FALSE. According to Jean-Marc Giroux, president of the association of SMEs in the cosmetics sector, the micro-droplets diffused by so-called atmospheric sprays, that is to say without pressure or propellant gas, evaporate in a few seconds and do not throw absolutely no particles. This is the case, for example, of Puressentiel, Florame or Naturactive essential oil vaporizers. This type of product should not be confused with aerosols containing propellant gas and spraying solids, such as certain spray paints for example. With these, small particles sometimes remain suspended in the air and can enter our respiratory tract.
FALSE. VOCs, or natural volatile organic compounds, are essential to life, to the plant world and to the phenomenon of pollination in particular. It is thanks to them that we smell the perfume of a flower or a fruit. Synthetic VOCs come, for example, from paints, varnishes, solvents or glues. Good quality essential oils are 100% natural VOCs. For Jean-Marc Giroux, doctor of pharmacy and president of Cosmed, the association of SMEs in the cosmetics sector, it is therefore not justified, from a toxicological point of view, that VOCs designate both the perfume of a flower but also the fumes of a chemical solvent, the latter being proven toxic.
FALSE. If bleach should never be used daily to maintain your home, it is however a very effective disinfectant, according to Dr. Isabella Annesi-Maesano, for example if there is a contagious patient at home. It is also the recommended solution for removing mold, which is a source of indoor pollution. Because bleach is irritating, always use it with the window wide open.
TRUE. Limonene is a substance contained in many essential oils, especially those of citrus fruits. When you peel an orange, some of the rind comes out. It has also replaced solvents in ecological paints. However, it is accused of being allergenic... For Jean-Marc Giroux, limonene is very little allergenic but it becomes more so when it oxidizes in the open air (study by the University of Gothenburg in 2009). This is also the case for linalool and geraniol. Fortunately, to limit this effect, cosmetics manufacturers most often use opaque containers with little air in the bottle, which ensures good conservation of the active ingredients.
FALSE. For Professor Antoine Magnan, it is not necessary to equip yourself with an arsenal of products to fight against dust mites and their droppings. If you have no particular sensitivity, just wash your sheets at 60° every week to destroy them. If you are allergic to dust mites, he also advises opting for full mattress covers, the very tight threads of the fabric blocking the passage of dust mites. Several brands offer them, see for example those recommended by the French Association for the Prevention of Allergies.
FALSE. Professor Antoine Magnan specifies that if you are asthmatic without knowing it, inhaling an essential oil can reveal it. It also indicates that patients are often more sensitive to perfumes in general even if they are not directly allergic to them, hence the importance of living in a properly ventilated and regularly aired apartment. However, if you are neither allergic nor asthmatic, you will not suddenly declare an asthmatic disease either by crossing a room in which essential oils have been sprayed.
FALSE. Washing your house has never been a problem, it is even essential, provided of course that you respect the dosage indicated on the product. On the other hand, it is useless to opt for powerful antibacterials. For Professor Antoine Magnan, pulmonologist at the Nantes University Hospital, eliminating 99.9% of germs at home makes no sense, because by eradicating bad bacteria, we also eradicate the good ones, which are essential to our lives. In addition, the regular use of such formulas would create antibiotic-resistant microorganisms, which are therefore dangerous for our health.
FALSE. The sale of these products is strictly supervised. Manufacturers must comply with the various regulations, they concern for example the raw materials that can be used, the product formulas or the information that must appear on the labels. In short, it can be used safely provided, of course, that the conditions of use written on the cleaning product are respected. For people with allergies or asthma, it is necessary to limit the number of products used and stored in the house and to prefer unscented products such as baking soda or black soap or those with an Ecolabel or Ecocert label, which are less irritating and less sensitizing. .
FALSE. We talk a lot about it but there are no really convincing results... Professor Damien Cuny of the University of Lille Nord, a specialist in the subject for years, assures us that so-called depolluting plants do not have a sufficient yield to purify water. significantly the air inside homes.
Dr Isabella Annesi-Maesano, Director of Research in "Epidemiology of Allergic and Respiratory Diseases" at Inserm, points out that indoor pollution is a deterioration in air quality which comes, for example, from tobacco smoke, combustion used to heat water and cook, chimney fires, glues and solvents contained in furniture, mold on the walls or dust mites. External pollution, created by transport in particular, also penetrates into the apartment. As the space is enclosed, the impact on health is all the greater.
Martine Ott and Romain Habeau, interior environment advisers, remind us that pollutants must be limited at source:tobacco, humidity and interior fragrances. The air must also circulate in the apartment, thanks to air inlets in the main rooms, for example small strips on the amounts of the windows of the bedrooms, and air outlets in the bathroom and the kitchen VMC type. It is necessary to ventilate every day, morning and evening, for approximately 1/4 hour and choose in priority paint or varnishes labeled A+ because they emit less volatile organic compounds.
