House plants are good for your skin and moisturise the home

HOUSE plants not only brighten up your home but are good for your skin, a study by the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) has found.

Cold and windy weather as well as central heating systems dry out many people’s skin in winter.

However, Dr Tijana Blanusa, the RHS chief horticultural scientist, found that indoor plants increase the moisture in the air as they lose water through their leaves.

The study found plants with high transpiration rates and large canopies with a large surface area to expel water droplets, help dry skin and eye conditions.

Dr Blanusa said: “House plants may be a simple and affordable way to reduce air dryness indoors and alleviate symptoms of dry skin, while providing multiple other benefits – for human psyche and physical health.

“In our study of seven varieties, the

best performing were peace lily ( Spathiphyllum) and ivy ( Hedera) but there are likely to be many others whose characteristics lend themselves to the job and need to be tested still.

“Plants increase the humidity through the natural process of evapo- transpiration – water loss from the soil and plant leaves.

“Depending on plant type, size, and condition within a room, plants can lose as much as several hundred ml of water per sq m of leaf area. A plant like peace lily, about 50cm (20in) tall and 30cm (12in) wide, can transpire 100ml of water and more in a day; that’s an equivalent of a small teacup evaporated in a day.”

Having plants in the house can also help with the absorption of dust, potentially helping with allergies, and, added Dr Blanusa “a number of chemical compounds such as those found in paints and furnishings, as well as gasses emitted in cooking and burning can be removed by houseplants”.

The RHS says employers should install indoor plants in offices to improve the health and well-being of their staff.

The RHS hosts the Urban Garden Show from October 26-28 at RHS Lindley Hall and RHS Lawrence Hall, London.