Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Natural does not mean non-toxic

Again today something popped up that made me want to write a quick word about natural things that many people think of as non-toxic. Wrong! At least if you are chemically sensitive, that is a dangerous assumption.

Mint, cedar, lavender, menthol, pine.

These are examples of things that probably seem pleasant and generally harmless. But for the chemically injured/sensitive these things can be anywhere from irritating to downright harmful. Can be — but not for everyone with MCS. I know people with chemical sensitivities who have no trouble with some or all of these materials. I also know people who really get their asses kicked by them. They and dozens of other innocent-seeming things, like essential oils, need to be treated as guilty of being problematic until proven innocent.

Just today Cynthia dealt with someone who put cedar shakes on their house and now has a serious problem on his hands. It's going to take a lot of work to keep their house usable to him, and it is possible they will have to leave the house for good.

Such simple mistakes can have such mammoth consequences. Protect yourself with caution. Don't be scarred, but do be skeptical.

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