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House Guests for Christmas?  The Do’s and Don’t’s. Christmas can be one of the most stressful times of the year, especially if your guests are staying for a few days.  We all know that Christmas planning makes an enormous difference to the quality of the...

You may have heard of zero waste – you may have even visited a zero waste shop but did you know that you can create your own refill station at home? It can be a lot of effort going green but here is one way that is fun and saves you time & money.  Buying in...

In pregnancy, there are two bodies, one inside the other. Two people live under one skin.”  – Joan Raphael-Leff  2020 is the International Year of the Nurse and Midwife and the bicentennial year of Florence Nightingale.  Pregnancy and birthing...

Now that we are isolating at home and maybe have a little more time, we should reflect on our understanding of why we clean and what products we use to remove bacteria and viruses. We are all more vulnerable as we live closer to our loved ones at this time and home...

We talk to Gabriella Rose May, Head of Ecommerce at People Tree Can you tell us a bit about your company? The company started in 1991, what may surprise many people is that it started in Tokyo, Japan.  Founded by award-winning social entrepreneur Safia Minney who...

“Today’s textile industry is built on an outdated linear, take-make-dispose model and is hugely wasteful and polluting” Ellen MacArthur Most of us will remember the terrible tragedy when the Rana Plaza factory collapsed in 2013 killing over 1,100 people. This was a...

As it's Allergy Awareness Week we take a look at outdoor and indoor air pollution. Do you know people with allergies? Is the number growing? You are not alone if the answer is ‘yes’. A staggering 44% of British adults now suffer from at least one allergy and the...

Image Courtesy: Lukasz Szmigiel There is no doubt that more people are suffering from allergies. In the UK, twenty-one million adults have at least one allergy.  The number of people with allergies is growing by 5% every year, and half of these people are children. Research from 2007 indicated a 500% increase in food allergies since 1990. Hay fever, asthma, and eczema have been rising for 3 decades and continue to do so.  Allergic reactions can range in severity from mild to life-threatening and everything in between. Allergy is the most common chronic disease in Europe. Up to 20% of patients with allergies struggle daily with the fear of a possible asthma attack, anaphylactic shock, or even death from an allergic reaction (EAACI, 2016) So, just what is causing these allergies? There are many theories and scientists are finding it hard to settle on just one. Each theory suggests different reasons why allergies may be increasing in the UK.  Here are the most common explanations:       Image Courtesy: Matteo Vistocco Genetics play a part A child in the UK has a one in five chance of having an allergy – this chance doubles if their parent has one and this chance increases to 60 to 80% if both parents have one.  You may have heard that individuals or families can be atopic: this is problem with your immune system that makes you more likely to develop allergic diseases and is linked to your genetics. Maternal diet Professor Graham Devereaux has linked maternal diet including the importance of Vitamin D & E to avoiding asthma in babies and young children.  There are other studies that confirm that prenatal diet can influence a baby’s chance of having allergies. Environmental pollution Allergy UK explains that there is a proven link between the quality of the air we breathe and the health of people living with allergic disease. Pollutants in the air can trigger coughing, breathing difficulties or wheeze in some people. These exposures can impact on allergic rhinitis (hay fever), asthma and other allergic disorders.  Lots of factors affect air pollution but traffic and diesel exhaust in urban areas are very significant. Burning fossil fuels, ammonia from farming, wood burning stoves and pollen levels also contribute to poor air quality outside. Inside our homes We spend around 90% of our time indoors so good indoor air quality is essential for good health. It is particularly important for vulnerable groups including babies, the elderly and those with allergies or respiratory illnesses.  Concentrations of toxins can be up to 10 times greater inside than outside, so it is important to ensure that allergens such as house dust mite, pet dander, moulds and spores are kept to a minimum.  Regular ventilation – opening doors and windows is the easiest way to flush out toxins and is recommended unless you live on a main road. Cleaning products can have a serious impact on allergies and there are many chemicals in conventional products that irritate airways.  VOC’s (Volatile Organic Compounds) are often present as solvents or fragrances and other chemicals such as SLS and SLES are common ingredients in most household products that can irritate eyes, skin, and lungs, especially with long-term use. SLES may also be contaminated with a substance called 1,4-dioxane, which is known to cause cancer in laboratory animals. Hygiene hypothesis Some scientists believe that being too house proud can increase your risk of allergies. The argument is that the immune systems of young children need to come into contact with micro-organisms and bacteria to avoid allergies in later life.  Most of us live in a cleaner environment than ever before and inadequate exposure to allergens as infants may trigger allergic responses later in life. This is one of the reasons why natural cleaning products made from organic ingredients are best for human health.  If you have allergies or want to reduce the risk of allergies, we always recommend our Nonscents range which is fragrance free.  Look out for the little blue heart on our labels. Our new surfactant mix is made from organic soap nuts and shikakai pods.  It forms the basis of many Greenscents products.  Soap nuts (which are not nuts but dried berries) are considered to be hypoallergenic so this base is ideal for allergy sufferers.  Check out the ingredients listed on our product labels or our website for more details. To keep VOC’s to a minimum, organic essential oils in our fragranced products make up no more than 1% of the formula.  This means if you are not prone to allergies you can enjoy the therapeutic effects of our organic fragrances without exposure to higher levels of VOC’s. Keeping up with a regular cleaning routine can be a challenge, but one thing that makes it easier is knowing that the products you are using aren’t harming your health, or the health of your family. Some chemicals used in household cleaners have been shown to cause allergic reactions in both children and adults. In addition to allergies, some people may experience headaches, irritated eyes and throat, and potentially even cancer from toxic ingredients in cleaning products. Protect yourself and your family from allergies and toxins from cleaning by purchasing certified organic household products from Greenscents. Further Reading https://www.narf.org.uk/the-allergy-explosion https://www.allergystandards.com/news_events/chemicals-in-cleaning-products-3/ https://www.allergycliniclondon.co.uk/why-are-allergies-on-the-rise-in-the-uk/#:~:text=In%20the%20UK%2C%20the%20number,and%20continue%20to%20do%20so. Allan KM, Prabhu N, Craig LCA, McNeill G, Kirby B, McLay J, Helms PJ, Ayres JG, Seaton A, Turner SW, Devereux G. Maternal intakes of vitamin D and E during pregnancy are associated with asthma in children. Eur Resp J 2015; 45:1027-1036 https://www.allergyuk.org/ https://greenseal.org/guide-to-vocs-in-paint-and-cleaning-products/ https://www.healthline.com/health/beauty-skin-care/sulfates#controversy https://testingcancer.com/deadly-and-dangerous-shampoos-toothpastes-and-detergents-could-16000-studies-be-wrong-about-sls-list-included/ https://www.ewg.org/skindeep/ https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/chemistry/ethoxylation https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/02/200218182154.htm

We were very interested to talk to Julia d’Albert, the founder of Myrtle & Maude. Her company is dedicated to helping pregnant mothers choose natural remedies during their pregnancy journey and is certified organic by The Soil Association like Greenscents....

Here at Greenscents we want to share information on how to prevent eczema in babies and help mothers keep their babies healthy. Protection against eczema in babies as well as asthma is so important as these allergies are so common these days. This is why we always...

Congratulations to all pregnant mums and new parents! This in an exciting time and we know you want to do your best for your baby. Avoiding allergies is important for the future health and wellbeing of your growing child. Here at Greenscents we want to help you to...

A Healthy Happy Home for your pet with organic pet products! Pet owners enjoy great health benefits Are you one of the nations pet lovers? Just under half of all UK adults own at least one pet - that’s over 11 million cats, nearly 9 million dogs and 1 million rabbits...

Enjoy a glamping holiday in rural Devon Here we talk to Vicky Ritchens, Director of The Orchard Retreat to find out more about this glorious glamping destination for holidaymakers looking for a sustainable tourism option. Can you tell us a bit about your place? We are...

Live a simpler life on holiday and connect with the great outdoors More and more holidaymakers are considering the environmental impact of their holiday and actively searching for more sustainable options with ecotourism certifications like Green Tourism helping them...

A picnic of fresh, local ingredients with no plastic in sight! What is Zero Waste?  ‘Zero Waste’ living is a very helpful idea which is about waste prevention as much as recycling and has been around since the 1990’s.  The ultimate goal is that the world...