I’m a lover of all things scent related — from diffusers to candles, to room sprays — if it makes my house smell good, I likely use it! However, I want to talk about something that is extremely important but can be a little unintuitive with scents: safety.

According to the EPA, all scents (including natural ones) release something called Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC). While generally not harmful on their own, VOCs can react with gases that are naturally present in our homes, slowly creating small amounts of some nasty and toxic byproducts. Allowing these to build up can create negative health effects for ourselves, our spouses, our children, and our furry friends.

While this sounds scary, we only need to take a few simple steps in order to use scents safely: regularly get fresh air into our homes, avoid continuous use of scents in rooms with poor ventilation, and stock up on houseplants, which cleanse the air of VOCs while providing many other health benefits.

So as with all things, keep safety in mind and enjoy your cozy, aromatic home with newfound peace of mind (and a few lush, new plants). Below I’ve listed a recipe for my go-to room spray!

“Spring Forward” Room Spray DIY Recipe (Prep time: 2 minutes)

What You’ll Need:

• 2 oz. glass spray bottle
• 1.5 oz distilled water (or boiled tap water)
• 1 tsp grain alcohol (vodka works great!)
• 12 drops ylang ylang essential oil
• 12 drops lavender essential oil
• 12 drops geranium essential oil 

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in the 2oz. glass spray bottle, shake, spray and enjoy! <3
p.s. You can use whatever essential oils you like!

Note: Keep away from pets and children as ingestion could cause toxicity.

Kara Montgomery, neurotoxicology researcher, product development specialist

Kara believes the small choices of what we expose ourselves to on a day-to-day basis have a profound impact on our overall health. As a published neurotoxicology researcher, Kara has studied the link between pesticides and Parkinson’s disease, participating in studies that have garnered around $1 million in NIH funding. With this knowledge, Kara takes a critical eye to the products and habits all of us engage with on a regular basis. She holds a BS in Neuroscience from King University.