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House plants have been a thing way before the term “insta-worthy” existed. Not only do they make your home look straight out of a Pinterest board, but plants play a much larger role in day to day life than you might realize.
Not only do plants give off clean oxygen through their nutrient-creation process of photosynthesis, but they are natural air purifiers, too. Have you ever heard of indoor pollution? Many man-made products such as plastics and paint slowly break down over time and release chemicals into the air. This type of pollution also accumulates from cigarette smoke, deteriorating synthetic fabrics, air conditioners, and cleaning products. All of this slowly wreaks havoc on our skin, hair, energy levels, and overall health-- and the same goes for outdoor pollution, too, but we already knew that one, right?
Houseplants are the skincare product that you never realized you needed. They increase significant moisture in the air, and remove high toxin levels from our homes. Skin is the largest human organ, and it acts as a crucial protective barrier. Dry skin is brittle skin, which means its barrier qualities are compromised. It’s like a domino effect; a plantless home tends to have drier and more toxin-filled air, and a weakened skin barrier from lack of moisture means higher susceptibility to the effects of those toxins. As a result, you could experience acne, hyperpigmentation, itchiness and flakiness.
With upwards of 85% of modern human life spent indoors, you might be getting away from big city smog, but you’re probably forgetting about what is in your own home. With a lack of airflow, indoor pollution has the potential to accumulate. Plants are working behind the scenes to absorb these toxins, breaking them down into byproducts, and storing them in their soil as a sort of stockpile of food. Research from NASA indicates that a plant-filled room can contain 50-60% fewer airborne toxins such as formaldehyde, benzene, xylene, toluene, ammonia and trichloroethylene, as compared to rooms without plants. You heard it here first-- your gorgeous plants are astronaut approved.
Some studies also show that keeping plants in your living spaces reduces mental and physical stress. Now it makes sense why people send flowers to sick or grieving loved ones! Exposure to plants results in comfortable and soothing feelings, and promotes a connection to nature. This is why a stroll through a park or a long hike does us some good after a stressful week. Even with the modernization of society focusing on technology and city-dwelling, humans somehow always crave being close to nature. And for all of you working from home, it has been suggested that where plants are present, productivity and work performance increases, potentially as much as 15%. This probably speaks volumes to some of us quarantined workers stuck in cubicle-sized apartments.
The easiest houseplants to care for, especially for beginners, are ones that are known to survive drought. Snake plants, Spider plants, and cacti are a few of the easiest to manage. They’re virtually indestructible, as they do well with little or erratic watering, various sunlight levels, and forgetful plant-parents. Air plants might also be a great place to start for anyone who’s not so keen to a hands-on plant parent approach. They’re oh-so unique, not so finicky, and don't require expensive pots or soil. Simply spray or soak the plant in water once a week and keep them anywhere in your home.
Wondering where to shop all things plant related? The Sill ships anywhere in the US, PlantShed ships to New York and New Jersey, and of course, don’t forget about your local plant nurseries and farmer’s markets.
Our team has quite a few proud plant moms. Check out our personal greenhouses!
