I love both essential oils and humidifiers. Together, they maintain my home’s high air quality while also adding a pleasant scent throughout the house.
But should you add essential oils to a humidifier? No, you really shouldn’t! I’ve seen many people break their regular, expensive humidifiers with essential oil.
Here’s a secret, though. There are special humidifiers that can work with essential oils.
Read on and I’ll tell you when and how you can add essential oils to humidifiers.
Can You Put Essential Oils in a Humidifier?
You should not put essential oils in a traditional humidifier. The units are designed to add moisture into the air by dispersing water — and nothing else.
Essential oil contains highly concentrated plant-derived compounds and chemicals. I enjoy these potent plant extracts cocktails for their incredible aromas and potential health benefits just as much as you do, but their high concentration can eat away at plastic.
Pop quiz — what is your humidifier’s water tank made out of? That’s right, probably plastic. Using essential oils with a humidifier can destroy the tank and ruin your device.
The humidifier will not break immediately, but over time, the oils will turn the water tank brittle and fragile.
Eventually, the tank will crack and spill the water out. I’ve seen it happen so many times that I can guarantee it.
So, the short answer is no. You should not try adding essential oils into a regular humidifier.
But…
Are Any Humidifiers Essential Oil-Friendly?
I have good news for you essential oil lovers. Some specially designed humidifiers can withstand essential oils and freshen up your home.
These models often have a specific oil reservoir or oil-diffusing pad, or their water tank is made of corrosion-resistant materials.
The types of humidifiers that can work with essential oils include:
- Ultrasonic Humidifiers: Ultrasonic humidifiers have a vibrating membrane that creates fine water mist that gets dispersed into the air. As long as all the parts that come in contact with the essential oil are made of appropriate materials, a cool mist ultrasonic humidifier can disperse essential oils.
- Steam Humidifiers: Some steam humidifiers, also called warm mist humidifiers, have a special cup or compartment to hold essential oil and safely impart it into the warm steam.
- Impeller Humidifiers: Impeller humidifiers break water into droplets with spinning discs. Like ultrasonic humidifiers, an impeller cool mist humidifier can work with essential oils if all parts are made of corrosion-resistant materials.
You might also wonder if there is any kind of humidifier you should not use with essential oils.
Yes. Never add essential oils to an evaporative humidifier. Not only are evaporative humidifiers practically always made of plastic, but the oils can also clog and ruin the all-important wicking filter.
How To Safely Use Essential Oils In An Ultrasonic Humidifier (5 Important Tips)
You should take the proper precautions before adding essential oils to your humidifier, even if you’re certain the device can work with them. This way you ensure the safety of your family, pets, and humidifier and can calmly enjoy the soothing scent.
Here are my 5 top tips on how to safely use essential oils in your humidifier:
- Check the manual. Read the manufacturer’s instructions before you put essential oils into your humidifier to make absolutely sure your unit can work with them.
- Use the essential oil tray. If your humidifier has a specific compartment for essential oils, pour the oil only in there. Do not add it directly into the water tank — I promise that will eventually break the unit.
- Don’t use too much essential oil. I recommend adding a few drops of oil (3-5) into your humidifier at a time. Using too much oil could cause spills, clog your humidifier, or make the scent too strong.
- Put the humidifier in a safe place. Essential oils could cause irritation or other symptoms if they contact the skin or are swallowed. Place your humidifier on a stable, hard surface where small children or pets can’t get to it.
- Buy humidifier-formulated oils. Some essential oil manufacturers offer oils that are formulated to work better with humidifiers. I know they cost a bit more, but not having to replace your humidifier will save you money in the long run.
Best Essential Oils to Diffuse in Your Home
So you have your essential oil-safe humidifier and are ready to add a calming scent to your home. But which oils should you choose?
I’ve tried a lot of different oils over the years. Here are my recommendations for the top essential oils you can try using with your corrosion-resistant humidifier:
- Eucalyptus: Eucalyptus essential oil is a tried and true substance to relieve congestion and reduce coughing. Eucalyptus oil may also provide relief for asthma and sinus problems.
- Lavender: Lavender essential oil is a long-time favorite for helping people sleep. It can reduce stress and relieve tension, headaches, and shoulder pain. (1)
- Lemon: Lemon essential oil is my absolute favorite. It contains plenty of Vitamin C that can boost the immune system, while its refreshing scent can relieve congestion.
- Lemongrass: Lemongrass essential oil contains antibacterial agents. When dispersed into the air, they can moisturize the skin and provide relief for skin conditions, like psoriasis.
- Peppermint: Peppermint oil has a pleasant, sharp smell that is a great eye-opener in the morning. Its soothing properties can also reduce itchiness from skin issues or bug bites.
- Sandalwood: Sandalwood oil’s soothing scent can produce a calming effect to help reduce stress and anxiety and promote better mental health.
- Tea Tree: Tea tree is one of the most popular essential oils for its skin benefits. Combined with the moisture from the humidifier, it can moisturize dry skin and help relieve acne.
Oil Diffusers Vs. Humidifiers: Which Is Best For Essential Oils?
If you want to add a refreshing aroma to your home, I recommend using an essential oil diffuser rather than a humidifier. Oil diffusers are built specifically to work with essential oils. You can use them without worrying about the oil breaking the machine.
A lot of humidifiers and essential oil diffusers look similar and can function almost identically. You can avoid confusion by paying attention to these basic differences in how they work.
Oil diffusers are built to have the following features:
- They add fragrance to the air, not moisture.
- They do not increase humidity.
- They have very small water tanks or use no water at all.
Meanwhile, humidifiers have these features:
- They are made to add moisture to the air and improve indoor air quality.
- They can provide relief for dry skin, cold and flu symptoms, asthma, and other respiratory issues.
- They hold much more water than diffusers.
If you’re looking to disperse only essential oils, choose an essential oil diffuser. It makes diffusing essential oils much easier and safer.
For those who want to humidify the air as well, though, I can recommend an essential oil-ready humidifier.
Why You Shouldn’t Use Essential Oils in Humidifiers?
Essential Oils Can Clog Humidifiers
Oil and water don’t mix, and most humidifiers are not designed to evaporate oils. The oil can clog parts of the humidifier — especially with cool mist humidifiers — making it harder for it to humidify the room. If you don’t remove the clog, the oil buildup could further damage the humidifier and break it.
Essential oils are corrosive
Most essential oils are corrosive, especially citrus extracts like orange or lemon oil. If added to a humidifier, they can corrode and crack the plastic tank. Only humidifiers specifically designed for essential oils will run adequately with them.
Essential oils are less effective in humidifiers
Essential oils have specific aromatic properties that can bring certain health benefits when inhaled. The large amount of water in a humidifier can dilute the oils to the point that their efficiency is greatly reduced. This could make them redundant and you could get no benefit from the expensive oils.
Essential oils can Be Altered in a Humidifier
A warm mist humidifier boils water to produce water vapor. Should you add essential oils directly into the humidifier’s tank, the high heat could alter their chemical properties. As a result, their scent could change, you could lose their health benefits, or — in a nightmare scenario — they could turn toxic.
FAQs
How do you clean essential oil out of a humidifier?
You can clean essential oils from a humidifier’s non-electrical parts with warm soapy water and a bit of vinegar. Take the machine apart according to the instruction manual and gently clean and dry the parts before reassembling.
Can I use boiled water in a humidifier?
You shouldn’t pour boiled water into a humidifier. Boiled water has a high concentration of minerals that can cause mineral deposits and reduce the humidifier’s effectiveness.
Can you put Vicks in a cool mist humidifier?
You can’t put Vicks products in a humidifier. They can be harmful when inhaled and flammable in certain conditions. Only use Vicks VapoSteam in a Vicks vaporizer if you need relief.
Conclusion
I’ve been using essential oils together with my humidifier for years to create a soothing, spa-like home environment. I’ve also learned that adding the oils directly into a regular humidifier is a terrible idea.
You can put essential oils in a humidifier if you just choose the right unit. Find a humidifier with an essential oils compartment or corrosion-resistant tank to bring an aromatic element to your personal space.
Resources:
1) http://article.jopsci.org/pdf/10.11648.j.jps.20210902.14.pdf
