# Perfume, Nail Polish, etc..



## Prinmel (Aug 16, 2010)

I grew up with cockatiels, and just got one for my birthday. I am older and girlier now and wear perfume, aerosol hairspray every day and paint my nails once a week. I know that the fumes are bad for the bird so will go upstairs to paint nails and spray perfume and aerosol hairspray in the bathroom with door closed. 
What I am wondering about is can I spray my perfume and hairspray and then walk by the bird or even hold him 2 minutes after I spray on the perfume or is that too soon? 
I always thought that it was just the mist in the air that was bad, but now that I have internet, I can read much more than when I was a kid and don't know what is true and what is not. 
One thing that I do know is that my grandpa has a cockatiel and he has had him for about 20 years, and no joke, he is a chain smoker and always has been and he smokes in the house with the bird! The bird has even escaped and followed him to another state when he drove over to visit, family. He also followed him to his favorite bar on a couple of occasions. and so that I why I am unsure that perfume can really be that bad for my bird. Thanks all for you help.


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## tielmom (Aug 4, 2010)

good question...I often wonder the same thing.
I know I use hair spray and paint my nails and nothing has ever happened to my tiels.
I also use a candle sometimes...ones without the metal wick...I am interested to see the answer that you get.


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## Siobhan (Mar 21, 2010)

I would avoid candles (for the flame as well as the scent) and aerosol hair spray completely. As for nail polish, in another room with the door closed and wait for it to dry before you're around the bird, and if you must use nail polish remover, do it far from the bird. With perfume, if you put it on in another room and wait a few minutes, you'll probably be all right, if you keep the bird out of the room where you put it on. 

You don't "need" hair spray. You can use mousse or gel to hold your hair in place. A good one will do almost exactly the same thing without the aerosol, which is bad for you to breathe, too.


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## tielmom (Aug 4, 2010)

Avoid all candles??? I love them, are there any safe ones? I thought only the ones with really strong fragrances and with the metal wick were the dangerous ones...oh no!!!
I have never really thought anything about using hair spray...wow I am clueless


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## claire2010a (Aug 10, 2010)

Siobhan said:


> You don't "need" hair spray. You can use mousse or gel to hold your hair in place. A good one will do almost exactly the same thing without the aerosol, which is bad for you to breathe, too.


I get why exposure to the aerosol (while being sprayed) would be bad, but once on the hair, how is exposure to a product that was sprayed more harmful than exposure to an applied gel or mousse?


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## meowmiaou (Jun 10, 2010)

I'm not entirely confident but I am sure that once the spray has dried, it would be no more or less harmful than Mousse or Gel - to a Human. I wouldn't want my bird preening my hair with any product in it.

Here is some info on Candles: http://www.globalhealingcenter.com/candle-wicks-and-health.html

They talk about metal wicks and scents, but also colours and other additives.


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## Autumn (Dec 12, 2009)

I think as long as your bird doesn't chew on your hair and it doesn't smell, you're fine. Personally I hate hair sprays, they make your hair dry and it breaks easily.


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## Mentha (Jul 11, 2010)

I'll tell you that some perfumes are horribly bad for you and your bird. It doesn't matter when you spray it, if it can be smelled, it can cause damage to a birds lungs. I would check to see if you can find out what the essential oils used in your perfume are before spraying them. Any fumes or smells can irritate your birds. 

My son has a deodorant that he sprays on. I make him go outside to spray it. He can spray it and I'll know as soon as he does because I can taste it up to an hour afterward. It's so bad it makes me choke. Perfumes do the same to me, if I am out at a store I will get ill if I smell some perfumes and colognes. I know they didn't just spray it on standing in line behind me at the book store, it had to be at least an hour before hand.


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## mpayjr (Aug 16, 2010)

But isn't that kind of far-fetched? Not ever using sprays of any kind in your home? I've seen plenty of families who put these products on, but on another floor and their birds have lived as long as any other bird (15 to 17 years).


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## jc119007 (Dec 28, 2009)

I find this topic quite interesting!

Personnally I don't use hairspray (can't stand it lol) but I do try and use a natural wax on my hair whenever I go out- but even then I only put a bit on not only because I'm not into the greasy look but also because with Kikou climbing all over me I don't want her chewing/or getting it all over her. Needless to say, when I put hair wax on I use a hairdryer too (Kikou is always in another room when I do this) so that it dries as soon as possible.

I use perfume, but I never spray it on with Kikou in the same room and I never really put a lot on either, just dab it on (just the key points- wrists, crook of the elbow,under the jaw line...) , so I think if you do use perfume and wait abit before handling your bird it should be ok...
Saying that, I must admit I never use scented candles anymore, because I read somewhere that they aren't good for your birds (and I have a whole cupboard full!) or those air freshener things because they aren't good for you either, a good airing out once or twice a week is all I do to try and keep my place fresh...


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## mpayjr (Aug 16, 2010)

What about those renuzit aroma things? (the air fresheners that are like in a moist state and release fumes) I have one in the bathroom connected to the room where my birds are. Is that unhealthy for them?


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## jc119007 (Dec 28, 2009)

mpayjr said:


> What about those renuzit aroma things? (the air fresheners that are like in a moist state and release fumes) I have one in the bathroom connected to the room where my birds are. Is that unhealthy for them?


Good question- in my personal opinion (and I may be wrong) since birds are more sensitive to fumes (remember in the beginning how miners used to take birds down with them because if there was a gas leak the bird would die first? scary!) something that isn't dangerous for humans might be toxic for birds...I sometimes use those wick things in the toilet (especially if the bloke has been eating onions or chilli!!) but Kikou's cage is no where there, but in my other rooms, never. Same goes for those freshener things you plug into the walls. I'm not at all scientific, so maybe someone on here will know more than me. I guess it depends on whether both rooms are ventilated or not- if you have fresh air blowing regulary into the room with your freshener, logically it would be more "diluted" and less fumes would be near your bird.

However, just googling "are are fresheners toxic?" you can find heaps of scientific articles and things which are interesting. This is what I found, which mentions the air freshener you use:

http://chetday.com/dangersairfreshener.htm


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## jc119007 (Dec 28, 2009)

And these:

http://www.eppa.ca/meetings/spring cleaning.html

http://www.skarlettsweb.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=5213&view=previous


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## mpayjr (Aug 16, 2010)

Wow, thanks for the article jc119007! I'm definitely taking that freshener away as far as possible!


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## tielmom (Aug 4, 2010)

Thank you meowmiaou, I read the article and I never really considered them to be bad for my families health. I guess I am going to have to refrain from using them.


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