Introduction: My alter ego, Alecka Zamm's goal is "no more freakin' fragrance." Unfortunately she only watches over my desk. I wish she could watch over us all. In my alter ego's post "I'll Take the Laughs But Not the Fragrance," Alecka Zamm explained a bit about chemical sensitivity. This is why I must go without fragrance and avoid scents at all cost.

While in my teens, I was an Avon rep going door-to-door selling makeup and fragrances. I remember a promotional contest for Avon's newest scent. We reps had to sell a certain number of bottles to "win" the prize, a fancy robe and nightgown set. The duo was pink with a delicate swirling-flower pattern. The nightgown had thin straps and the cut was trim, something I thought of as sexy. As a teen approaching adulthood, to me, this polyester set represented more than making a quota and winning a contest, it meant being a grown-up. I made the quota, received the set, and wore it throughout my early twenties. I doubt that the fragrance bought by my Avon customers got as much wear as that set did.

I'm still a sucker for promotional items and just tried a "free" sample for a hair conditioning treatment, which was advertised "without added fragrance," but did have natural oils. (what is fragrance-free?) As I walked past my husband, he asked what that smell was… the dreaded Fragrance Trail!—an unpleasant odiferous wake in the air accosting those behind you. After washing my hair three times, my eyes still itch and the killer headache is no fun. Free sometimes costs too much.