“Ministering to Those with Fragrance Allergies,” Liahona, July 2025.
Ministering to Those with Fragrance Allergies
Accommodations require tact and compassion from everyone involved.
Illustrations by Elia Sampo
Our Savior’s invitation is for “all [of us] to come unto him and partake of his goodness; and he denieth none that come unto him” (2 Nephi 26:33). One important way we come unto the Savior is by attending church and participating in church activities. At times, church attendance can be a challenge for various reasons. It can be especially difficult for someone who lives with a disability, allergy, or other medical conditions.
As disciples of Jesus Christ, we want everyone to feel welcome and able to attend church and activities. For example, we show our consideration for people who have food allergies by preparing the sacrament with gluten-free options. This provides a way for these individuals to partake of the sacrament and renew sacred covenants with the Lord.
Some members find it difficult to attend church or other public gatherings due to a sensitivity to chemical scents such as perfumes and colognes. People with conditions such as asthma, fragrance allergy, or multiple chemical sensitivity are more sensitive to chemical scents and may have a reaction. As with food allergies, you cannot tell that a person has chemical sensitivities simply by looking at them. As a result, this condition often goes unseen, but it greatly affects that person’s ability to do normal activities of life.
Symptoms
Symptoms are varied and can include nausea, dizziness, headache, fatigue, anxiety, breathing problems, chest and throat pain, and more.
Symptoms range from mild to severe. While one person may get a headache that goes away after a couple of hours, another person may have a significant reaction that can last for days or that results in an emergency trip to the hospital.
Chemical sensitivities can disrupt a person’s life and cause feelings of isolation. One member who experiences severe symptoms explained: “Everyday activities, like shopping, visiting friends, attending Church meetings, or dining out can become daunting challenges. This leads to feelings of frustration, alienation, and overwhelming loneliness. In addition, we often feel misunderstood and judged by those around us who cannot ‘see’ our illness and who feel we are being selfish and ridiculous because we ‘don’t like the smell.’”
One father and his son have severe asthma that is triggered by chemical scents. The son was preparing to speak in sacrament meeting before leaving on a mission. A week ahead of his talk, the bishop told ward members that the young man had severe breathing problems when exposed to heavy perfumes and asked that members keep that in mind when attending church the following week. This resulted in the best Sunday the father and the son ever had at church.
Accommodations
In a Church setting, a person with mild chemical sensitivities may choose to sit away from other people. For others, more intense interventions may be necessary, such as wearing a filtering facepiece respirator, bringing an air purifier to church, or watching sacrament meeting online.
Whatever the severity of a person’s sensitivity to chemical scents, it is important to remember that this is a real concern. Accommodations require tact and compassion from everyone involved. People use perfumes and other scents for a variety of reasons, such as preference or personal hygiene. Mutual respect and understanding will be necessary to address the needs of all involved.
If you have a chemical sensitivity, please talk with a member of your bishopric. While accommodations may not be possible in all circumstances, it’s helpful to let ward leaders know about your needs. The ward council can work with you to try their best to accommodate your chemical sensitivities. The right approach will vary depending on the circumstances and should be balanced with an understanding that not all situations can address everyone’s needs.
Some ideas for leaders:
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Help members understand that chemical sensitivities are a real concern for those affected.
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Provide regular announcements and reminders about how we can be compassionate toward others who deal with chemical sensitivities and other isolating medical conditions and how we can help everyone join in worshipping the Lord.
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Consider calling a ward or stake disability specialist to help address this and other issues.
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Consider organizing a training session for leaders and members about chemical sensitivities and other conditions that may impact a person’s ability to participate in Church meetings.
Some ideas for accommodations:
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Provide opportunities for individuals with chemical sensitivities to share their needs and concerns with ward leaders.
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Where possible, do your best to implement guidelines for meetings and activities that allow people with sensitivities or allergies to comfortably attend.
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Consider providing online streaming of meetings for those who cannot attend and offer ways for these individuals to partake of the sacrament.
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Only use products approved and provided by the Church’s meetinghouse facilities team. If one of the standard products is creating an issue, work with the local facilities manager to explore alternatives. If members bring their own air fresheners or cleaning products, those products could cause reactions in sensitive individuals.
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Consider chemical sensitivities when planning activities.
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Keep in mind that some people with chemical sensitivities would like to serve in a capacity that is safe for them.
Elder Patrick Kearon of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles has taught: “For those who feel left out or on the margins, the warmth of [our] welcome will be crucial. Ultimately, we can ask ourselves how the Saviour would want our sacrament hour to be. How would He want each one of His children to be welcomed, cared for, nourished, and loved? How would He want us to feel when we come to be renewed through remembering and worshipping Him?”
By creating awareness of this issue, people who deal with chemical sensitivities can feel heard, respected, and more fully involved in their ward or branch. When bishoprics and ward councils work compassionately and prayerfully with individuals affected by these types of health conditions, more of Heavenly Father’s children are strengthened as they are afforded greater opportunities to draw closer to Jesus Christ. As a ward comes together, “having their hearts knit together in unity and in love” (Mosiah 18:21), hearts are touched and healed.