If you still use incense at home for scent enjoyment, HERE’S WHY YOU SHOULD THINK TWICE:
- YnaWrites
- Apr 1, 2021
- 2 min read
If you grew up in an Asian household like me, it is most likely that you have encountered this practice of burning incense inside homes at least once in your life.
It has regained its popularity again recently after the lockdowns when improved lifestyles and better mindfulness started becoming a thing. Practices like yogas and meditation have become much more popular when everyone was stuck inside their homes with more free time.
With the fear brought by the pandemic, everyone was much more health conscious than they were before.
Some may use it for religious purposes which are quite reasonable but some burn it for the pleasant smell that it emits which promotes a relaxing aura. This practice is called aromatherapy.
Considering that it does smell kind of nice, you’d think it’s pretty harmless. But did you know that there are researches that link incense as a source of air pollution?
Upon burning the incense, particles are released into the air. These particles are most likely inhaled by the people around but when they get trapped in our lungs they can cause heath damages such as lung inflammatory reactions.
Studies also link that it potentially causes the developments of much more fatal illnesses like lung cancer, leukemia and brain tumors.
There is actually a research published in Springer's journal Environmental Chemistry Letters led by Rong Zhou of South China University and China Tobacco Guangdong Industrial Company, where the effects of incense and cigarette smokes were compared.
You can read a much more detailed discussion on:
The weight of harm carried may be dependent on what type of incense you burn but a study actually tested 23 different types of it and found that there are similar gasses found in its smoke that are high enough to affect our healths. (Jetter, et. al, 2002)
So how can we achieve the same benefit without having to sacrifice our health?
Aromatherapy isn’t limited to just burning incense at home. In fact, the most suggested way to practice this are through essential oil diffusers.
This practice isn’t just limited to making your homes smell better. They have the ability to assist you in unwinding after a very tough time.
Oils like lavender and clary sage when put in the diffuser helps promote relaxation and can give you the much needed break from all the stress of the day. For some who have trouble sleeping at night, this is also a great support to help you achieve the amount of rest you need.
In a time where we need the extra hand, oils like peppermint, lemon, rosemary and thyme are anti-microbial that when introduced into the air in vapor form, is great effort to keep a cold or flu away.
These are only some of the long list of why you should invest in quality essential oils and diffusers. When purchasing, it’s always important to look into what kind you are buying as to the wrong type, it wouldn’t be as beneficial.
It’s always good to invest in your health.
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Here’s the link to where I got my eos and diffuser:
References:
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