Episode 136: Combating Toxins in the Air

doTERRA:Did you know that the US Environmental Protection Agency found that our indoor air quality can sometimes be even worse than our outdoor air quality? This means that we have to do everything we can to help improve the air quality in our homes.

Welcome back to Essential Oil Solutions with doTERRA, the podcast where you'll hear exciting, useful, and simple everyday uses for essential oils from experts in the field. If you like what you hear today, rate, review, and subscribe wherever you listen. We always appreciate hearing from you.

Today, we're excited to talk to Bekah Nixon, vice president of Global Product Innovation and Lifestyle for doTERRA, about toxins in the air. Bekah, thank you so much for being here today.

Bekah Nixon: Oh, thank you so much for having me.

doTERRA: So my first question for you is kind of a big one to get into, but what are toxins?

Bekah: That is a big one. And there are a number of origins for toxins. Some are biologically natural, such as those found in certain plants, like poison ivy. Some are synthetic, such as chlorine. And some are the result of a chemical reaction, such as smoke.

doTERRA: That is interesting! So how do the toxins get from being all around us into our bodies?

Bekah: Well, there are several ways toxins make their way into our bodies, but the main ones are through the air we breathe, the food we eat, and the things we touch.

So basically, avoiding all toxins is impossible. But luckily, our bodies have multiple ways of eliminating toxins when they stay under a certain level. Or I like to refer to this as our toxic threshold or toxic load. These elimination processes are challenged when we passed our threshold through higher exposure, build-up, or even a failure to assist our bodies with these processes through cleansing practices.

doTERRA: So you mentioned that they can even be in the air we breathe. So how do those toxins affect our air?

Bekah: Yeah, so the air we breathe has the potential to be riddled with toxins. So if you live in a city, for example, or near highly trafficked roads, the air quality is likely to be much worse than that of the countryside or a more secluded residential area.

But the obvious aside, airborne toxins can also be generated from very basic things like dust, synthetic air fresheners, candles, and so on. In fact, air pollutants are often two to five times more prevalent indoors than outdoors.

doTERRA: Wow! So obviously we want to avoid the toxins in our air. So what can we do about them?

Bekah: While there are some uncontrollable factors, I mean, it's just not realistic to expect everyone to move to a rural area, right? But there are a few things that you can do today that will significantly reduce airborne toxins in your home.

Invest in an Air Purifier

So first, if it's doable, of course, I recommend investing in a good air purifier. Especially if you live in a city or an area with poor air quality, an air purifier has the potential to be a game-changer for the air in your home.

Place Houseplants in Your Home

Now, I know that's not a realistic option for everyone, but another way to naturally purify your air is by investing in a few plants. A quick Internet search can help you identify plants that are excellent for air purification. Plus, plants are beautiful additions to your home. And who knows? Maybe you'll find a new hobby you love.

Keep up on Cleaning

Okay, so next, keep up on your cleaning. Dust and vacuum often to keep those pesky irritants out of the air.

Clear Out Toxic Products

And the last thing that you can do today to help keep your air clean is to ditch the products that are contributing to the problem. For example, cleaning supplies, synthetic personal care products, and air fresheners, candles, plug-ins, aerosol sprays. These are all products that can introduce a significant amount of toxins into the air.

Candles, Aerosol Sprays, and Plug-Ins

Let's talk about candles specifically. First off, it's a no-brainer that where there's a flame, there's smoke, and it's not really a secret that smoke is bad for you. Even the smoke generated from candles has trace amounts of carbon monoxide. It goes without saying that we don't want to knowingly introduce carbon monoxide into our homes. On top of this, most candles contain other chemicals, and we've somehow tricked ourselves into thinking if it makes my air so good, it makes my air cleaner, which is so wrong.

The same goes for aerosol sprays and plug-ins. These may seem better because they don't involve smoke. However, these products are even more likely to contain chemicals than candles.

This doesn't mean that you have to be done with products that make your home smell good. We just need to be more conscious consumers. It's that age-old adage: when you know better, you do better. Continually do your research and avoid anything that utilizes synthetic chemicals.

doTERRA: So you talked about a lot of things that we want to take out of our home that we want to avoid. What solutions does doTERRA have to help reduce the toxins in our air?

Bekah: doTERRA has so many options. And of course, our mission is to bring the best that nature has to offer into homes around the world. Our products are safe and natural. So when you swap some of your routine products with those that doTERRA offers, you are actively helping to reduce your toxic load.

We offer natural cleaning products and personal care products, which are wonderful. Our specialty is essential oils, and they're ultimately the easiest way to start making smart swaps in the home.

I know I just harped on candles, air fresheners, and plug-ins and some of us aroma enthusiasts might feel a little discouraged. But here's the good news: aromas occur naturally. So most aromatic products utilize synthetic ingredients to mimic natural scents. And it's like why? Who on earth would rather sniff a rose-scented candle if a fresh rose was readily available to them? This is the beauty of essential oils.

We bottle up the beautiful, naturally occurring aroma of the plants so you can experience the real thing year-round everywhere you go.

doTERRA: So I want to get a little bit of an insight into how you personally use these essential oils. What are your favorite ways to use them aromatically?

Bekah: My favorite way is actually the most common way. It's through diffusing. I personally love the aesthetic of a diffuser in the home and choosing one that's visually pleasing, allows me to start the process of setting up a beautiful atmosphere.

I do this by—I just assess what mood I'm in, and then I reach for my essential oils that can support me in creating that vibe I'm looking for. And this can also vary from room to room, so I can allow my kids to get involved in creating their own aromatic experience. So you get the gist here.

Another thing that I love is that diffusing is not just beautiful and customizable, but it's actually more sustainable. So instead of tossing multiple plug-in cartridges or almost burned through candles, you can just dump any leftover water and start on a whole new aromatic journey.

Obviously, there are a lot of benefits to diffusing, but going back to the root of our discussion, diffusing essential oils is not just non-toxic, but they're all great for helping my house smell incredible without contributing to the problem.

doTERRA: Well, diffusing sounds like such an incredible option. But with so many different essential oils to choose from, what's the best way to get started?

Bekah: Well, the first step is to get your hands on a collection. I personally recommend the Aroma Essentials Collection that we have. And many people heard me talk about this during our Leadership Live event last month, but I seriously love this option. I love it because it was curated specifically for everything we've been talking about today. It's non-toxic. There are these beautiful aromas for the home. Now it comes with the doTERRA Laluz™ diffuser, which is absolutely gorgeous, and it also comes with 10 oils. These are all hand-chosen by our aromatic experts to account for any time of day and any aromatic preferences.

And then the next thing I recommend doing is get connected to the community. doTERRA is in the business of empowering people. So we love providing resources to help people uplevel their conscious consumerism. And one great place to start is the doTERRA Blog. It has fun, innovative ideas for using your essential oils aromatically and beyond. There are many other resources as well, such as our social media channels, print materials, and more.

So basically just stay plugged in, get curious, and have some fun.

doTERRA: Well, Bekah, you've given us such amazing resources to better the air in our homes and to decrease those toxins. We really appreciate you being here with us today.

Bekah: Oh, thank you so much for having me!

doTERRA: Thanks for joining us and congratulations on living a healthier lifestyle with essential oils. If you liked what you heard today, rate, review, and subscribe wherever you listen. Also, if you want to try any of the products you learned about, go to doterra.com or find a Wellness Advocate near you to place an order today.