Are plug-in air fresheners dangerous?

An “energy practitioner” posted a viral TikTok warning to viewers that plug-in air fresheners can cause memory loss.

Featured video

Lynn (@energypractionerlynn) has reached over 793,000 views on her video. She added a caption that read, “PSA: Get brain-altering chemicals out of your house. Memory loss can be an unwanted effect of common objects you use every day.”

According to Lynn’s TikTok bio, she is an energy practitioner who “prevents dementia holistically,”

What is the holistic approach to dementia?

Comfort Care Homes states that using a holistic approach to treating dementia “focuses on the whole person, not on the single internal workings of the disease itself.”

It is stated that this technique focuses on the senior’s “emotions, strengths, and remaining abilities to provide comprehensive care.”

Why does Lynn say plugins cause memory loss?

To begin her video, Lynn explains that she and some friends were recently away for the weekend at a cabin when she noticed something strange about the behavior of one of her friends.

“I noticed that my girlfriend was forgetting words,” she tells viewers. “Every tenth word she had to stop and look for that word.”

She says this was a new habit and her friend showed no signs of memory loss so far. She adds that she then remembered her friend using plug-in air fresheners in her house.

“The smell wafting through the room… that was new too,” she continues.

Lynn then tells viewers that for her latest research as a doctor, she has been researching the brain and what situations can affect memory and cognitive health.

“Chemicals in our world can cross the blood-brain barrier,” she says. She claims that the chemicals in plug-in air fresheners can seriously change the way your brain functions, and she believes this is why her friend is experiencing memory loss.

Are plug-in air fresheners dangerous?

In recent Daily Dot headlines, another TikTok expert says that “plug-in air fresheners like Glade” often contain harmful toxins in the form of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). He says these VOCs include benzene, formaldehyde, toluene and xylene.

UMass Amherst Environmental Health and Safety states that the majority of plug-in air fresheners are associated with elevated levels of VOCs, “such as formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylenes.”

It confirms that exposure to these chemicals, “even at relatively low levels, has been linked to a range of adverse health effects,” including “migraines, asthma attacks, respiratory and breathing difficulties, dermatitis and neurological problems, especially for susceptible individuals.” ”

Can VOC Exposure Cause Memory Loss?

Science Direct states that if an individual is exposed to high concentrations of VOCs, he or she is at risk for “several neuropsychiatric disorders, including distractibility, hallucinations, loss of impulse control, dementia and respiratory effects.”

Before Lynn ends her video, she says the first step is to clean her friend’s house of all chemicals. “But this is a PSA,” she adds, “if you have it, get it out of the house.” They could change your brain.”

@energypractitioner PSA: Get brain-altering chemicals out of your house. Memory loss can be an unwanted effect of common objects you use every day. #holistichealth #dementia #toxins #memoryloss ♬ original sound – energypractitionerlynn

Viewers respond

“Plugins make my head hurt so bad,” one user agreed in the comments section of Lynn’s video. “I literally don’t understand how people can stay upright under all those chemicals.”

Another asked: “I have plug-ins in all our houses and also in my children’s rooms. Are they all bad? What about candles?”

“Scented candles, Febreeze, dryer sheets, all laced with chemicals,” Lynn replied.

AirScan confirms that although Febreze contains the lowest amounts of VOCs compared to other air fresheners, the “maximum concentration” caused by Febreze was 580 ppb and therefore still contained harmful chemicals. Additionally, the National Candle Association states that “almost all of the fragrance ingredients in a candle are VOCs,” and it is nearly impossible to find a scented candle that does not contain toxic chemicals.

As for dryer sheets, Smart Sheep Dryer Balls states that the fragrances used to make dryer sheets contain “hundreds of chemical compounds, many of which are potentially hazardous.”

The Daily Dot contacted Lynn via TikTok direct message and phone number.

Internet culture is chaotic, but we’ll explain it for you in one daily email. Sign up for Daily Dot’s web_crawlr newsletter here. You’ll get the best (and worst) of the internet straight to your inbox.