Everyone wants to look and smell good. It is well known that pleasant fragrances can help as mood boosters and also leave a lasting impression among others. Bad odours can be embarrassing and affect your first impression. For this, We mostly rely on personal hygiene options such as perfumes, deodorants or cleaning agents. But do you know these products emit harmful pollutants? Your personal hygiene affects indoor air quality.
Personal hygiene products are the hidden culprit in your home. Many fragranced products release chemicals that compromise indoor air quality. These chemicals can cause various health issues such as a high risk of cancer, asthma and allergies. Moreover, these pollutants exposure can cause learning attention and behavioural difficulties in children. Let’s know how personal hygiene affects indoor air quality and can cause health issues.
Are Your Everyday Products Polluting Your Home?
All personal hygiene products have chemical compounds that emit VOCs in the air. VOCs (Volatile organic compounds) easily evaporate at room temperature and increase the indoor air pollution level. A survey report published by NIH found fragranced products have caused many health effects as 34.7% in America. Let’s start with common products we use every day:
1. Deodorants or perfumes: Amazing smells but polluted air!
Our everyday routines involve the deodorants and perfumes used to smell good. These are a mixture of synthetic fragrances and chemicals including alcohol, ethanol, acetone etc. All these chemicals can contribute to indoor air pollution as by releasing VOCs in the air.
Health issues: A report by EWG (environmental working group) found that aromatic fragrances in these products contain phthalates. These chemicals have severe health issues including the risk of cancer, asthma and other elevated health issues.
2. Shower gels and lotions:
The compounds in shower gels and other personal care range products evaporate from our skin after applying. It helps in keeping us free from any body odour. However, these chemicals emit high amounts of VOCs level in the air.
Health issues: Short-term exposure to VOCs through these products can cause dizziness headaches and respiratory irritation.
3. Hair products:
Everyone loves their tangled, frizz-free, smooth and shiny hair. Thus, we have an extensive range of hair care products including sprays, shampoos, serums etc. But these hair care products have a high range of D5 Siloxane. A chemical that belongs in the VOCs class and can react with air and sunlight contact. Its reaction can emit ozone and particulate matter in the air. If you check your shampoo bottle’s compound, you will notice “benzene”. Many studies have claimed that it is common in every product that emission leads to extreme health issues.
4. Cleaning agents:
We clean our homes daily with disinfectants, air fresheners, laundry detergents etc. These products are compounds of high chemicals and emit VOCs. A study published in Science Direct highlighted that these products emit high levels of VOCs. Because these contain ammonia and react with other chemicals results in Ozone or PM2.5 emission.
Are “Green” Products a Safer Choice?
You must have heard about natural or green products. Since these are the safer options for the skin and the environment. However, these also include compounds of synthetic chemicals but in less quantity. Thus, these can still result in VOC emissions. Moreover, these can also release organic compounds that can react with ozone and form formaldehyde.
Know about the smart solutions for the air quality in your home!
How to Reduce Personal Hygiene affect indoor air quality?
These products are everyone’s daily needs that are necessary to use. Thus, it is impossible to eliminate these products but you can also monitor the air quality. However, there are steps you can take to minimize the impacts of personal hygiene affects indoor air quality:
1. Choose Fragrance-Free Products:
You can look for fragrance-free or low-chemical compound products. These help in making feel and smell better without compromising the air you breathe. Since these emit fewer chemicals into the air.
2. Ventilate Your Space:
Always ensure better ventilation in your home. Especially after using personal care products. Because these products quickly evaporate right after applying and emit high amounts of chemicals. Ventilation as opening windows and exhaust fans can help in circulating the air and provide clean air.
3. Reduce Usage:
Try to avoid these products’ usage as much as possible and also be mindful of your usage. Additionally, you can consider using alternatives to the perfumes and other products. For example, solid perfumes, roll-on deodorants etc to reduce airborne particle emissions.
Conclusion:
Indoor air pollution is a major concern that affects the lives of many people since we spend more time indoors. Moreover, the chemical emission from personal hygiene products affects the indoor air and lead to many health conditions. For this, we can reduce our usage and exposure to harmful pollutants. Additionally, make conscious choices for better air quality and fresh air to breathe.
