Multiple Chemical Sensitivity and Costa Rica

I live in Montezuma, Costa Rica and am highly allergic to fragrances in washing powders etc.  Hospital visit for anti-histemine shots sort of allergies.  Anyway, I so far have found the opposite of what you have heard to be true.

For such an environmentally conscious country I find it strange that in the cleaning aisles in the shops the fragrances are overpowering.  We live in a fairly busy part of the country with a lot of people from all over and wide choices in the stores, but the laundry detergents etc. are all packed with fragrance and lurid coloring.  There are no fragrance free options in soaps, shampoos, laundry detergents etc. I steer clear of the cleaning aisles because my sinuses block right up.  When we go to Hipermas (Walmart in Escazu, San Jose) we stock up on a fragrance free laundry detergent at $20 a container. 

As for being out and about, I don't have a problem. I'm not that sensitive and I don't remember ever being next to someone in the bank or on a bus who was wearing over powering perfume or aftershave. 

If you were visiting or living here I would just make sure you bring your own detergent and soaps.  To buy Dove soap, free of any scent etc., we stock up when we got to Pricesmart in San Jose (the Cost Co of Costa Rica).

Hope this helps.

I appreciate your feedback. My wife has me do most of the shopping because she cannot go down the detergent aisle at most supermarkets.

It is the 'out and about' part that I am most interested in. We live in St. Augustine, Florida and the tourists tend to be very fragrant. We were thinking of finding a place to live near a city but in a more small town or rural environment where there are fewer tourists and more Ticos. A place where she can go out and about with out much fear of being over exposed to fragrances. That kind of mobility and social contact would be heaven to her!

Thanks again.

Dan Valone

I have the same problem, multiple chemical sensitivity..I want to find a place where to buy a land a built a eco friendly/ scent-free resort. I can not stay near toxic, fragrance like perfume...I will appreciate suggestion, I am looking with my family for a natural place where to muve.Thank you.

My experience is that the locals tend to wash their clothes routinely and do use fragrant detergent. 

However, it is NOT an overpowering scent. The only way to know if you will have a problem is to visit and see.  As a medical professional, it is not possible to give you an answer as you are an individual with individual sensitivities.  Also, where you decide to live/stay may have different "scent" issues than other places you may visit during your stay.

Ticos and Ticas alike love perfumes and smelling good...

You can be clean without chimical xenobiotic parfume.

I CANNOT FIND things like bar soap and laundry detergent etc without perfumes. The aisle at the supermarket gives me asthma just to walk through it.

If you ask for detergent without perfume they look at you like you're nuts.

As for out in the world, I am lucky I don't have a problem with it but yes men and women sometimes wear too much perfume/cologne. Again, finding things like deodorant without perfume is practically  impossible.