Moondust’s Breathe Easier Tips on Air Purifiers for Pollen and Wildfire Smoke
Feeling the onset of the season’s airborne hazards and discomforts earlier each year? Or, perhaps it is only the anticipation based on experience that has us preparing earlier! Moondust Cosmetics® concern for health in our environment goes beyond use of its revolutionary Skin Protector Plus (SPP). Today, we’ve got some timely tips on forest fire season and pollution awareness. The BC Centre for Disease Control also recommends precautions during wildfire season, especially for those with chronic lung issues, diabetes or heart conditions. Moondust Cosmetics wants you to be safe while at work or play in the sun.
Climate change has had an impact on the difficulties many of us find in breathing in these cases:
- The increasing pollen count. See this 2021 study here.
- The smoke and pollution from forest fires. So great that the BC Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC) has strongly suggested that British Columbians be mindful of safety measures while outdoors and to consider air purifiers indoors to combat the smoke that comes with forest fires.
Here are some tips to get you through the season, breathing a bit easier.
Get a room air purifier sometimes called an air cleaner
These are electric and portable appliances designed to remove fine particles which include pollen and smoke, and even gases from your indoor air at home or in the workplace.
While they do make the air a bit easier to breathe and pleasant smelling, removing odours and bacteria, most people get them for relief for health conditions such as allergies, asthma and clearing smoke from outdoor conditions.
Tips for selecting a unit while researching the specifications of an air purifier:
Read the Clean Air Delivery Rate (CADR) to see how quickly the appliance delivers filtered air. A higher CADR means faster results and a larger area ‘cleaned’.
Keep in mind the area you want covered with your air purifier system. As when buying any appliances, buy for the specific job and so in this case, for the room size, or total area you need.
Look for the appropriate wattage so that you use the energy that it will draw, wisely. A useful site suggested by BC Hydro in their recent newsletter you may find helpful in the hunt with their test results and reviews is here.
Inquiring minds also want to know this!
How do air purifiers work?
Air is pulled into your unit and through a filter that catches indoor air pollutants like dust particles and dust mites so you don’t breathe them in
A HEPA filter has become the gold standard as it will reliably remove: indoor air pollution, smoke from cigarettes to wildfires, allergens such as pollen, spores, dust mites and other particulates we seem to add to the list each year.
Some people add another layer that HEPA might miss in its protection. Carbon filters trap pet odors, volatile organic compounds and gaseous pollutants
Can we get protection against COVID-19 as well as wildfire smoke?
See our post (LINK to the one above when published) about why you might be concerned about COVID-19 as well as forest fire smoke this season.
An air purifier might help with air quality problems as well as reducing aerosol droplets that float around us due to wildfire smoke, smog and pollution that might allow viruses to travel as well.
Do air purifiers actually work?
The consensus anywhere we looked, other than the manufacturer’s claims, points to air purifiers being effective. We count on them to handle bacteria, viruses, fungi, and whatever other debris floats around threatening to enter our lungs.
You may not need one if you are in a low pollution area or are not immuno-compromised. If you prefer that added layer of protection in clean air or for personal health conditions, go ahead and know it is working. Read the specifications and compare efficiencies well though.
For COVID, wildfire smoke or other seasonal pollutant care, what you need to pay attention to is the filter – is it high-efficiency and can it remove 99.97% of particles in the air that are 0.3 micrometer in size (a high standard).
However, when it comes to COVID, relying only on purifiers as your general protection, especially in smaller less well ventilated spaces or if you are living or working with a contagious person, is not advisable.
More of Dr. Moondust’s scientific writing are located on the Moondust Cosmetic®’s website, detail topics of interest and meticulous research on scientific sunburn, skin cancer and environment. They are paramount in both her personal and professional mission of care and concern for people and the natural world including animals.
The signature formulation at Moondust Cosmetics®, Skin Protector Plus (SPP) is a natural suncare product designed to be both pleasant and easy to use, safe for reefs and the environment as well as meeting the special concerns about skin cancer in the family or recovering from it by including the necessary APF protection.
Since Moondust suncare excludes no one, it is also suitable for people who tan in the sun and are susceptible to skin ageing and sunspots. In this regard, SPP provides an equivalent of 20 SPF coverage and can be applied alone or under make-up.
Have a sunny and enjoyable summer start. Take precautions so you can be both safe and enjoying the freer spirited season ahead.
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