Air fresheners, why do we have problems with these?

Handy, air fresheners in the bathroom. Just finished a big task, and the smell is gone with the push of a button. Ideal, you’d think.

Reed diffusers have the same effect. You don’t need to press a button, but the sticks quickly create a pleasant scent. No awkward situations when leaving the bathroom.

The market has responded well to this. But have you ever wondered what’s inside such an air freshener or reed diffuser?

Do you also start coughing after inhaling the scent from this handy air freshener or feel short of breath from the smell of that one reed diffuser? Then read on to find out why that is!

What substances are in air fresheners and reed diffusers?

The fragrance liquid used to spread the scent contains solvents, fragrance compounds, and sometimes colorants.

Fragrance liquid contains the following substances:

• Solvents: The fragrance compounds are dissolved in a solvent, such as propylene glycol, propylene glycol ethers, or ethanol. Often, fragrance liquid mainly consists of (a combination of) solvents.If air fresheners are in an aerosol can, they contain a propellant, such as propane or butane. Propellants ensure that you can spray the air freshener from the can.
• Fragrance compounds: Fragrance liquid always contains a mixture of fragrance compounds. This is also referred to as perfume. Examples of commonly used fragrance compounds are linalool and tetramethyl acetyloctahydronaphthalenes.
• Essential oils: Fragrance liquid can also partially or entirely consist of essential oils. An essential oil is a mixture of fragrance compounds extracted from plants, flowers, herbs, or fruits through steam distillation.

The air fresheners or reed diffusers found in stores, such as drugstores and supermarkets, are made from fragrance compounds and not from (organic) essential oils.

Why do air fresheners and reed diffusers cause issues?

Everyone reacts differently to air fresheners and reed diffusers. While one person may have an allergic reaction, another may experience little to no discomfort. However, the fact remains that non-essential fragrance oils, or synthetic fragrance oils in air fresheners or reed diffusers, should not be inhaled excessively.

Allergic reactions to plant-based substances

It’s true that substances like limonene, linalool, geraniol, and citronellol are also found in nature and therefore are present in essential oils. They are components of a flower, herb, or fruit. For example, limonene and linalool are found in citrus fruits, while geraniol and citronellol are found in roses and geraniums. These substances are labeled as triggers for allergic reactions in people. This would mean that one could also have an allergic reaction to an air freshener or reed diffuser made from essential oils.

People can indeed still have an allergic reaction to an essential fragrance, but in practice, this is often not the case or occurs to a much lesser extent. Why is this? This has to do with the fact that in fragrance oils, certain components are added to the oil or specific components are extracted from the plant. It is precisely the isolation of certain substances that increases the likelihood of an allergic reaction. Experience shows that when essential oils are extracted from a plant known to contain a substance that can trigger a reaction or cause allergies, people rarely experience issues with that substance. This is because the plant has not been broken down. All the components of the plant remain fully intact.

What are good alternatives?

Alternatives to standard air fresheners and reed diffusers are fresheners made exclusively from organic essential oils and/or other natural (auxiliary) substances. As briefly mentioned above, essential oils are extracted through steam distillation from plants, flowers, herbs, or fruits. But what is equally important is that the plants, flowers, herbs, or fruits are organically grown. In other words: no toxins or other non-natural harmful substances are used during cultivation. Essential oils extracted from non-organically grown plants still contain the harmful substances used during farming. This is how organic essential oils distinguish themselves from regular essential oils. Definitely an important point to consider, in my opinion!

That’s why we’ve chosen to make our reed diffusers from organic essential oils. “Curious about our products? Check out our range here!”