Our team at the Toxicant-Induced Loss of Tolerance (TILT) Program at UT Health San Antonio wanted to share several important external articles:
“Ford’s New Fragrance, Mach-Eau, Aims To Please With An ‘Animal Element’ Fused With Gasoline, Rubber, & Smoky Accords” from CleanTechnica and “Ford Motor Company Ventures into Fragrance” from LicenseGlobal.
Here is an excerpt from the CleanTechnica article:
Ford wants to encourage its customers to make the switch to electric and is hoping to sway those reluctant via their sense of smell. The company noted that the new Mach-Eau aims to please the nose of any wearer, and the fragrance “fuses smoky accords, aspects of rubber, and even an ‘animal’ element to give a nod to the Mustang heritage.”
Here is an excerpt from the LicenseGlobal article:
Pia Long, associate perfumer in the British Society of Perfumers, was instrumental in its inception. Her starting point was to investigate the chemicals that are emitted from car interiors, engines and petrol. This included benzaldehyde, which is an almond-like scent given off by car interiors, and para-cresol, which is key in creating the rubbery scent of tires. These were blended with ingredients like blue ginger, lavender, geranium and sandalwood that added metallic, smoky and further rubbery accents. An ‘animal’ element was also included, giving an impression of horses to underline the Mustang heritage.
This issue is important for people who suffer from chemical intolerance (CI), said Dr. Claudia Miller, allergist/immunologist, professor emeritus, and leader of the Hoffman TILT Program at UT Health San Antonio.
About 30% of U.S. adults report CI, according to Miller’s research.
“Odors are not just ‘smells.’ They are low levels of airborne VOCs which can trigger mast cells to degranulate and release inflammatory mediators into the olfactory-limbic (nose to brain) pathway,” Miller said. “The result can be headaches, brain fog, memory and concentration difficulties, confusion, and irritability. Extreme irritability may manifest as sudden rage, road rage, air rage or even violent behavior.”
How can you find out if you are chemically intolerant?
Answer these three questions from Hoffman TILT’s Brief Environmental Exposure and Sensitivity Inventory (BREESI):
- Do you feel sick when you are exposed to tobacco smoke, certain fragrances, nail polish/remover, engine exhaust, gasoline, air fresheners, pesticides, paint/thinner, fresh tar/asphalt, cleaning supplies, new carpet or furnishings? By sick, we mean: headache, difficulty thinking, difficulty breathing, weakness, dizziness, upset stomach, etc.
- Are you unable to tolerate or do you have adverse or allergic reactions to any drugs or medications (such as antibiotics, anesthetics, pain relievers, X-ray contrast dye, vaccines or birth control pills), or to an implant, prosthesis, contraceptive chemical or device, or other medical/surgical/dental material or procedure?
- Are you unable to tolerate or do you have adverse reactions to any foods such as dairy products, wheat, corn, eggs, caffeine, alcoholic beverages, or food additives (e.g., MSG, food dye)?
If you answer YES to any of these three questions, take the Quick Environmental Exposure and Sensitivity Inventory (QEESI) and share the results with your doctor!