Fear of chemicals (chemophobia)

Chemophobia is a fear of chemicals, ranging from anxiety around cleaning products and garden sprays to worry about additives in food. For some it is a real, distressing fear of being poisoned or harmed. If you think a product has caused real symptoms, check them with a GP or pharmacist.

About this phobia

The word is used in two quite different ways. It can mean genuine anxiety about chemicals, but in science writing it more often describes an unscientific suspicion of anything labelled chemical, even though everything, water included, is made of chemicals. It is not a recognised clinical diagnosis.

What it feels like

• Reading every label and avoiding products with long ingredient names
• Worry about breathing in fumes from cleaners, paint or perfume
• Distress when others use sprays or cleaning products nearby

Explore more unusual fears in the rare phobias A to Z, or browse the common phobias.

Common questions

Is it unreasonable to be careful about chemicals?

No. Taking care with strong cleaners, solvents and pesticides is sensible, and safety labels exist for a reason. It becomes a problem when the fear spreads to everyday, safe products and starts to limit what you eat, use or where you go.

How can you help?

I use hypnotherapy and NLP to change how your mind responds to the thing you fear, so the old alarm stops going off. Sessions are one to one over Zoom, and you get a recording of the hypnosis to listen to afterwards.

How many sessions will I need?

Many clients notice a real difference after one 90 minute session. If the fear goes back a long way, three sessions gives us room to make the change stick.

Ready to start?

Book a £49 consultation call and we’ll talk through your fear, or take the free suitability test first.

See all session options and prices