When a horrible odor starts to permeate throughout your home, the first thing that you want to do is to make it go away.

That’s when air fresheners come in handy. They battle unwanted smells in a single spray, but even though they can make your home smell like a meadow of flowers or fresh vanilla, what you may not know is that they can be damaging to your health.

How Can Air Fresheners Damage Your Health?

According to Science Daily, The Daily Collegian and Time, air fresheners may not be the saviors of smell that we think they are.

A study conducted last year by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) tested 14 air freshener brands that were found on a shelf in Walgreens.

And guess whose air freshener had the highest amount of phthalates? The Walgreens brand! This of course prompted them to remove the products from their shelves immediately.

Another study conducted by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) found that air fresheners contain a volatile organic compound (VOC) called 1,4 dichlorobenzene (1,4 DCB).

Volatile organic compounds cause soil, groundwater and air pollution, and 1,4 dichlorobenzene was determined to be a carcinogen. And carcinogens cause cancer.

Also, extended periods of exposure to this compound can damage your lungs, and can be especially dangerous for people who have asthma.

What Are the Alternatives?

Well, you can always open a window. Letting air circulate throughout the room will always make an unpleasant smell go away.

Other things you can do:

• Burn an organic candle
• Use an organic air freshener in-a-can from a company like Sunshine Scents
• Burn organic incense or oils from The Amma Shop or Gaia-Tree

It may be more convenient to grab a can of air freshener when something smells funny, but you should always keep in mind just how much more harmful the fumes from the spray are than what is making your house stink.

It only takes a minute to light a candle or to burn oil, so go for organic and take care of your body.