Can you boil essential oils to diffuse them in your home?
- No, you should not boil essential oils to to diffuse them
- You can diffuse them by placing them in heated, but not simmering water
- Heat will break down the molecules so they can evaporate
This question about how to diffuse essential oils may seem odd at first. But we know why anyone will ask this question.
Essential oils like lavender oil are mostly diffused in homes to create a calm, soothing ambiance. But not everyone has a diffuser at home.
Those who don’t have diffusers but still want to enjoy the wholesome benefits of essential oils like lavender oil and the others are interested to know whether they can diffuse them by boiling them.
Diffusing essential oils with hot water has its benefits, but how do you go about it?
We’ll discuss using water for diffusion, and what happens if you boil essential oils, below.
Can You Boil Essential Oils To Diffuse Them
Essential Oils are plant extracts distilled in oil form. Plants have structural and phytochemical compounds. These compounds are extracted into oils.
Essential Oils are the exact remake of the plant it was sourced from.
For instance, if you inhale or absorb tea tree oil, you may not be inhaling the entire tree. But the tiny molecules you inhale contain all the compounds of the tree itself and its essence.
Natural essential oils extraction takes a lot of effort and a significant volume of the plant, which is why they are very expensive. To give you a fair idea of the volume we are talking about, here is a broad estimation.
It takes about 250 pounds of lavender flower to make a single pound of lavender essential oil. And 5000 pounds of lemon balm to make a single pound of lemon essential oil
The infusion of so much volume of the plants makes the end products very powerful and effective in achieving their purpose.
This is why you only need a few drops of the oil to get a long-lasting effect.
Can You Boil Essential Oils for Diffusion?
If you don’t have a diffuser, does that mean you can’t use essential oil? Of course, you can. You can still use an essential oil mixture.
Heating essential oils like frankincense oil in hot water (but not boiling water) will diffuse the oil into the air. This is perhaps the most elementary way of diffusing essential oils. It’s nice and simple, and will work great!
Heating essential oils like frankincense oil in hot water (but not boiling water) will diffuse the oil into the air. This is perhaps the most elementary way of diffusing essential oils. It’s nice and simple, and will work great!
How To Use Essential Oils With Water
To heat essential peppermint oil, you don’t need to boil it on top of a burner per se. All you need to do is pour a cup or so of hot water, just off the boil, into a bowl.
After doing that, place a few drops of the essential oil into the water.
You can simply leave it and let it diffuse into the room.
Or if you want a potent start to your EO experience, place a towel over your head and bring your face closer to the bowl’s steam.
Make sure the entire circumference of the bowl is properly covered. This is so very little steam can escape.
Now take deep breaths and exhale when you can go no further with your desired essential oils. Do this as many times as possible to absorb the broken-down molecules.
Reaction
The heat from the hot water will break down the essential oil in the same way a diffuser would. But if you boil the oil, the temperature will get too great and you run the risk of ruining the oil. As you take deep breaths, molecules of the oil will be transported into your nose and body.
This action will clear your airways and calm your nerves.
Maintaining this position will be uncomfortable. But the soothing effect will set your mind and body right for the rest of the day.
Benefits of Diffusing Essential Oils
Diffusing high-quality essential oils has several benefits. The most important is that you interact with the oil’s essence in its tiniest molecular form. As well as enjoy its essential therapeutic benefits. Essential Oils can
- Boost your mood
- Improve sleep
- Kill off bacteria, fungi, and virus
- Reduce inflammation
- Reduce physical pain
- Reduce anxiety
And so much more.
Conclusion
Can you boil essential oils to diffuse them? You can use heated water, but let it cool to just below boiling before you put the oils in it. And the process is far easier than you probably thought.
