Ever smell something amazing in the air but then realize you’re having issues catching your breath? You’ve probably asked yourself “hmm, can my air fresheners cause breathing problems?” The answer: only if respiratory sensitizers are lurking in the air you’re breathing in. 😱
Respiratory sensitizers are types of chemicals that set your airways on fuego 🔥 when breathed in. Basically, these substances induce hypersensitivity in your lungs when inhaled, which can be super uncomfortable and harmful to you.*
Just like other nasty chemicals like CMRs, respiratory sensitizers are super bad for your health but can still smell good (those devilish little masters of disguise 🧐). When it comes to the bigger air freshener guys, they like to make things fast + cheap, and it would take a lot more time + effort to avoid using respiratory sensitizers, which is why they may be hidden in traditional air fresheners.
And before you write it off as asthma, respiratory sensitization is literally defined as being caused by previous exposure to a specific substance (aka respiratory sensitizers). Here’s how respiratory sensitization affects you over time: at first exposure, your immune system develops special memory cells (aka the sensitizers making their mark). Once exposed again, those special memory cells “remember” what a bad time the first go around was and spring into action trying to protect you, causing an allergic respiratory reaction like coughing, sneezing, wheezing...* ew.
At Enviroscent, we believe in your right to breathe safer, cleaner air. That’s why we vow to never use any respiratory sensitizers in our air fresheners. Because why on earth would anyone use an ingredient that’s going to jack up people’s lungs + airways?! 🤢 With us, you can breathe easy knowing you’re getting safer, nature-powered scents with every breath. In fact, you can check out the list of all the nasty junk we never put in any of our air fresheners right here.
Don’t forget to check out all our safer scent solutions!
* You can read more about respiratory sensitizers with this fact sheet from the SCHC.