Let me back up for a second. I ran to Home Depot and I got the color of paint I wanted for the downstairs area. It was a green olive color (that color went perfect with brown laminate floors). Without hesitation, and without looking at the ingredients...that was the color I wanted! I did end up getting a facial mask to use while painting (because the smell was so overpowering), so I could have some kind of relief. Ok so, boom...we were in there painting. The scent was so strong, I had to walk outside a few times and even let all of the windows up. We finished and the downstairs area looked great. But I started to feel dizzy, my throat started hurting, and I had a very bad headache. At first I thought, "Am I coming down with something?" But then I thought, "Nah, these symptoms are ACUTE like a mug!!" hahaha....it had to be something related to the paint. I looked on the back of the paint, and it had VOCs (volatile organic compounds) as the ingredients. Silly me!
What the heck are VOCs anyway?
VOCs are solvents that get released into the air as the paint dries. VOCs are also in cleaning supplies (basically harmful chemicals)! And guess what? It causes acute symptoms, including headaches, and dizziness. According to the U.S. Environment Protection Agency, some VOCs are suspected carcinogens--in other words....causes the big C...cancer. That smell stayed in my house for days! I was like, "Oh haaaaayel nah!! I got to get some relief and at least try to detox!" My best friend Risa said, "You should try Himalayan salt lamps!" I had heard of them before, but didn't know much about them...I swear by them now! Check out the benefits of Himalayan salt lamps below!
- Salt Lamps Remove Toxins From the Air. Yep! Himalayan Salt lamps are made up of water molecules and salt. Salt lamps remove dust, contaminants, pollen, and cigarette smoke from the air. When you plug up the lamp, it heats the salt crystal. The water molecules then evaporate back in the air and the toxins (i.e., smoke, contaminants, dust, smoke) remain locked in the salt. It's like it traps harmful particles in your house!
- Himalayan Salt Lamps Reduce Allergy and Asthma Symptoms. Yes!! So many of my friends and family have allergy and asthma problems. I definitely recommend having at least one of these in every room of the house. Because Himalayan Salt lamps remove dust, mold, and contaminants from the air in your house, it can significantly reduce allergy and asthma symptoms you're suffering from. I used to always have a stuffy nose at night when I went to sleep...miserable! Aside from me going vegan and cutting dairy from my diet, I placed one of these things in my bedroom. After about a week, I could definitely tell the difference! I haven't had a stuffy nose (with the exception of a cold here and there) in about two years!
- Reduces Coughing. When the Himalayan salt lamp is heated, it expels negative ions which helps to keep your lungs clear. By removing contaminants from the air, Himalayan salt lamps help your body filter air more efficiently so any foreign matter you do inhale won't make it into your lungs.
- Himalayan Salt Lamps increase energy levels. If you find yourself feeling sluggish or tired, try placing these salt lamps in the room of your house where you sleep or relax the most. The negative ions that the lamp produces increase energy levels. You should notice a big difference after about a week!
Like I mentioned at the beginning of this blog post, I was very sick the first few days after painting my downstairs area of my house. I went out and purchased 3 Himalayan salt lamps--one for my living room, one for the kitchen, and one for my bedroom. I kid you not...within about three days of having those lamps (I never turned the lamps off), I felt better! My headache, sore throat, and dizziness all went away. I think those Himalayan salt lamps helped me to detox what I inhaled from the paint. Learn from my mistake though-- if you decide to paint inside your house, purchase paints without VOCs or at least "with low VOCs"...and wear a facial/chemical mask please! I swear these companies be trying to kill us! lol.
There are some fake Himalayan Salt Lamps Out There...Choose Wisely!
Not all Himalayan Salt Lamps are created equal! Here are some tell-tale signs that show that some Himalayan salt lamps are not authentic:
- It's very bright. The authentic Himalayan Salt lamps range in color from a medium pink to a dark orange. If it's more on the whitish side, or can illuminate an entire room? That shit ain't real! Next!! LOL
- The lamp is NOT Fragile. It's not uncommon for the Himalayan salt lamps to be damaged during shipping due to improper handling or poor packaging. So if you accidentally drop or bump your Himalayan Salt lamp and it does not crack or break, that's a sure sign that it's faker than a $3 dollar bill. 😂😂😂
- The Himalayan Salt Lamp's country of origin does NOT say "Pakistan." Most (real) Himalayan pink salt originates from the mines of Khewra, Pakistan, located in the Himalayan Mountains. So if your lamp doesn't say "Made in Pakistan," take that fake shit back. You've been had! 😂😂
To learn of other ways that you can tell if Himalayan Salt Lamps are fake (or not), click here. I've purchased my Himalayan Salt lamps from Amazon. I can see a big difference in my allergies and how I sleep. Click here to purchase your Himalayan salt lamps!
Welp, that's it for me....Treena V. is signing off. If you happen to purchase one or more of these babies, keep me posted on what you think! Stay healthy, my friends! I love us for real!
Signed,
-The Vegan World Traveler
I going to get me one soon!
ReplyDeleteAdded to my list. I always wake up with a stuffy nose. Thanks Tee!
ReplyDeleteAwesome information. I’ve just brought mines... Thank you.
ReplyDelete