From Perfume Lover to Clean Beauty Advocate: My Toxic Awakening
- tesanawellness
- May 7
- 2 min read
The sweet, intoxicating scents that once drew me down the perfume aisles of Neiman Marcus held a dark secret I never suspected. Like many fragrance enthusiasts, I would spend hours sampling every new scent, letting each delicate mist envelope me in what I thought was pure luxury. Little did I know, each spritz was actually exposing me to a cocktail of potentially harmful chemicals.

And with someone with an auto-immune disease(Lupus and Rheumatoid Arthritis), I try to stay away from toxins as much as possible. But these perfumes were so intoxicating that I thought, "ahh, a bit of perfume won't hurt me." Little did I know.
The turning point in my fragrance journey came when I discovered the groundbreaking 1998 study published in the Archives of Environmental Health titled "Acute Toxic Effects of Fragrance Products." The research revealed something shocking: fragrance emissions could cause various combinations of sensory irritation, pulmonary irritation, and even changes in brain function. This wasn't just about unpleasant smells – it was about real, measurable impacts on our health.
My personal experience validates these findings. After transitioning to natural, organic essential oils, my body's reaction to synthetic fragrances became impossible to ignore. Now, walking down that same perfume aisle that once brought me such joy triggers immediate physical responses – headaches and allergic reactions that serve as my body's warning system.
The science backs up my experience. Recent studies have shown that synthetic fragrances can contain numerous undisclosed chemicals, with over 75% of products containing endocrine disruptors. These aren't just minor irritants; they're compounds capable of affecting our neurological, respiratory, and hormonal systems.
Today, as I create clean, non-toxic alternatives through Té Sana Wellness, I'm grateful for my body's wisdom in rejecting those synthetic fragrances. That headache in the perfume aisle isn't just an inconvenience – it's a reminder of why I chose to embrace pure, natural scents that work in harmony with our bodies rather than against them.
We will be offering non-toxic perfume solids, stay tuned!
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