FAQ: Using an Aroma Diffuser without essential oils

We had a customer ask whether there's any point in using an aroma diffuser with just water in it, and we wanted to share our response and elaborate on it.

When to use an aroma diffuser with just water

During cold & flu season, when you're trying to sleep at night and you have a dry cough, having an ultaronic vaporiser or aroma diffuser in the room moistens the air. The traditional steam vaporisers that you buy at the chemist do a great job of making the air moist, but with a couple of drawbacks that you may not be aware of.

1. A traditional steam vaporiser heats the water up. After a period of time, the room becomes wet from the steam produced, including your bed linen, your windows, your curtains. They are really good at keeping the air moist and will help you breathe better, but if you fail to dry out the room completely each day, over time you risk mould growing which is dangerous. We have seen photos of mould on the bottom of mattresses, behind wardrobes and under carpet, resulting in the furniture and the carpet being thrown out.
2. A traditional steam vaporiser is really very noisy and can be hard to sleep through for some

The alternative is to use an aroma diffuser. While they don't create as much moisture in the room, if you keep one close to you, within your personal space, it can still be somewhat effective. Choose something with a large tank that will run most of the night for this purpose.

When to use an aroma diffuser with essential oils

During the winter months, if you need some assistance with breathing, there are some pure essential oils and some essential oil blends with breathing support specifically in mind. The respiratory blend from doTERRA, Easy Air, is a great oil to help clear the airways and support respiratory health. You can also dilute it in some coconut oil and rub on to the chest or the soles of the feet as you go to bed for added benefit.

While we have no issue with you running an aroma diffuser all night with just water in it, you should not diffuse essential oils in an aroma diffuser all night. Choose something with a timer, let it run for a couple of hours and then let it switch itself off. Many respiratory blends contain cooling essential oils like peppermint, eucalyptus and others. If you continuously inhale their fine particles from an aroma diffuser, you will find that you may start to feel cold from the inside, because you have exposed your lungs to far too much of the fine particles in the air.

If you have pets, please do your research on which essential oils you can and cannot diffuse around your pets, whether they're cats or dogs. Eucalyptus and peppermint in particular should not be diffused around dogs and are often in essential oil blends formulated to assist with breathing.

At any time of the year, many essential oils can be added simply because you enjoy the scent. Some oils assist in a peaceful sleep, others help with mental alertness and some can help boost energy levels. Whatever the essential oil and the reason you're diffusing it, using an aroma diffuser instead of an oil burner keeps the oils from degrading in the heat as they aroma is released in to the air. When using essential oils for their therapeutic purposes, it's always best to ensure maximum results and not heat the oils.

When swapping between essential oils, give the tank of your aroma diffuser a clean, which is easily done by rinsing or wiping it out with a solution of water and cheap white vinegar.