Have you noticed the many odors you are exposed to throughout the day? From morning to evening, one’s olfactory system is barraged over and over again with all types of organic, ‘natural’ and chemical emanations from numerous sources.

Let’s begin with the daily shower. Start with the soap or body wash. Most of these have a scent that has been added. Lovely on its own but, now throw in the shampoo. Again, another opportunity for a scent. Most likely a conditioner for the hair will follow with it’s own special aroma. So far we have used soap and/or body wash, shampoo and conditioner.

After the shower, some people like to use talcum powder. Yet another addition to the mix. While we’re at it, don’t forget the deodorant! Lot’s of choice with these. We are not done yet though. It is time for the Perfume or Cologne to be splashed, sprayed or dabbed on. So far that is 6 or 7 fragrances that we have used.

Now, for our hair. Not all of these products are used each and every day but here are a few. Gel, mousse, hairspray, oils, frizz control, leave in conditioners, tangle free products, there is just no end of supplies here. We can add a product to increase curls or lessen them, smooth our hair or spike it and protect hair from the heat of the hair dryer or curling iron. Choices, choices and more choice. Personally, I just let mine air dry.

Wait, there is more; Clothing. The laundry soap has a smell to it. Ahhhh, that lovely bouquet when you open the dryer, full of clean clothes. That smell doesn’t go away. It is subtly lingering on the fibers just waiting to be released when a little bit of sweat occurs. All of these additions are of our own choosing and we haven’t even left our bedroom!

Room fresheners. How many of these do you have in your home? Defusers, plugins, automatic ones that spray every so often and the old stand by, bottle that you can spray about the room. AND, the choices of scents, vanilla, spring, fresh air, summer rain, tropical island. Who thinks of these names? I’ve even heard there is one to smell like fresh baked cookies.

Okay, time to go to work, school, errands, you name it. The car even has its own air freshener for heaven’s sake. Those little things to hang on your car’s vents that emit their particular essence when the air conditioning or heater is on. No thank you.

Now, add a passenger or two. Can you image it?

Years ago, I offered to drive my daughter and her girlfriends to a party. Four of them all together. It was cold so I had the heater on in the car. One by one I picked them up and added their special scents to the car. All the fragrances battling each other. OMG. I was never so glad to get people out of my car. I sat in the parking lot with the windows down and the heat off, trying to get all of the odors out. Thank goodness, another mother was in charge of bringing the party girls home.

My mother used to put her perfume on in her car. One of her housemates had breathing issues and out of concern for him, she would store her perfume in the car. (Yes, it was Threes Company for the geriatric set.)  We went to visit my Grandmother at her care facility in my Mom’s car. Oh Lord. It was a hot summer day. You know where I’m going with this right? The car was closed up for almost 2 hours. I about passed out when she opened the car. We drove with the windows down until we found a fast food restaurant, parked the car right in front so we could keep an eye on it and left the window rolled down. I always offered to drive after that.

The workplace has another blending of odors and I’m not talking about the coffee and donuts. Everyone has done the same thing as you; showered, and or shaved, deodorant, hair, etc. I just hope you have a separate office or cubicle. Clients and such coming in and out of the workplace. It just never ends.

Think about it the next time you reach for your cologne or perfume, air freshener or diffuser for your home, new car smell deodorant for your car, and the laundry detergent. It’s all cumulative. Oh, don’t forget if you are still a smoker. That is one oder that has staying power!

   Happy Breathing!