Tips to tame indoor allergy triggers for wellness in winter
What follows summer season pollen allergies? Winter allergies, and sure enough, our skin health and appearance reflects what’s going on inside your body and inside your home environment. Moondust Cosmetics® cares, well beyond your use of your tube of Skin Protector Plus (SPP) we’ve got top tips for you to be winter-ready for healthier indoor living. After all that space is now our home, our classroom and our workplace.
As the cold weather brings us indoors even more you may experience symptoms of winter allergies. These include: sneezing, runny or stuffy nose, coughing, congestion, postnasal drip, and itchy eyes, nose and throat. Add to that a sinus headache or bronchitis that makes trying to be productive on our screens and devices, super challenging.
Of course, all exacerbate the fatigue you might feel from interrupted or reduced sleep. You know where this is going – dark circles under the eyes and lack luster skin.
Where do winter allergies come from?
Some of this results from the homes heating system. Forced-air furnaces circulate airborne dust containing lint, fabric fiber, bacteria, food animal dander. In winter, three of the most common allergens – house dust mites, animal dander and cockroach droppings (eww say it isn’t so) – are worse as there is usually less ventilation.
Steps to reduce indoor allergen triggers that you can take when it comes to:
Fiber and Fabrics in your home’s décor or clothes closet
Décor items
• Remove wall-to-wall carpet, even if over a concrete pad. Allergens such as animal dander and molds are prone to be trapped in carpet and rugs. That space you don’t see between the concrete and the rug or carpet harbors dampness and creates an environment ideal for dust mites and mold.
Clothing
- Wash your bedding once a week in hot water (at least 130° F) to reduce the continually produced dust mite load in your linens.
- Foil those dust mites by reducing your exposure to them. Encase your pillows and mattress in impermeable covers and this will reduce exposure to dust mites.
- Consider not using down pillows and comforters. They provide a cozy habitat for dust mites. They can also be allergenic themselves.
In the case of pets
Beloved family members and companions, our pets have free access to almost all areas of our homes. Allergy specialists will tell you to limit your contact and to keep pets out of your bedrooms in an effort to reduce the amount of allergen in the room.
Here are the options you have if you find distancing yourself, difficult:
- After playing with your pet, and certainly before going to bed – change your clothes, bathe and wash your hair
- Wash away the dander and other allergens on their fur by bathing your pets weekly
General guidelines to keep your home allergy-free
- Damp mop your floors if they are wood to avoid stirring up dust.
- Wipe down wet surfaces immediately to keep mold from growing
Are you suffering the most in winter months? Perhaps get someone else to clean, dust and vacuum your home – or even leave the premises when cleaning is being done.
A good air filter, such as a HEPA air filter often cleans your indoor air of dust mites, other matter and animal dander. Some may also clean your air of bacteria and virus molecules.
As always, first line of self-care to reduce your susceptibility to allergy triggers is to get plenty of rest, eat well, and reduce stress with mindfulness or movement. This all supports your immune system and results in a healthier you and of course, healthy looking skin!
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