We hear a lot about self-care, but what does that mean, exactly? For many, it's the notion of unplugging—a mental respite from the stressors of work and life to decompress for a moment. For others, it's about taking care of the physical self with spa treatments, skincare, exercise. But the aspect of self-care that is not talked about enough is air care. It is a part of every facet of health from nutrition to beauty to fitness and beyond. But why should we care about air quality? Because it not only impacts our life here and now, but also our longevity.
According to the Air Quality Life Index, “Most of the world breathes unsafe air, taking more than two years off global life expectancy.” The primary pollutant driving this statistic is particulate pollution (PM2.5), fine particulate matter consisting of microscopic particles floating in the air 2.5 micrometers or less in diameter. These particles are too small to be seen by the naked eye and can penetrate deep into the lungs, entering the bloodstream where they can travel to virtually every part of the body. Terrifying, right?
It's no wonder that people in polluted areas are living shorter lives. With air rife with pollutants and chemicals, our bodies' defense mechanisms are constantly working and not taking the steps to recover or repair.
In fact, this impact on life expectancy is comparable to that of smoking and 3x that of alcohol use or unsafe water. So no matter how you define "self-care", caring for your vitality includes the notion of breathing better air.
Your Physical Health
Perhaps the most obvious and immediate effect air pollution exposure has is physical, particularly on your respiratory and cardiovascular health. Young people, old people, and folks with preexisting conditions in these systems are especially at risk.
For example, within seconds, air pollution can cause wheezing, coughing, chest pain, and shortness of breath. As particulate matter makes its way into the lungs, it can irritate the pathways causing inflammation manifesting into these symptoms. According to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, long-term risk can lead to and increase the risk of respiratory infections, heart disease, stroke, and lung cancer. When these long-term health issues enter our lives and become unmanageable, it elevates the risk of early death.
Less life-threatening, but still a part of your physical health, is your skin health. Studies show that oxidative stress can damage and age your skin in many ways, including increasing inflammation, slowing healing, and causing cancer. It also damages the cells that produce collagen, which is vital for tissues to keep their shape and strength. All of these effects aggravate each other and can start a cycle of skin problems. While oxidative stress can come from a variety of sources like sunlight, lack of sleep, cosmetics, and diet, air pollution is another factor that can cause premature aging. Protecting your skin from pollution can slow the skin aging process.
By taking care of your air, you’re taking care of your body.
Your Mental Health
Physical health is absolutely important to your self-care regimen, but without maintaining your mental health, you’re missing a crucial component to total self-care. In fact, new research suggests that poor air quality can contribute to a range of mental health issues, from anxiety to depression.
When air is polluted, it carries harmful particles like fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and nitrogen dioxide. These pollutants can trigger inflammation in the body, including the brain. According to the American Psychiatric Association, exposure to these pollutants can lead to changes in brain function, potentially affecting mood regulation, memory, and cognitive abilities: “73% of the studies [on the effects of outdoor air pollution on mental health] reported higher mental health symptoms and behaviors in humans and animals after exposure to higher-than-average levels of air pollution.”
There’s also a growing understanding of how air quality impacts vulnerable populations. Children and the elderly are particularly at risk, as their bodies are more susceptible to the harmful effects of air pollution. Studies suggest that children exposed to high levels of pollution may develop behavioral and developmental issues later in life.
Taking steps to improve air quality—whether through cleaner transportation options, better home ventilation, or policy changes—can be a key factor in safeguarding mental health. Improving your air at home can provide calmness, less stress, and a place of comfort. While air quality is often overlooked in mental health discussions, its role is crucial in maintaining a balanced, healthy mind.
Your Sleep Quality
Sleep quality lies at the intersection of physical and mental health. If physical and mental ailments persist, your ability to get good sleep goes down. Additionally, poor air quality can simply be a bother and prevent you from getting important rest, further affecting your mood and physical health.
Bad air quality can irritate your respiratory systems leading to congestion, headaches, and overall difficulty breathing. This can make sleeping harder, causing stress and exacerbating sleep issues. To make your environment better suited to getting rest, clean your bedding regularly. This helps remove dust, dust mites, and allergens. Sweep and vacuum floors, carpeting, and rugs to do the same. When we walk around getting ready for bed, irritants can end up in the air before getting inhaled through the night.
Indoor air quality is directly linked to the quality of your sleep. As such, clean air for better sleep should absolutely be part of your self-care routine. Taking care of your air means taking care of yourself.
Create a Self-Care Environment
Now that you know how air quality can affect your physical, mental, and sleep quality, it’s time to add air care into your self-care routine. Here are a few ways you can take care of your environment, and in turn, yourself.
According to American Freight, Americans spend an average of 17+ hours at home every day. Extra care should be taken to make our homes comfortable and healthy.
- Consider an air purifier. Air purifiers like the ones manufactured by Molekule are designed to capture and destroy airborne pollutants like dust mites, allergens, mold spores, and VOCs, dramatically improving air quality compared to using no air purifier at home. Our purifiers come in two sizes designed for small and large spaces, and are some of the best air purifiers for skincare, removing damaging, oxidative stress-causing pollutants from your air at home.
- Replace HVAC filters. If your home is equipped with a forced-air system, it uses filters to purify the air that circulates. Depending on the level of pollutants in your home and how often you use your system, it’s recommended that these filters are replaced every 2-3 months. This allows your system to work efficiently and provide you with the clean air you need.
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Clean regularly. Dust is a natural phenomenon. It just happens! Cleaning your home by sweeping, vacuuming, and dusting helps keep airborne irritants low and improves your indoor air quality.
