Common Questions About Essential Oil Diffusers
Want to learn more about essential oil diffusers?
Depending on the essential oil you use, there are a wide variety of benefits you can gain from essential oil diffusers. In our post, The Complete Guide to Essential Oil Diffusers, we discussed many of the benefits that can be attained from using aromatherapy and essential oils. We also discussed the different kinds of diffusers and showed you our favorite, the nebulizing diffuser, which doesn’t use heat or water!
In another post, we show you How to Use a Nebulizing Diffuser and shared our favorite models.
Today, we’ll discuss some of the general questions people have about essential oils and diffusers. If you have a question you’d like us to answer, please comment on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram!
Let’s get started!
Who Should Use Oil Diffusers?
On health.com’s post 6 Essential Oil Mistakes You’re Probably Making, they warn about a few of the categories of people that should at least check with a doctor before starting to use essential oils regularly.
According to the article, essential oils “can also trigger asthma or allergic reactions, says holistic nurse Jeanne Kenney, RN, with Montefiore Health System’s University Hospital for Albert Einstein College of Medicine. They may also exacerbate underlying health conditions or interfere with some medications. “If you have any kind of health condition, run it by your doc,” before you start using essential oils, Kenney says. “Just say, ‘By the way, I love this scent.’ It doesn’t hurt to start there.”
That’s especially true if you’re pregnant, she adds. Experts aren’t entirely clear on how much essential oil might make its way to a developing fetus if the mother uses the natural remedies, Kenney explains. “If a woman is pregnant or thinks she’s pregnant, she should not use any essential oils until she checks with her doctor.” ”
While in many cases, diffusing essential oils can improve lung and respiratory health, we agree that it’s always better to consult a medical professional if you have any medical condition. Quality essential oils made from 100% pure ingredients are natural and therapeutic by nature, but better be safe than sorry!
Can Essential Oils be Harmful?
With proper use, essential oils are quite safe. Outside of previous medical conditions, diffusing essential oils is very safe. However, when it comes to topical application, and even more so with ingestion, it’s important to use the right essential oils. For instance, lavender oil is extremely gentle, so it is safe for direct application on the skin, while some other oils might be harsher, so it’s recommended to combine them with carrier oils for better results. This difference is certainly amplified with ingestion.
For example, according to webmd.com, “Citrus oils that are safe in your food may be bad for your skin, especially if you go out into the sun. And the opposite is true, too. Eucalyptus or sage oil may soothe you if you rub it on your skin or breathe it in. But swallowing them could can cause a serious complication, like a seizure.”
It comes down to education. Before swallowing any essential oil, please do your due diligence and research if it’s safe! As a rule of thumb, unless you’re sure it’s safe for the skin or ingestion, just stick to diffusing!
In the article, a “neuropsychologist and aromatherapist who has taught nurses how to use the oils for decades” named Joie Power PhD says ““Essential oils, properly used, are safe and effective for many routine issues, but I continue to hear of bad, even dangerous, reactions from people who are grossly misusing them,” says Power. “People are being hurt by following some of the inappropriate advice that’s being given out there.””
So be careful! Unless you know it’s safe, stick to diffusing!
Can Essential Oils Damage Eyes?
This is a good question. The team at Utama Spice Bali does NOT recommend using essential oils for the eyes.
According to the Essential Oils Safety page by Organic Aromas, “Not only is there no evidence showing that essential oils can help eye issues, they can also severely damage eyes. Any undiluted essential oils which are applied to, or end up in, the eyes can cause huge problems. The oilscan corrode tissue, causing scarring to the eye.”
So while there are plenty of essential oils that are safe for the skin and some essential oils that are safe for consumption like rosemary and lavender oil, we absolutely do not recommend using essential oils in your eyes.
Are Oil Diffusers Safe?
Yes! Although that depends on the diffuser and how safe you are! An example would be if someone is using a heat diffuser that gets very hot and then they grab it and get burned. Somewhere in the instructions, it probably said not to grab it there.
But in general, according to Dr. Axe’s Essential Oil Safety page, “Essential oil diffusers are used to vaporize oils, releasing small amounts into the air. The same safety concerns regarding inhaling essential oils also apply to using oils in a diffuser. Overall inhalation is considered a very safe method of using oils that poses a low level of risk.”
So unless you have a medical condition or a specific allergy to the essential oil being diffused, it is perfectly safe.
Do Essential Oils Really Work for Anxiety?
A variety of essential oils can be helpful for relieving stress or treating anxiety. In our post on Rosemary Oil Diffuser Benefits, we share a few blends you could try at home to help.
In Monq.com’s Top 10 Essential Oils for Anxiety, they also mention a few other essential oils we didn’t include in our rosemary blends like “chamomile essential oil to instill a sense of calm in both the body and the mind. Chamomile essential oil may help lift mood and reduce sleeplessness. … Frankincense essential oil has a sweet, musky aroma that can help ease stress and anxiety.”
Are Oil Diffusers Safe for Infants?
Yes! Just like adults, it would be safest to make sure that they don’t have asthma or allergies before beginning to diffuse essential oils regularly. The only additional concerns with infants are keeping the diffuser and essential oils out of reach.
Medical News Today has an article titled Are Essential Oils Safe for Babies?, in which they state that “Some oils, such as lavender and chamomile oil, have been shown to have some impact. Many essential oils are safe for use with babies, as long as a person takes certain precautions. These include never using undiluted essential oils on a baby’s skin and keeping oils out of reach.”
Never using undiluted essential oils on a baby’s skin is another important point. If you’d like to apply essential oils to the skin, mix liberally with a carrier oil or neutral lotion.
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