#040 - Zara D’Cotta is a Building Biology New Build Consultant, Keynote Speaker & Founder of The Healthy Home. She discovered her passion for environmental health after going through cancer. Through her own experiences with environmental illness, including four years on the move from one ‘unhealthy’ home to the next, and extensive research, Zara realised unhealthy homes are making us sick. She has been on a mission to help families make informed choices ever since. After experiencing mould symptoms in more homes than she could count, Zara woke up after her first night in a newly built home with stinging eyes, and experienced other symptoms during her first months in her new home. It was at this point she realised new builds can contribute to health problems too, and decided to learn all she could about home design and building materials so she can one day build her own healthy home, and play what part she can in changing the way homes are designed and built. Zara has spent the past three years studying Building Biology, with a specific focus on healthy home design and building materials, in Australia and the USA. In this conversation we talk about: Different chemicals contained in building materials and how they can be detrimental to healthHow to determine whether a building material is safe to use when it comes to the impacts on your health and the environmentWhy reclaimed and recycled building materials are not always the “healthiest” choiceThe limitations with the building codes when it comes to building materials and healthHow to reduce exposure to chemicals and “off-gassing” in your tiny home… and more! Find out more about the podcast and get the episode show notes & links here: https://tinyhouseconversations.com/040 You can follow and work with Zara here: IG: https://www.instagram.com/zaradcotta_thehealthyhome/ LT: https://linktr.ee/zaradcotta  You can follow my tiny adventures here: IG: https://www.instagram.com/tinyhouseconversations FB:  https://www.facebook.com/tinyhouseconversations   Tiny and Healthy Living Products and Services Block Blue Light - Specialty light bulbs, downlights, sleep lamps, blue-blocking glasses and more, to reduce artificial light exposure and support healthy sleep. Link: https://tinyhouseconversations.com/bluelightDiscount code: thcpodcast for 10% off your order Tiny Easy - 3D Tiny House Designer - The first online design tool that lets you design your tiny house without needing any technical or design knowledge. Link: https://tinyhouseconversations.com/tinyeasydesignerDiscount code: LUCY75 for 75% off the first month of the Premium version. Sky Energy - Skybox and Skybox Mini - Off-grid solar systems for tiny homes. Link: https://skyenergy.com.au/skybox/Discount code: For $200 off your custom Skybox or Skybox Mini, call Sky Energy and ask for Steve. Let him know Lucy from Tiny House Conversations sent you. For more discounts on Tiny and Healthy Living products and services, you can head to: https://tinyhouseconversations.com/resources/ Support the show