*koff* *gag*

[kelliem]

This co-worker of mine has a bottle of hand-lotion she keeps on her desk. She uses it several times a day, and to me it smells like a combination of Off! and window cleaner.

She thinks it smells great. *sigh*

I know I am unusually sensitive to scents (being a supertaster has its drawbacks...) but how do I tell her it reeks without offending her? She's a very nice person. I'm sure she doesn't mean to stink up the environment.

Comments

[bluster.livejournal.com]

How about putting a clothes pin on your nose every time she reaches for the bottle? It'll give her a hint that maybe not everyone likes the smell.

Or not. :-D

[kelliem.livejournal.com]

Since we can't see each other from our respective desks, I don't think it would work. ;D

[bluster.livejournal.com]

Okay, you could loudly ask "Good god, what's that horrid smell?" when she uses it. Then you can pretend you didn't realize she was using her hand cream.

[kelliem.livejournal.com]

The funny thing is, I did almost that exact thing (that's how I found out it was her hand lotion I was smelling) yesterday. I walked out to her area of the office and said "What is that smell??" and she cheerfully waved her bottle of lotion at me, totally missing the disgusted inflection in my voice.

[bluster.livejournal.com]

Good lord, she needs to get a clue! Although I think everyone else has offered some good suggestions on how to deal with it. I have been my usual smartass self. :-)

[thisisbone.livejournal.com]

Find out the ingredient list and explain that you're allergic to one of them, which is essentially true. Offer an alternative.

I have a ridiculously sensitive nose (I've sniffed out two gas leaks the gas company swore didn't exist, but I made them keep looking and sure enough, both times, they found the leak eventually), so I feel your pain.

[kelliem.livejournal.com]

That's a good idea. TYK!

[jidabug.livejournal.com]

I had a similar problem this week with a co-worker using far too much cheap perfume. I wound up coughing politely and asking her to maybe tone it down because my allergies were acting up. But then I realized that the liberal perfume use was to mask the cigarette smell. Gah.

[kelliem.livejournal.com]

Blech. I don't know which is worse. Too much perfume, or skanky cig smell.

[shayheyred.livejournal.com]

"I'm so sorry to have to ask you about this, but evidently I am allergic to the hand lotion you use, and I have to ask you not to apply it here in the office, because it's giving me asthma. However, I bought this [unscented] lotion that I just adore, and I thought you might try it instead. It's a very good one. I'm terribly sorry to be a bother about this, but the other lotion is really affecting me badly. Thanks so much for understanding."

And, yeah, I totally understand. I used to go to a meeting in a small room with Perfume Woman, and I finally flat out said, "Please don't spray yourself with perfume when you come here. It makes me sneeze."

[kelliem.livejournal.com]

Oh, I like the idea of offering an alternative. That seems only fair. Thanks!

[imkalena.livejournal.com]

Give her a bottle of unscented Lubriderm. It's about the only genuinely unscented thing I've found.

I had to ask a coworker not to wear cologne once. I actually loved the smell -- I think it was Paco Rabanne -- but I was miserably allergic to it. He was very nice about it.

[umbo.livejournal.com]

Oh, you definitely have my sympathies. I have to tell clients sometimes to hold off on the perfume and the scented lotions--I tell 'em I'm sure they'd prefer a midwife without a runny nose or a headache, and that usually does the trick (same thing with scented candles).