Toxic Air Freshners

Are Your Air Fresheners Releasing Dangerous Toxins?


Maylin Rodriguez-Paez, RN

Phthalates have been linked to a range of health problems, and many popular air fresheners are full of them.

So, whenever you spray your home with an air freshener, you’re not only freshening up your home with your “scent-of-choice” — you’re also inhaling a potentially dangerous chemical that’s been linked to several diseases.

The research is pretty clear: Conventional home air fresheners are not a safe option.

Fortunately, alternatives exist that are much safer and just as effective. In case that’s not enough for you to switch, let’s take a closer look at the dangers of phthalates.

Phthalates Interrupt Hormone Function

Phthalates are added to fragrances to enhance their smell. It could be easy to avoid them if they were listed on the label; but they’re not listed because it’s not required by law. So, your air freshener at home may very well contain this ingredient.

According to the Natural Resources Defense Council, around 86% of the air fresheners they sampled contained phthalates.1

This was revealed after 14 air fresheners were examined in a laboratory. Surprisingly, they discovered that even some of the so-called “natural” home fragrance products contained phthalates as well.

Phthalates have been making the news lately and are linked to problems like obesity,2 heart disease,3 and diabetes.4 There are actually multiple types of phthalates, and the ones found in air fresheners are specifically associated with reproductive problems.

Phthalates, when inhaled, eventually make it into your bloodstream — or, they can simply be absorbed through your skin.

According to a study, rats exposed to inhaled phthalates, called DEHP, had significant elevations in sex hormones. These rats matured sexually at a premature age.5

Is this our fate as well? Maybe, when you consider that our endocrine system is very similar to rats.

Natural Air Freshener Alternatives are Safer

The good news is that you can have a fragrant home naturally. There are plenty of safe and natural scents to choose from.

Consider essential oils for example. They have been shown to actually benefit your health instead of harm it.

Research shows that essential oils support mood, sleep, and memory, and can even help with pain. So consider making your own air fresheners at home with these natural extracts. You can use a diffuser or make your own bottled spray.

But here’s a word of advice: Use only essential oils — they are the ones that are most effective. Here are some examples:

  • Lavender oil:
    The scent of lavender oil has been shown to alleviate migraine pain6 and enhance sleep. In one study, for instance, 67 middle aged women reported improved sleep quality after inhaling lavender essential oil.7

  • Orange oil:
    Orange oil may help to lessen anxiety. In one trial, participants inhaling orange oil showed fewer signs of stress after being exposed to a stressor called the Stroop Color-Word Test.8

  • Spanish sage:
    According to studies, Spanish sage improves memory in healthy adults.9 This oil prevents the breakdown of acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter that supports cognitive function.10

What You Need to Know

Many commercial air fresheners contain phthalates which have been linked to various health problems. Making matters worse, these phthalates aren't even listed on ingredient labels, so you can't identify offending products when shopping.

So, instead of using store-bought air fresheners, consider making your own at home with essential oils. These oils are safe, effective, and even offer therapeutic effects. What more do you really need to know?

Do you have a favorite essential oil? Please let us know about it in the comments!

References:

  1. Available at http://www.nrdc.org/health/home/airfresheners/fairfresheners.pdf. Accessed September 25, 2012.
  2. Environ Res. 2012 Jan;112:186-93. Epub 2012 Jan 4.
  3. Atherosclerosis. 2011 Sep;218(1):207-13. Epub 2011 May 10.
  4. Environ Health Perspect. 2012 Sep;120(9):1307-13. Epub 2012 Jun 1.
  5. Toxicol Sci. 2006 Sep;93(1):164-71. Epub 2006 Jun 8.
  6. Eur Neurol. 2012;67(5):288-91. doi: 10.1159/000335249. Epub 2012 Apr 17.
  7. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2012;2012:740813. Epub 2011 Aug 18.
  8. J Altern Complement Med. 2012 Aug;18(8):798-804. Epub 2012 Jul 31.
  9. Pharmacol Biochem Behav. 2003 Jun;75(3):669-74.
  10. J Psychopharmacol. 2011 Aug;25(8):1088-100. Epub 2010 Oct 11

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

4 Ways Your Pumpkin Can Make You Prettier

Image
Pumpkins are more than a delicious flavor for lattes and baked goods. They're packed with vitamins and antioxidants that nourish your skin, body, and hair—making the seasonally appropriate squash just the ingredient your fall beauty DIY needs. Get your pumpkin fix, minus the calories, with these recipes. Click through to see four pumpkin-inspired DIYs for your hair, skin, and body. 1  of  4 1. It Can Give You Shinier Hair PHOTO:  Hello Natural Pumpkin is rich in potassium and vitamin A, making it especially great for restoring damaged, dry hair (especially when it’s combined with ultra-moisturizing honey). You'll need: 2 cups cooked pumpkin 1 tablespoon honey 1 tablespoon coconut oil 1 tablespoon unflavored yogurt  Puree the pumpkin and yogurt, then mix in the coconut oil and honey. Evenly cover your hair from roots to ends, and let it sit for 15-20 minutes. Rinse out the mixture, and then shampoo to ensure no residue is left.  2  of  4 2. I
Read more

How Air Pollution Is Damaging Your Health

Image
Exposure to air pollution is associated with numerous effects on human health, including pulmonary, cardiac, vascular, and neurological impairments. The health effects vary greatly from person to person. High-risk groups such as the elderly, infants, pregnant women, and sufferers from chronic heart and lung diseases are more susceptible to air pollution. Children are at greater risk because they are generally more active outdoors and their lungs are still developing. Exposure to air pollution can cause both acute (short-term) and chronic (long-term) health effects. The health of our lungs and entire respiratory system is affected by the quality of the air we breathe. In addition to oxygen, this air contains other substances
Read more

Most Popular Anti-Aging Skin Care Ingredients

Image
Now I look for these ingredients in my skincare to test and review. They are very important for great skin. And I have learned so much about ingredients and what to look for in a great product. This is a list so you can understand the ingredients to look for. Watch for my reviews and you will see all these ingredients are in the products I test. Anti-aging skin care…it seems as though every magazine you read or every site you go to on the Internet is talking about it. After all, isn’t that why you came to my blog? Today, there are some “hot” product ingredients that you will hear mentioned, but what do they actually do? I have put together some of the more popular ingredients below so you can be a bit more informed as you read down the product labels of your favorite anti-aging skin care products. • Alpha Hydroxy Acid  – this ingredient is very popular in products offering exfoliation and/or chemical peels. These acids can be natural or synthetic and are very potent. In fact,
Read more