• First, avoid wearing perfume or cologne: perfumes can be triggering for many people, not just those with fragrance allergies.
• Avoid essential oils. Essential oils labeling is not regulated and some seemingly “natural” oils may also contain hazardous ingredients.
• Avoid any strong-smelling personal care products with smells that may linger, including lotions, deodorants, laundry detergents, and fabric softeners. If you need to use these products, choose fragrance-free versions.

• Fragrance-free versions of many products are available!
• Check product ingredient lists: if you see the words “parfum” or “fragrance” in this list, you will know the product likely contains harmful chemicals.
• Look for products labeled “fragrance-free.”
• Beware of products that are only labeled “unscented”: many of these still contain masking scents, neutral-smelling synthetic fragrances that hide the smell of other ingredients and are hazardous.

•  Even small steps make a difference. If you can’t avoid fragrance altogether, choose products with fewer synthetic ingredients. Products that are labeled as free of fragrances, parabens, dyes, and preservatives are considered to be safest!
• You can also look for products formulated for sensitive skin as they tend to contain fewer chemicals.
• Other organizations have created handy websites and phone apps to help you easily identify which products are safest:
  • Skin Deep
  • Think Dirty
  • The Household Products Database

• Making your spaces accessible and fragrance-free involves making sure both the physical space and the people who come into that space are fragrance-free.
• To start making an office, classroom, work space, etc. fragrance-free, check whether scented products are in use.These can include air fresheners, cleaning products, dish soaps, hand soaps, and even dry-erase markers.
• Eliminate unnecessary fragranced products and select fragrance-free alternatives when appropriate.
• Notify users of the space of your fragrance-free policy:
  • Place signage in easy to view areas, like entrances. See below for a template to print and post.
  • Send an email to the people who use the space notifying them it is now fragrance-free and explain what that entails. See below for an example.
  • Add a fragrance-free statement to your email signature, which can serve as a reminder for those who visit your space. See below for an example.
  • In your outreach materials, emphasize that this is an accessibility issue and be prepared to answer questions and educate your community.

• In places where you have less control over cleaning product choices, avoiding fragrance may be difficult. We suggest approaching people who make such decisions with as much information as you can! Share details on why fragrance-free is important for accessibility and provide product suggestions.
• Consider partnering with existing initiatives—such as green or sustainability initiatives—that already understand all the benefits of greener products and can support efforts to replace products that may be bought in bulk by institutions.

• Fragrance-free policies are intended to make spaces more accessible. But if not implemented thoughtfully, they risk exacerbating other experiences of exclusion.
• For some individuals, using fragrance-free products may not be an option. Many fragrance-free products are cost prohibitive, and fragrance-free alternatives to some products—for example, hair care products designed for people of color—may be difficult to find. For some, fragrances may have cultural or religious significance.
• For that reason, we recommend referring people to the “prioritize your decisions” checklist on page 8. It can help them identify which changes they can make, however small and incremental. Even small changes can help!
• Before implementing fragrance-free policy, it’s important to reach out to all members of your community so that they understand the rationale behind the policy, can discuss their concerns, and can contribute to developing practices that make spaces accessible for all.

Implementing fragrance-free policy requires working with all members of your community to find solutions that are inclusive for everyone.

Hosting a fragrance-free event is a challenge, but it is a great opportunity for education and outreach

• To ensure that the space can be made fragrance-free, work with the venue managers/administrators and custodial staff to replace fragranced products with fragrance-free options.
• Request that spaces either be cleaned with fragrance-free options or with no chemicals the day before the event, providing time for the space to air out.
• If the hand soap in venue bathrooms has a fragrance, provide hand-pump containers of fragrance-free hand soap. Make sure they are clearly labeled so that people use these instead of installed soap dispensers.
• Alert event attendees early and often! Add a prominent fragrance-free statement on all event advertisements, including posters, flyers, web announcements, social media posts, emails to guests, etc. See page 22 for examples.

• Consider having a fragrance-free seating area at events, even if the event is already designated fragrance-free.
  • This reserved section provides fragrance-sensitive individuals with extra protection.
  • The seating section should be clearly marked, in a well-ventilated area, and away from areas with high foot-traffic.
  • Providing air purifiers in this section is an added bonus!
  • Have staff/volunteers working registration tables point this section out to arriving guests.

If guests are traveling to your event and require fragrance-free accommodations, there are steps you can take to assist them.

• Contact local hotels in order to locate one that can accommodate a fragrance-free and hypoallergenic request. Most major hotel chains are accustomed to these requests.
• Request that rooms either be cleaned with fragrance-free options or with no chemicals the day before the event, providing time for the space to air out.
• Request that linens and towels not be cleaned with scented detergent during your guest’s stay.

If people arrive wearing fragrance, you have several options:

• Welcome them, but request that they avoid the designated fragrance-free area.
• Present this as an accessibility concern and approach it as an educational opportunity. Be courteous and friendly and approach these situations as a chance to educate about the importance of fragrance-free and accessibility.
• Ideally, you could request that guests who wear fragrance leave your events or return after removing any fragrances. In practice, making such requests can result in uncomfortable reactions and even anger. Your organization should discuss whether this is an approach that will work for your community. If you do plan to ask guests to leave your event, we recommend including language explaining this policy on all publicity material and invitations so that you can prepare people as much as possible.
• Consider providing guests with alternative methods of participating. For instance, if you are able to live-stream your event, you can request that fragrance-wearing guests participate remotely. Or if you can create video recordings of your event, you could invite fragrance-wearing guests to view them at a later time