To most people, our homes are our sanctuaries. It’s where we spend our nights relaxing, mornings drinking coffee, and weekends making memories. We deserve to feel safe in our homes and trust the products that we are buying to clean, feed our families, and use in day-to-day life, are serving only their intended purposes. Unfortunately this isn’t always the case. Common household items often aren’t as benign as they seem. Thankfully, most of them don’t have an immediate or significant impact on our health; however, because we spend so much time in our homes it begins to compound and later show in the forms of rashes, allergies, asthma, various illnesses, and cancers. I won’t say it’s all bad because I never want to put a blanket statement. Nevertheless, too many are chronically sick and I strongly believe that by making some changes in our home products, diets, and habits first will set us on the path of a healthier life not only for ourselves but for the environment.
I first want to write about common offender items in our homes. These are the things that if you’re wanting to start your non-toxic journey, you need to look at first. Air fresheners, scented candles, dryer sheets, cleaning products, plastic Tupperware, and non-stick cookware. In this first blog entry we’ll be talking all about fragrance. Artificially scented products such as air fresheners and candles, not to mention lotions, shampoos, laundry detergents, and so much more include synthetic scents, often listed on labels as the elusive “fragrance.” Most candles are made of paraffin wax, and when burned, creates highly toxic benzene and toluene (both known carcinogens). Other common chemicals found in scented candles include: Acetone, Trichlorofluoromethane, Carbon Disulfide, 2-Butanone, Trichloroethane, Trichloroethene, Carbon Tetrachloride, Tetrachloroethene, Chlorobenzene, Ethylbenzene, Styrene, Xylene, Phenol, Cresol, and Cyclopentene. These chemicals are all linked to cancer, and can cause headaches/migraines, respiratory problems, kidney and liver issues. Then we look at plug-in air fresheners, which produce formaldehyde, that we then breathe in, putting us at risk of developing cancers of the nose and throat. It can also cause sore throats, coughs, scratchy eyes and nosebleeds. Other ingredients in air fresheners include petroleum products which have been linked with a raised risk of asthma not only in children, but adults, too. At the very least, these fragrance enhanced items are linked to endocrine disruption that can seriously impact your hormonal health making you more prone to getting sick and be in an overall state of fogginess. Overall, 34 percent of the population reported one or more types of adverse health effects from exposure to fragranced products. Not to mention, if you choose to go fragrance-free in your home and get rid of all these artificially scented products you will be saving money. However, there is an alternative to going fragrance-free.
If you’re wanting to eliminate the harmful effects of all the chemicals found in things like candles, air-fresheners, and lotions, but still want to enjoy certain scents and maintain a welcoming aroma in your home there are some simple switches you can make. First and probably most common and using natural essential oils and a diffuser to emit the lovely smell of eucalyptus, lemon grass, lavender, or my personal favorite, rosemary. Or, if you really love the cozy feeling of lighting a candle in the fall and winter months, look for an organic bees-wax candle scented with essential oils. A perhaps more non-traditional method is putting a bowl of white vinegar on your counter-top or windowsill to aid in natural odor control. Be sure to focus on cleaning up the source of odor, though, too — not just covering it up. You can also use fresh cut herbs and flowers and potted plants. Plants can even help improve indoor air quality. Ultimately, If you are super sensitive or just don’t want to deal with smelling anything at all then choose fragrance-free or unscented products. Just make sure to still read labels carefully because sometimes companies will use other questionable ingredients to create that lack of a scent and keep your windows open to get good air-flow in your home. Eliminating fragrance is simple when you realize there are so many alternatives that can be even cheaper than what you’re already spending on candles and air-fresheners. It’s all about being more mindful and taking a second to remember to check the ingredients on whatever product you bring into your home next.