Fragrance & Toxic Free Products in Italy?

You might try looking at some online ads for grocery stores to see if they have what you are looking for. It’s kinda fun. https://www.carrefour.it/spesa-online/cura-della-persona/prodotti-viso-e-corpo/

I found prices for items like toothpaste to be very similar to, if not cheaper than, what I’m used to. You’ll find alot of the same brands. You’ll need to be able to translate the ingredients you are sensitive to so you know what to watch for, and how to say “unscented”, for example. It might be a bit of an adventure to find them, depending on what exactly you are looking for. Pharmacies might also be a source.

What you won’t find easily are big stores like WalMart that are a one-stop-shop kind of place. We misplaced a hair comb and had a heck of a time finding one in stores. You’d think we would find one in a grocery store. Nope. Finally stumbled across a “Two Euro” shop and found one.

You'll want to go to pharmacies for personal care products like shampoo and body wash/soaps. Laundry soap in Italy is highly scented, even if says otherwise on the label. Toothpaste is similar/identical to US brands and reasonably priced. You can find it in both grocery stores and pharmacies.

I have to avoid a lot of these because they’re migraine triggers - chemical perfumes, men’s cologne, Tide pods, Febreeze, etc. So you have my sympathy!

If you would like to just take carry on luggage (which I always just do), possibly look at options for anything that’s currently liquid.

• Could you take an unscented bath bar soap?
  
• For make-up remover, I just bring the dry cloth Oil of Olay sensitive ones. I cut them in half, so you would only need to bring 11.
• Look for a deep conditioner in the brand you normally use, so you could use much less of it each time. Also, leave it out for some of the water to further evaporate to take up less room. Do the same for your shampoo.
• Also place your shampoo into a small travel size container and use it at home. See how little you could use each day, and see how many days that container will last. I usually can just take 3 for a 3-week trip.
• For toothpaste, the ones from the dentist aren’t filled full. It’s easy with a little practice to place them nose-to-nose after the air is squeezed out, and fill them fuller. I just need two over a 3-week trip if I’m conservative with the amount on my toothbrush. (I do like the toothpaste in Italy, too, and it wasn’t expensive.)

Be sure to check for deodorizers, etc. in your lodging. I’ve had to move some out to a balcony occasionally during my time there.

Hope that helps!

We have ordered necessary items on Amazon.it and had them delivered to our hotel or apartment, free with my Amazon Prime. I just searched there for “fragrance-free shampoo” in English and came up with a number of results. The link to the page is long but I will give it a try.

https://www.amazon.it/s?k=fragrance+free+shampoo&crid=B448IGA474R9&sprefix=%2Caps%2C202&ref=nb_sb_ss_recent_1_0_recent

I'd do a search in some of the larger cities you will be in for "bio" type stores--like natural foods stores here in the US. NaturaSi is one chain--they sell Weleda products, which are great quality.
In your rentals, watch out for those "stick in bottle of oil" scent diffusers. They seem to have become popular but can luckily be stored in a cupboard.

Hi Lacy1191,

You've probably already started your trip! Just in case you haven't, I highly recommend getting a silk sleep sack (packs up super tiny and light) and a silk pillow cover. Even in airbnbs, the sheets and linen are usually washed in very smelly detergent, so I use my sleep sack, pillow case, and also a down camp bed that packs up very small. I have all of this since I'm a full-time traveler, but all you'd need for Italy in the fall is probably the sleep sack and the pillow case. It's so nice not to have to sleep on detergent-covered sheets!

Safe travels,
Rose

A little toothpaste tip- which I am not sure how much you would need for 22 days.

What I do when I travel now, is when I get down to about 1/2 tube or 1/4 tube, depending on the length of trip, I save it for my travels (rather than buy a travel size one). The great thing is...then when I am done with it, I can just pitch the tube, and free up space/weight for other items.

I do the same with other toiletries, and sometimes clothes as well.

I've looked for truly scent-free products in Italy for more than 20 years --- yes, in pharmacies, big Target-type stores, natural foods stores, grocery stores. My husband speaks Italian, so he has asked in stores and pharmacies for scent-free this and that, and when the product is produced by the helpful store employee, it always always has perfume in it. Even the identical-looking bottle of Aveeno lotion that is scent-free at home had scent in it.

I bring laundry detergent sheets (you only need half a sheet for the small, efficient Italian washing machines), my own bar soap and shampoo (carefully calculated amounts), skin and eye products, lip balm, hand sanitizer, and solid sunscreen. I buy rubber gloves there for washing dishes, but use the apartment's dish soap.

Do check with your Airbnb hosts whether there are strongly scented sheets and towels (I've had to rewash a few) or room deodorizers, etc. Most have been very nice about discussing this.

My issue is my over-sensitive skin (although I also just hate the smell of perfumes), but yours sounds like a more serious medical issue, so I'm wondering if a doctor wrote something for you to show the TSA and airlines employees, you could bring an extra bag of products that are necessary for your health, just the same way my husband can bring his C-pap machine onboard or I can bring a cane, and it doesn't count as a carry-on personal item.

Some of the LaRoche Posay body lotions may be suitable for you, and you should be able to find those in Italy in pharmacies or other stores that sell skincare products. You can do so recon on what might work for you on LaRoche Posay’s website.

For shampoo and conditioner, perhaps look into these products in bar (solid) format? These are much more compact than bottles would be. There are some out there that are fragrance free, so just search online for fragrance free shampoo and conditioner bars and see if the ingredient lists meet your needs.