Justin Bieber and sometimes-girlfriend Selena Gomez each have their own perfume, as do over 40 other celebrities, including Bruce Willis (eau de angry?) and Lady Gaga (when you have nothing else to wear?).

Add this perfume-mania to the scents wafting off hand soaps, laundry and personal-care products, air fresheners and scented candles, and you end up being exposed to 100 (or more) potentially toxic or sensitizing aromatic chemicals every day.

Many/most contain phthalates that, in lab tests, feminize even the most male toads! And these chemicals don't disappear when a scent fades; they permeate your body and pollute the environment.

Sensitive folks wheeze, sneeze and get headaches from that toxic mix, and try to stay clear of it.

But if you think artificial aromas smell lovely, be aware that fragrances can trigger allergies, asthma, hormone disruption, fertility problems, brain fog - even cancer.

So, here are some solutions, if ...

... you think you don't smell good enough. Daily physical activity clears out toxins so that perspiration stops stinking. Showering and shaving underarms help keep sweat and bacteria from brewing up smells.

Eliminating red meat from your diet can freshen body odor, and you'll reduce your risk for heart disease and various cancers.

None of that works?

Talk to your doc. Persistent body odor may result from illness, medications, hormonal disruptions, low blood sugar, hyperthyroid or a zinc or magnesium deficiency.

... you think the world is stinky. Take a look at www.lesstoxicguide.ca to find safer-to-use products and recipes for "make your own" cleaning products.

© 2014 Michael Roizen, M.D. and Mehmet Oz, M.D.
Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.