Diffusing the Tension

Smell is one of the strongest senses, influencing everything we do.

Smell influences our perceptions of everything: the taste of food, the people we love and spend time with, and especially the spaces we occupy. (Next time you eat something with an especially punchy taste, take your first bite with your nose plugged, and then let go and breathe in - the taste will grow in your mouth, just because of the unblocked smell receptors!)

Depending on the smell, a scent can have quite an impact upon our mood and our reaction. That is why certain smells are synonymous with certain states of mind, for example Lavender is used to help relax as it has calming properties whereas lemon verbena is zingy and refreshing and can lift our spirits.

We all encounter not-so-nice smells in our daily lives, and so for some of us, the obvious choice is to pick up a scented aerosol spray and just get that stench covered up right away. Others might opt for the more subtle, consistent coverage of a wall plug-in.

But, while these may be convenient, they also might be letting off toxic chemicals into your home, affecting those most important to you. And on top of that, they’re really not that good for the environment either.

The nasties…

Commercial air freshener brands can contain toxic ingredients. It is really worth looking at the small print. These three are very much worth avoiding. 

Trideceth-4 - dissolves at least one other substance to form a solution - reducing the surface tension of the solution - surfactant (potential skin irritant, other surfactants are also carcinogens)

Sodium Tetraborate Decahydrate - Binds hard water and other minerals to allow the cleaning actives to perform more effectively. (known carcinogen)

Have you ever considered what goes into the word ‘fragrance’ or 'parfum’? Often they are a heady mix of chemicals - sometimes dozens in one forumlation. Did you know that there are over 3000 chemicals that are used in fragrances? It’s astonishing to think how we have allowed these chemicals to creep into our lives over the past 6 decades without any real consideration as to their long term impact. Now is the time to start looking at our labels more and choosing more natural options!

There are so many ingredients that should be avoided but here are just 3 of the biggies:

Benzaldehyde - can be found in perfume, cosmetics, bleach, shampoos, soaps…. There have been links to possible kidney damage and it is classified as an irritant to the mouth, throat, eyes, skin and lungs.

Butylphenyl Methylpropional - can be found in household cleaners and detergents and widely used in cosmetics. Due to its potential for skin sensitisation there is a safe concentration limit per product. However, as it is so widely used the concern is the aggregate exposure through multiple products containing this in the home. The European Chemicals Agency Risk Assessment Committee (RAC) has recommended it be prohibited in all cosmetic products from the second semester onwards in 2021, due to it also being considered as toxic to reproduction! So one to avoid at all costs.

Benzyl Acetate can be found in perfume, cologne, shampoo, fabric softener, air freshener, hairspray…..Not only is this an irritant to eyes and respiratory passages it is also linked to pancreatic cancer.

All of these chemicals have been tested and there are limits as to how much of each one can be used within a certain type of product. But the concern that we have is that there is little to no information as to what these chemicals are doing to our bodies in the long term. There is also little research into the combined effect of these chemicals that we are exposed to and expose ourselves to on a daily basis.

Aerosol fresheners function by using hydrocarbons and compressed gasses, which propel the scent through the air, but these chemicals contribute to the greenhouse effect and usually contain volatile organic compounds - meaning they get forcefully spread around your living spaces!

So, I hear you asking, what are we supposed to do? The answer is reed diffusers! These work through the use of scented oils and a bundle of natural reeds. The reeds have channels in their inner body which dispel the scent in the oil. You can find these in supermarkets now, but those scented oils are usually made with non-natural and potentially toxic ingredients - always check the ingredients label.

If you are looking to add nice and natural scents to any room, it is important that you find a reed diffuser with 100% natural essential oils.

Here at beautiful healthy home, we have found a London-based brand called join, which have crafted a reed diffuser with the longest-lasting, most scent-diffusing, and most sustainable type of reed (rattan, to be precise), paired with delicate and delectable essential oils, packaged in a lovely amber bottle. With join you can be sure that you are only bringing the best scents into your home, and your impact on the environment will be significantly less as all of their materials are natural. The great thing about these essential oil diffusers is that they also last much longer than other reed diffusers - the scent just keeps working! Having used reed diffusers for the past few years, I personally love join’s products - the simple yet elegant packaging and their essential oil combinations are a step above the rest.

Images: black and white face image © Ajay Karpur via Unsplash, diffuser thumbnail image © Mindaugas Norvilas via Unsplash, petrol station image © Jonas Denil via Unsplash, synthetic fragrance image © Fulvio Ciccolo via Unsplash, smokestack image © Anne Nygård via Unsplash, join diffuser image © join store London

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