Those air fresheners that you stick in your car or plug into an outlet ARE NOT FRESHENING THE AIR!!! All they do is deaden nasal passages or coat them with oil. EW! Many air fresheners contain all sorts of nasty chemicals with names like xylene, enthanol, and napthalene.

Vinegar and lemon juice will freshen the air naturally!! ‘Sniffy bags’ of herbs like lavender*, eucalyptus*, jasmine*, peppermint*, and patchouli* also work wonders. I wouldn’t use lavender or jasmine as car air fresheners though, as they have sedative properties!

Make your own sniffy bag/air freshener out of old pantyhose, socks, or other little cloth bags (the kind nice soaps come in) you may have lying around. Stores like Natural Goodness Market & Cafe (on 20th and Walnut in Rittenhouse Sqaure) can most likely direct you on how to find said herbs. Produce markets also usually sell some herbs; try markets in the Reading Terminal Market (12th and Filbert Streets in Center City/Chinatown) or Sue’s Produce Market (18th Street between Chestnut and Sansom Streets in Rittenhouse Square). Or grow your own!!

*Lavender oil is effective against stress and anxiety.

* Eucalyptus is ‘balancing’ and a decongestant.

*Jasmine is soothing and has anti-anxiety and emotion-balancing properties.

* Peppermint is uplifting, stimulating and refreshing.

* Patchouli has antidepressant properties.

“The more I see of men, the more I like dogs.” –Jeanne Marie Roland