Michael's Story—How a Glade Plug-In Destroyed His Health for Ten Years
Michael's Story—How a Glade Plug-In Destroyed His Health for Ten Years
How One Simple Question Uncovered the Hidden Cause Behind a Decade of "Unmanageable" Psoriasis and Respiratory Issues
The origin story of Sereno Wellness started with a Glade plug-in.
I was driving to a property showing with my real estate client Michael when he scratched his arm and mentioned something that would change the trajectory of my career forever.
He had what doctors told him was an unmanageable case of psoriasis—10 years of suffering, along with a respiratory condition that Boston's best specialists couldn't diagnose.
Endless prescriptions. Steroids, topicals, inhalers, corticosteroids, immunosuppressants, bronchodilators—you name it, he'd tried it.
Nothing worked.
The Question Nobody Had Asked
So I asked him something his doctors never had: What does a normal day look like for you?
He told me he eats an impeccable diet, is meticulous about what he puts into his body, and works out religiously every morning in his basement home gym.
Organic, whole foods. Disciplined. Consistent. Taking care of his health.
I asked how long he'd lived there.
"Ten years."
"When did these conditions start?"
"Ten years ago."
Same time. Exact same time.
That's not a coincidence. That's a clue.
The Daily Routine That Was Destroying His Health
I kept digging.
"Walk me through your morning routine. Step by step."
Every morning, same routine: He goes downstairs. Turns on the heat in the basement first thing. Has his coffee upstairs while the space warms up for about 15 minutes. Then goes back down and works out in that heated space for 45 minutes.
Every single day. For ten years.
The exact amount of time he'd been suffering.
The Smoking Gun
Immediately, I had a feeling about what was causing his symptoms.
"Do you have Glade plug-ins down there?"
Long pause.
"Yes," he said, as if he couldn't imagine the connection. "Why?"
The Science: What Glade Plug-Ins Are Actually Doing to Your Body
Here's what I told him:
Those plug-ins constantly release phthalates—synthetic chemicals used to make fragrances last longer and disperse into the air. Phthalates are known endocrine disruptors that interfere with hormone function by mimicking or blocking your body's natural hormones.
When heated—like in Michael's basement gym every morning for a decade—these chemicals volatilize more readily, dramatically increasing exposure through inhalation and skin absorption.
And then he was working out—breathing deeply, heart rate up, pores open, sweating—in a closed basement saturated with these chemicals.
For 45 minutes. Every day. For a decade.
The heated environment was essentially creating a daily chemical sauna.
Michael's morning routine—turning on the heat, having coffee while those plug-ins warmed up, then working out intensely in that space—meant he was breathing deeply and sweating (opening his pores for maximum absorption) in a concentrated cloud of endocrine disruptors.
Michael was essentially hotboxing himself with hormone-disrupting chemicals while his body was trying to healfrom exercise.
What the Research Shows
This chronic exposure can trigger and exacerbate inflammatory conditions throughout the entire body.
Phthalates are directly linked to:
Respiratory & Skin Conditions:
Respiratory inflammation and asthma-like symptoms
Skin conditions including eczema, dermatitis, and psoriasis flare-ups
Immune system dysregulation
Hormonal & Reproductive Health:
Hormonal imbalances affecting thyroid function, reproductive health, and metabolism
Reduced sperm count and decreased fertility in both men and women
Increased risk of miscarriage
Disrupted menstrual cycles and early menopause
The research is clear. This isn't controversial. This is established science.
Studies on phthalates and health:
A 2020 study in Environmental Health Perspectives found that phthalate exposure is associated with increased inflammatory markers
Research published in Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology linked phthalates to eczema and asthma in children
Multiple studies have connected phthalate exposure to reproductive hormone disruption
The Solution Was Shockingly Simple
Michael was skeptical. I get it. It sounds too simple.
But he was also desperate enough to try anything.
So I told him: Get rid of the plug-ins. All of them. Throw them in the trash. Open the windows. Ventilate that space. Get an air purifier.
He did.
And he never had another flare-up.
Not one.
Not a single prescription refilled. Not another specialist appointment. Just removing the source.
His respiratory issues resolved completely. His skin cleared. His energy returned.
Ten Years of Suffering—One Simple Cause
Ten years of suffering. Ten years of expensive medications with side effects. Ten years of specialists treating symptoms.
And the answer was a $3 plug-in from CVS.
Now—I'm not saying the plug-ins were definitely the only cause. I'm not a doctor. I can't diagnose or prove causation in a clinical sense.
But I am saying this:
The science is clear. Phthalates disrupt your endocrine system, trigger inflammation, and suppress immune function.
The timing was exact. The conditions started the same year he started working out in that basement with those plug-ins.
The exposure was daily. For 45 minutes. In a heated, enclosed space. While breathing deeply.
The conditions resolved when the exposure stopped. Completely. After a decade of failure with conventional treatment.
You connect the dots.
Why Doctors Never Found This
A decade of specialists, and nobody thought to look for the cause rather than just treating the symptoms.
That's not a criticism—it's how the system works.
The medical system isn't set up to ask: "What's in your environment?"
They're set up to prescribe. To treat symptoms. To manage conditions.
But managing isn't healing.
Michael's doctors weren't bad doctors. They were working within a system that doesn't look at root causes. A system that doesn't ask about:
What air fresheners you use
What you cook with
What you clean with
What's off-gassing in your home
What you're breathing while you sleep
Doctors are trained to manage symptoms with medication. They're not trained to walk through your home and identify environmental triggers.
They treat the body as if it exists in a vacuum. But your body is constantly interacting with your environment.
And when that environment is toxic, your body breaks down.
But where you live impacts how well you live.
And sometimes the answer isn't in a prescription bottle—it's in what you're breathing in your own home.
What Else Are These Chemicals Doing to Us?
After I shared Michael's story, people started asking: "What else are these chemicals doing to us?"
And that's the question that keeps me up at night.
Because if a Glade plug-in—something you can buy at any grocery store, something marketed as making your home "fresh and inviting"—can potentially cause a decade of chronic illness...
What else?
What about the skyrocketing rates of:
Autoimmune disease (up 12.5% over the last 25 years)
Childhood asthma (affecting 1 in 12 children)
Unexplained infertility (1 in 8 couples now)
Early puberty in girls (average age dropped from 12 to 10)
Hormonal imbalances in women
Low testosterone in men (dropping 1% per year)
ADHD and learning disabilities
Chronic skin conditions
How many people are being treated for symptoms when the real problem is what they're breathing at home?
The Hidden Danger of "Fresh" and "Clean" Scents
Here's what the fragrance industry doesn't want you to know:
The term "fragrance" on a label can hide up to 3,000+ different chemicals. It's considered proprietary, so companies don't have to disclose what's actually in it.
That "Hawaiian Breeze" or "Lavender Vanilla" or "Clean Linen" scent? It's a chemical cocktail.
And plug-ins are particularly dangerous because:
They're constant. They release chemicals 24/7 into your air.
They're heated. Heat increases off-gassing and your absorption.
They're in enclosed spaces. Bathrooms, bedrooms, small rooms where chemicals concentrate.
You're breathing them while you sleep. When your body is supposed to be detoxifying and healing.
What You Can Do Right Now
If you have plug-in air fresheners in your home, here's what to do:
1. Unplug them. Now. Don't finish using them up. Just remove them.
2. Open your windows. Air out your space for at least 30 minutes. Do this daily.
3. Check for other sources of synthetic fragrance:
Scented candles
Room sprays
Conventional cleaning products
Laundry detergent and fabric softener
Car air fresheners
Bathroom sprays
4. Get an air purifier with a HEPA filter. It removes VOCs (volatile organic compounds) and particulates from your air.
5. If you want scent, use these instead:
Essential oil diffuser (with pure, high-quality oils)
Simmer cinnamon sticks and orange peels on the stove
Fresh flowers
Open windows for fresh air
Beeswax candles (unscented or scented with essential oils only)
Why Sereno Wellness Exists
Michael's story revealed a massive gap in healthcare that nobody is addressing.
Real estate professionals show you the house but don't understand the health impacts.
Doctors treat your symptoms but never visit your home.
I stand at the intersection of both—with nearly 20 years of real estate expertise and Harvard Medical School training in functional nutrition and lifestyle medicine.
Michael wasn't an isolated case. He was the beginning of a pattern I would see again and again.
People doing everything "right"—eating well, exercising, taking supplements, seeing doctors—and still getting sicker.
Because they're living in environments that are actively working against their health.
The Bigger Picture: Your Home Should Heal You, Not Harm You
Your body wants to heal. It's designed to heal.
But it can't do that while you're poisoning it 24/7 in your own home.
This is exactly why I created Sereno Wellness.
I help you identify the hidden sources of toxins in your home—the ones your doctor never asked about and you didn't know to look for.
Then we create a plan. Room by room. Product by product. Prioritized based on what's impacting your health most.
Because you deserve to know what's making you sick.
And you deserve a home that supports your healing, not one that undermines it.
Are You Doing Everything Right But Still Struggling?
Your home might hold the answers your doctors aren't looking for.
Ready to find out what's in your air?
Book a Virtual Consultation | Download Free Home Detox Guide
Let me help you breathe easier—literally.
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Want to share Michael's story? Please do. Sometimes the answer is simpler—and more fixable—than anyone realizes.