Air Fresheners Are Poison ☠️
If you follow me on social media, you know that “air fresheners” and artificially scented home products make me irate because they emit health-harming substances in a way that is really hard to get away from… because it’s in the air.
Scented plug-ins, automated scent dispensers in public bathrooms, little dangling scented trees in cars… artificial fragrances come in all shapes and sizes, and they seem to be everywhere these days: in Airbnbs, Ubers, office buildings, retail stores, airports, even gyms. I can barely walk down the street without smelling scented air from someone’s laundry vent.
Despite the ubiquity of these products, it doesn’t change the truth: air fresheners and artificial fragrances are contributing to chronic metabolic diseases, respiratory issues, and cancer. This is clear in the research literature. Fragrance companies have a weird loophole where they don’t have to disclose all their ingredients because they are “trade secrets,” but many ingredients tested have been found to be extremely detrimental to health.
Why You Should Avoid Air Fresheners and Artificial Scents ❌
Exposure to fragranced consumer products like air fresheners, cleaning supplies, and personal care items is associated with a range of adverse health effects, including migraine headaches, asthma attacks, neurological problems, respiratory difficulties, skin irritation, and cognitive problems, amongst others.
A study surveying over 1,000 individuals found that over one-third of participants experienced health problems—like migraine headaches or respiratory problems—when exposed to fragranced products, with over half of those individuals reporting potentially disabling effects. This is because many scented products contain volatile organic compounds (VOCs), many of which are toxic or break down into substances that are toxic, like formaldehyde or acetaldehyde. Some VOCs are “known carcinogens,” and many are “suspected carcinogens,” which means they directly cause or likely contribute to cancer.
In one study, more than 156 VOCs were found to be emitted from 37 fragranced consumer products. Of these, “42 VOCs were classified as toxic or hazardous under US federal laws, and each product emitted at least one of these chemicals.” The paper goes on to note that “carcinogenic hazardous air pollutants from so-called green or organic fragranced products were not significantly different from regular fragranced products.” Despite this, “fewer than 3% were disclosed on the product labels or websites.”
The EPA notes that indoor air pollution can be 2-5 times greater than outdoors for many chemicals, and one of the causes of this is household products. Stop the madness!
So, What’s the Alternative?
Shift your life towards unscented or naturally scented products of all kinds—hand soaps, body soap, shampoo, conditioner, face wash, deodorant, laundry detergent, dishwashing liquid, and candles. But make sure that when you do choose a scent, you are using only 100% pure essential oils.
My Go-To dōTERRA Alternatives for a Safe and Clean Home:
- dōTERRA abōde Multi-Purpose Surface Cleaner – A powerful plant-based formula infused with pure CPTG® essential oils.
- dōTERRA abōde Laundry Pods – Free from synthetic fragrances, these pods use the power of essential oils to freshen clothes naturally.
- dōTERRA abōde Dish Soap – Effective and non-toxic, leaving dishes sparkling clean with an uplifting citrus aroma.
- dōTERRA abōde Hand Wash – A nourishing, natural alternative to synthetic hand soaps.
- dōTERRA Essential Oils for DIY Cleaning – Lemon, Tea Tree, On Guard®, and Eucalyptus oils are fantastic for homemade cleaning solutions.
You can also DIY your own 100% essential oil air freshener at home! Here is a quick and easy tutorial on how to make your own air freshener diffuser with just a handful of rice and your preferred essential oil:
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup rice
- 15-20 drops dōTERRA essential oil of your choice (Lemon, Peppermint, Lavender, or Wild Orange work well!)
Instructions:
1. Add 1/2 cup rice to a small container. Jasmine rice works well.
2. Add 15-20 drops of your preferred dōTERRA essential oil(s).
3. Stir or shake to distribute the oil through the rice.
4. Place the container somewhere you want to naturally scent the air.
Diffusers filled with dōTERRA’s 100% pure essential oils are also an excellent option.
Lymphatics and Glymphatics: Proper Fluid Flow Prevents Disease
Take the lymphatic and glymphatic systems, for instance. The lymphatic system is a network of vessels and nodes that transport lymph fluid throughout the body for clearance, while the glymphatic system is a recently discovered brain waste clearance system that removes toxins and waste products during sleep.
Impaired lymphatic flow—often caused by prolonged sitting and lack of movement—can contribute to lymphedema, Big C, infections, and inflammatory diseases. Additionally, compromised glymphatic function—strongly linked to insufficient sleep—has been correlated with neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's, Parkinson’s, and mood disorders such as depression and anxiety.
Simply put: when normal fluid flow is interrupted in the body, waste builds up, and disease can emerge throughout the body.
This is why using natural, non-toxic products matters—not just for us but for the world around us.