Beauty Tips

7 Household Plants to Soothe Your Health & Beauty Woes

Plants that will make you pretty, inside and out

by Emily Woodruff | 5 COMMENTS

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Breathe Easy With English Ivy The one thing DIY blogs and Home Depot enthusiasts gloss over: The nasty smells and chemicals that come with revamping your home. The solution? English Ivy. NASA scientists list the vine as the No. 1 best air-filtering houseplant. It sucks up formaldehyde, a carcinogen produced by household cleaning products, plywood, particle board and other pressed wood, like cabinets and engineered or laminate hardwood floors.

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You may not be a witch doctor or herbalist, but that doesn't mean you've never used a plant to heal your body. In fact, some of the most common modern medicine is plant-based -- aspirin contains salicylic acid, the active component of willow bark, and penicillin was made from fungi. While we're not suggesting you start growing mold cultures in your kitchen, you can benefit from many easy-to-grow, easy-on-the-eyes indoor plants. Some of the prettiest perennials are hiding some of the best health and beauty remedies. Based on scientific studies, we found the healing plants that help you look and feel your best. These indoor plants will turn your home into the pharmacy version of the great outdoors.