Safe Swap: Air Fresheners
The thing that is really important to understand with air fresheners is that they do not remove odor molecules and they do not clean the item it comes into contact with. The odor molecules are still there…your nose just can’t perceive them because you smell the chemical product instead.
🚩 Red flag number one when we look at conventional air fresheners is that the majority do not disclose their full ingredients.
🚩 And then there’s the brands that claim to be “safer” and do disclose ingredients… but they still contain toxins.
Thankfully the Environmental Working Group (EWG) conducted a test to identify for the ingredients in Febreze Air Effects.
Sadly, P&G only disclosed three ingredients in this product, but the EWG they 87 chemicals in total! Here are just 11 of the 87 that were identified through this independent study…
- BHT – Known as a neurotoxin, endocrine disruptor, immunotoxicity, non-reproductive organ system toxicity, skin eye and lung irritatoN.
- ACETALDEHYDE – Known to cause cancer, toxic to reproduction and development, immunotoxin, non-reproductive organ system toxin, skin, eye and lung irritator
- “FRAGRANCE” – One of the three ingredients on the label, but hiding up to 3,164 undisclosed chemicals. Many known to be neurotoxic, immunotoxic, and allergens.
- PROPYLENE GLYCOL – linked to cancer, allergies, toxic to immune system, accumulates in the system, non-reproductive organ system toxin, is classified with “enhanced skin absorption” and irritates the skin, eye and lung
- 1,3-DICHLORO-2-PROPANOL – Carcinogenic (causes cancer)
- METHYL PYRROLIDONE – Toxin to reproduction and development, allergen and immunotoxin, non-reproductive organ system toxin and skin, eyes and lung irritator
- BUTYLPHENYL METHYLPROPION AL – allergen, immunotoxin and and skin, eyes and lung irritator
- ETHYL ACETATE – linked to developmental/reproductive toxicity, neurotoxicity, organic system toxicity and and skin, eyes and lung irritator
- BENZALDEHYDE – neurotoxin, and skin, eyes and lung irritator
- DIETHYLENE GLYCOL MONOETHYL ETHER – non-reproductive organ system toxicity
- ETHYLHEZANOL – developmental and reproductive toxin and skin, eyes and lung irritator
A definite NO if you’re conscious of what you bring into the environment of your family.
LWM Approved Safe Solutions:
🌿 House plants that PURIFY the air instead of masking odors
🌿 Charcoal “Air freshener” Bags
🌿 DIY Air Freshener like this one:
* 25 drops sweet orange (or wild orange) essential oil
* 25 drops lemon essential oil
* 12 drops ginger essential oil
* 2 tsp vodka
* 4 oz spray bottle
* distilled water
🌿 Grow Fragrance + $10 Off Coupon: http://growfragrance.refr.cc/lilyanjean
©LivingWellMama®️
