Friends and overpowering scents

[Melissa in New York]

I'm at a loss at how to approach this delicate situation. A friend of mine, who tutors my children in Spanish, wears too much scent. Some of is an abundance of scented detergents used on the clothes but then additional body lotions/sprays/perfumes coat her body. Not only does she wear too much but so do her children.

One of her sons is spending the day with us and I am so nauseous and my throat is slightly burning...all of which comes from the scented clothes and cologne he is wearing. I keep opening the windows and turning on the fans (even though it is 27 degree outside) because I am ready to toss my cookies.

I just don't know how to broad this subject without embarrassing her. She's a lovely lady and I think she would take the information okay. However, I am not the one receiving the news. How can I tell her to stop using so much scent? The clothes are coated so unless she switches detergents, I'm still dealing with a heavy smell. Maybe I should just focus on the perfumes and colognes?

Thanks for your tips,
~Melissa in New York (who wishes at times to move to a natural scented planet)

[j.griff]

I would just kindly (as kindly as I could manage) let her know that perfumes and colognes REALLY bother me physically, and that it would be MUCH appreciated if she would avoid the use of them when she/her children are going to be near you. I'd think about asking the dc to change into a different shirt while he's in your home. Make it clear that this is some sort of "allergy" that you have, that you have no control over, and that the results of being exposed to the perfumes/colognes/scents are just not manageable or tolerable for you. Hugs.

[Miss Peregrine]

I thought there was some email service that would send an email to someone anonymously to let them know.

I KWYM, though. My neighbor puts so much fabric softener in her clothes, you can literally smell them before they approach you. I always know that one of them is in my house when I walk in because the smell is so strong. blech.