Person looks in horror at scent waves of lotions and products

How to Protect Yourself Against Fragrance in Public

We can take all the measures to avoid a migraine.

We take our medicine, eat the right foods, get consistent sleep, stay hydrated, avoid fragrances… and then we leave the house and are vulnerable to the uncontrollable elements of our environment.

  • A coworker may wear strong perfume or cologne.
  • The hotel room you’re staying in was sprayed with an air freshener.
  • You’re riding in a friend’s car who is a smoker.

There are SO many scenarios we find ourselves in that can directly affect our health but we don’t have full control over.

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What’s a migraineur to do?

What can you do?

At work: Talk with Human Resources about a fragrance-free policy in the workplace and/or request a workspace by a window, the best ventilation, or even a work from home option.

On vacation: Go prepared with your own fragrance-free sunscreen and bug repellent and call the hotel in advance to request that your room not be sprayed with air freshener.

In the mall: Take a different route through department stores to avoid walking through the fragrance department.

On public transportation: Leverage the normalization of masks to lessen the exposure and impact of the scent.

Tell us below how you navigate scents in public spaces.

This article represents the opinions, thoughts, and experiences of the author; none of this content has been paid for by any advertiser. The Migraine.com team does not recommend or endorse any products or treatments discussed herein. Learn more about how we maintain editorial integrity here.

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