I do use a few scented things (laundry detergent/fabric softener, and soap of course!) but since I began making soap I have noticed myself moving to a lot of unscented things: lotions, shampoo, deodorant, bath items, and I have stopped wearing perfume or body spray. The smells just bother me now.

you are not alone! 

actually carebear, you bring up a good point! eo's don't seem bother me in the same way fo's do... I swear I'm not making it up!


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## Traceyann (Dec 11, 2010)

Fran, get your ears checked for an inner ear infection.....it can be painless and believe me if you have one they can turn your world upside down instantly........I was hospitalised for 10 days with Vertigo....and it took 2 yrs to get over completely......

Hopefully its just the oils......but please get your ears checked just to be safe


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## Guest (Dec 11, 2010)

This is an interesting conversation. 
I never use scented air fresheners, try to avoid scented soaps. I have been enjoying my naturally scented honey soaps but thought for gift giving, people would appreciate a little more scent. Plus, my niece wanted to make a batch and I know a teenager would want the scent.
I even avoid scented products when doing other cleaning, like the tub. Moved to barkeepers friend, or if I am really lazy will do the scrubbing bubbles and leave the bathroom for about 5 minutes. Never put all of that together. 
And of course, my father has bouts of vertigo, uggh! I am praying it was the scent.
And then I have contradicting statements on the FO and EO. But since I am sensitive to perfume, I assume that is FO, perhaps that is what messes with me - if that is what it is......


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## cmd439 (Dec 11, 2010)

I have made batches with different fo's and not had a problem, but there was an instance with a certain fo that gave me a massive headache with an unsettled stomach.


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## Elly (Dec 18, 2010)

A fragrance may be made up of dozens of different chemicals - and up to 95% of these fragrance chemicals are petrochemicals - derived from crude oil.  Many have been shown in studies to cause serious health problems, mutations and death in animals. Fragrances are even listed on the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences as an indoor pollutant.


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## carebear (Dec 18, 2010)

Nice button word - mutations.

If you are going to blame an entire class of chemicals then how is it that she' s not reacting to all the other petrochemicals in her life?

And people can have reactions to other materials like essential oils.  

Crude oil is derived from organic material.


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## babydawnsmom (Dec 26, 2010)

*Similar reaction to an f/o w/ Crafters Choice*

Hi there,

Just thought I'd chime in as I agree with a few of the responses. It may be exposure/overexposure to an ingredient in the fragrance and the only way to determine if that's the case is by process of elimination.

I've used several Crafter's Choice f/o's and most of them never gave me a problem until I used their Banana/Coconut Fragrance.

Boy, it was noticible as soon as I poured it in shortly before trace. 

I used about 1 tsp. per 1lb of soap in which that particular batch was about 8.5 lbs.

My eyes, throat and nose started to burn. Shortly thereafter, I began coughing. 

It was a pretty strong fragrance to say the least so I poured it in the molds and covered it with towels to sit overnight. 

When I awoke in the morning with a headache and mild vertigo. Everyone in the house was coughing and complaining of the same eyes, nose and throat irritation. 

I decided to set the soap on top of my washing machine for a while to air out the house...it took about 5 hours to completely get rid of the smell.

I ran our hepa filter after airing out the house and I swear it went away!

I'm not saying that their fragrances are bad, heck, I love them as do some of my friends, family and customers but I won't be using that one again.

I'll echo what a few others have said as well in that even essential oils can cause a reaction so trying the non-scented route next time around would be a good idea (just to see if getting a break from fragrance in soap might help).

Good luck and hopefully you're ok now.
I decided


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