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It’s nice to walk into a room and smell something pleasant like vanilla or pumpkin spice. Fresh, pleasing smells are like a jolt to our brains. But if those scents are made from synthetic chemicals, they’re doing a lot more to your body than you realize. Scented plug-ins may seem like an easy way to cover up nasty smells in your home, but what are they really doing to the air– and your health?
As we enter the holiday season, companies will start marketing their seasonal scented air freshening products. One of the most popular options, scented plug-ins, are available in an endless array of enticing smells. Apple pie, orange vanilla, fresh linen– who wouldn’t want their home to smell like these things?
Are Scented Plug-Ins Safe?
Even if a scented plug-in product claims to have “natural scents” or essential oils, they are most likely filled with toxic chemicals as well. Most scented plug-in products are full of VOCs, volatile organic compounds. VOCs are terrible for the body, and are known to irritate the nose, eyes, throat, and lungs. Some are even carcinogenic!
Listen, I love a fresh-smelling house as much as the next guy– in fact, I use an essential oil diffuser almost daily! There are so many easy, inexpensive, safe alternatives to products like scented plug-ins. There’s really no need to buy these horrible toxic things.
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