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Our skin. The largest organ of our body. It keeps us warm, allows us to experience touch, protects us from external dangers, and, most importantly, houses our precious insides. It's important we treat it right.
Unfortunately, our indoor spaces are not always the best environments to nourish our skin. With air pollutants such as cleaning chemicals, dust, and other toxins filling our homes and workspaces, our sanctuaries can become loaded with airborne nasties that can clog pores or dry out our skin.
With studies finding that Britons spend up to 90% of their time indoors, ensuring our indoor spaces are places our skin can thrive has never been more important. Lucky for us, mother nature has an answer Houseplants.
As powerful air purifiers and humidifiers, plants physically alter the environments they are placed in, creating better conditions for our skin to thrive. So, as the plant experts we are, we’ve made a handy guide to help you out.
Stick with us and get reading, from the trust Mother in Law’s Tongue, to the Calathea Orbifolia, Lace fern and Areca Palm - your skin soothing sanctuary is just a scroll away.
How can indoor plants improve skin?
When it comes to skin health and wellness, creating the right environment is crucial. Hydrating and toxin-free environments are particularly nourishing for our skin - and that’s where house plants come in! As powerful air purifiers and humidifiers plants help to improve conditions so our skin can restore and rejuvenate.
As plants transpire, they release water vapour through their leaves, stems or flowers. Through this, houseplants add moisture to the air. Not only can this reduce dry-skin symptoms, but the more hydrated your skin, the healthier the skin barrier tends to be. This means fewer wrinkles, less redness, and a fresher complexion overall.
In addition to adding moisture, houseplants purify the air around them. We all know plants kindly emit fresh oxygen that we can breathe, but less of us know plants filter the air around them by absorbing harmful compounds. Luckily for our skin, this removes some of the airborne bad stuff that can clog pores and trigger acne.
Intrigued? Scroll on and discover some of our favourite humidifiers and air-purifiers. These hand-picked plants will improve the quality of the air in your home, helping you feel and your skin look fresh and vibrant.
Mother-in-Law's Tongue
At the top of our skin-saviour list - the trusty Mother-in-law’s Tongue. Sometimes referred to as the ‘Snake Plant’, this striking plant is an impressive air-purifier that can survive little water and light. Sturdy, powerful and effective - the perfect skin-boosting plant for beginners.
Why are Mother-in-Law's Tongue plants good for skin?
Bagging a well-earned spot on NASA’s top 10 air-purifying plants list, the mother-in-law's tongue creates the perfect environment for healthy, glowing skin.
The expansive, upright fronds of the Mother-in-Law's Tongue are tiny pores that effectively take in and expel gasses. Research shows Mother-in-Law’s Tongues reduce levels of benzene, formaldehyde, trichloroethylene, xylene and toluene in enclosed environments, mopping up some of those invisible nasties that can clog our pores.
Another added bonus? Mother-in-Law’s Tongues release oxygen throughout the night. This improves air quality as you sleep and your skin regenerates. Time to pop a Mother-in-Law’s Tongue in the bedroom and get that uber-beneficial beauty sleep your skin will thank you for.
Calathea Orbifoli
The Calathea Orbifoli. Large, leafy and a foolproof humidity booster for dry indoor spaces. The perfect plants to revive dry skin.
Why are Calathea Orbifoli plants good for skin?
Native to South America, Calatheas grow in humid rainforests, however, when moved inside our humble homes and humidity drops Calathea Plants accelerate their rate of transpiration. This means a whole lot of water vapour is released, increasing humidity and helping to revive dry skin.
Calathea Orbifoli plants are also great purifiers, providing fresh oxygen and removing the toxins present in dust. This doubles the Calathea plant's superpowers, as they promote a fresh environment for other skin types to thrive too.
Want to improve the humidifying powers of a Calathea? Group numerous Calathea plants together! This will lead to optimum humidity and is particularly recommended in dry office environments, new builds or high rises where air tends to be dry.
Lace Fern
Ferns - some of the best air-purifying indoor plants around. Named as one of the best plants for removing indoor pollutants in NASA’s top air-purifying plant study, Ferns are a mighty bunch.
Why is the Lace Fern good for skin?
Ferns use their leaves and roots to absorb gases from the air and break any volatile organic compounds present in your indoor space. This impressive purifying power makes Ferns great for creating a clean environment for your skin to thrive.
Lace Ferns also have a high surface area. Plants with a higher surface area can create more oxygen. This makes Lace Ferns a great option for refreshing air and giving your skin the environment it deserves.
Want to up your Lace Ferns power? Place your Lace Fern with a Calathea Orbifoli. As an excellent humidifier and an excellent purifier, doubling up will send you well on your way to creating your own micro-environment! Great for dry skin and general regeneration.
Areca Palm
Next on our list - the Areca Palm. One of the most effective plants to help relieve dry skin, this is a must-have for your indoor skin-soothing jungle.
Why are Areca Palms good for skin?
Areca Palms need a lot of water to thrive. The upshot of this for our skin? They release a whole lot of water vapour as they transpire. This makes Areca Palms the perfect natural humidifiers to soften the damage of central heating on our skin.
Areca Palms are also incredibly effective at reducing indoor pollution, with the NASA Clean Air Study finding Areca Palms can break down compounds such as acetone, xylene, formaldehyde, and toluene.
What’s more? Like the Lace Fern, Areca Palms have a large surface area that allows them to produce large amounts of oxygen. A powerful humidifier, excellent purifier and great for oxygen production - the perfect triple threat to answer all your skincare needs.
Wandering Dude Violet
The Wandering Dude Violet - an aesthetic wonder that packs a powerful punch.
Why is the Wandering Dude Violet good for skin?
Like all varieties of the Tradescantia Zebrina plant, the Wandering Dude Violet is highly effective at purifying air both in and outdoors. Plus, with a rich surface area, the Wandering Dude Violet's foliage happily produces oxygen and absorbs common household toxins - creating the perfect conditions for glowing skin.
This purple-tinted beauty is so powerful most gardeners recommend keeping them inside to reap maximum benefits. We agree. This charming and unique plant cleans your home of allergens, dust and pollutants, all while adding a unique twist to your plant-powered skin sanctuary.
Conclusion
So, there you have it. Our five top humidifiers and purifiers help your skin restore and rejuvenate. The best-kept houseplant secrets to help you create a sanctuary for your skin to thrive.
So, whether it’s the Mother-in-law's Tongue, the Calathea Orbifolia, the Lace Fern, Areca Palm or Wandering Dude Violet that takes your fancy, it’s never too late to start crafting a micro-environment to answer your skin's specific needs.
Time to glow from the inside out!
