Do Diffusers Affect Indoor Air Quality? (2024)

Do Diffusers Affect Indoor Air Quality? (1)

As the essential oil craze continues to grow and buyers seek safer, more natural alternatives to health and home care needs, diffusers are likewise rising in popularity. Just how safe are the partners-in-crime of these naturally-scented solutions, and how are they effecting your indoor air quality?

The Pros & Cons of Essential Use

The pros and cons of essential oil use depend largely on the type of aromatherapy oils used with your diffuser….

  • Pros
    Used correctly, essential oils can safely supply a host of benefits, from purifying the air and reducing mold and harmful microorganisms, to boosting the immune system, helping you destress and relax, and providing safer, more earth-friendly cleaning, disinfecting, and deodorizing solutions. However they must be chosen and used with care.
  • Cons
    Essential oils are frequently confused with ‘fragrance,’ ‘perfume’ or ‘nature identical’ oils by those not in-the-know. What’s the difference? These artificially-scented oils are comprised entirely of synthetic chemicals, and negatively impact air quality and your health. These include fare like commonly found grocery store plug-ins, diffusers and aerosol sprays. And products advertised as ‘green,’ ‘natural,’ and ‘organic’ emit as many hazardous chemicals as standard options. 100% pure, therapeutic grade essential oils offer a better option – though not one that is 100% safe.

What’s in a Name?

When selecting an essential oil, research its intended purpose thoroughly. Oils do more than simply smell good. Find the exact botanical name of the oil best-suited for your needs, and correct methods of use. Do you want Lavender Angustifolia for its sweet, calming scent? Or Lavender Latifolia for its camphorous, nasal-clearing capabilities? For that respiratory ailment, do you know Eucalyptus Smithii and Radiata are safe for children and infants, but Eucalyptus Globulus has been noted by experts as dangerous? Kissing cousins are not the same. Each component - leaf, stem, bark, or flower - has a specific use. Know what you are buying and what it can do. Your family’s health and safety may depend on it.

Buyer Beware

Always research essential oil brand quality and note ingredients carefully. Many more inexpensively priced options include a ‘carrier oils’ – meaning the product has been diluted, may include undesirable ingredients, and you may not be getting exactly what you think you’re paying for. Look only for ‘100% pure’ – but still read the tiny type and seek an ingredient label. Avoid fake fragrance products entirely, opting for 100% pure therapeutic grade essential oils. Low to medium steam distillation is preferable over chemical or alcohol distillation. Gas chromatography and mass spectrography testing ensures purity and quality.

Don’t Neglect Your Diffuser – or Your Reaction to Oils

Regularly cleaning will prolong the lifespan of your diffuser - and prevent oils from mixing to produce unexpected results. This is especially important for diffusers utilizing water, which can harbor bacteria that can effect indoor air quality, making you sick. If you suffer asthma or allergies, you should also take note: Some 100% essential oils may still result in respiratory symptoms in allergic or asthmatic individuals. Again – do your research - if you have an allergy (ragweed), diffusing an oil from that same family (chamomile) may not be in your best interest.

Concerned about the air quality in your home? It takes more than essential oils to ensure clean, healthy air in your home. Prevent poor indoor air quality and protect your family with the help of Aire Serv®. Learn how today.

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Do Diffusers Affect Indoor Air Quality? (2024)

FAQs

Do diffusers decrease air quality? ›

Unfortunately, essential oils do not improve indoor air quality. In fact, they actually worsen indoor air quality when used in diffusers. Using aroma oils on your skin, in a bath or shower, simply smelling the oil or using dry evaporation methods are generally fine for indoor air quality.

What are the cons of a diffuser? ›

Cons of diffusing essential oils:

Essential oils can be expensive when you're first getting started. While they do last a long time, getting started with essential oils and diffusers can get pricey. It can be confusing to know how or where to get started. What combinations should you be diffusing while you sleep vs.

Do diffusers cause mold in room? ›

In most cases people who use vaporisers and diffusers are unaware they are creating the perfect environment for mould growth. As the solution is steamed into the air the humidity within the room increases significantly and causes condensation to occur.

Are room diffusers healthy? ›

Essential oils don't just add aroma to a room, they also provide numerous health benefits for the household. Using a room diffuser is probably the easiest way to dispense these benefits into the air so as to improve your health, boost your energy and promote good sleep, among others.

Are diffusers damaging? ›

Diffusers don't typically cause heat damage because, unlike other dryer attachments, diffusers disperse airflow across a large area of hair versus concentrating on one place. However, if you're using a high heat setting, heat damage is always possible. So keeping the dryer on the lowest setting is best.

Are diffusers better than humidifiers? ›

If you need more moisture in the air in your home, then you need a humidifier. If you only want to add fragrance to the air, and not moisture, then a diffuser is the proper product. Diffusers simply do not hold enough water to impact the humidity level of a room.

Is it OK to use a diffuser everyday? ›

Yes, essential oils can be diffused everyday. It is best to use intermittent diffusion, diffusing for 30 to 60 minutes and then off for 30 to 60 minutes.

Is diffusing essential oils safe for your lungs? ›

There is so much to learn about essential oils and their benefits, but it's always good to know how to use them safely. Oil diffusers are safe for the lungs and, when used correctly, they have many benefits!

Can I use tap water in my diffuser? ›

Some diffusers require or work best with different types of water. The instructions included in many of today's essential oil diffusers recommend that you use tap water in your diffuser because it includes natural minerals that help the water diffuse into a vapor better than distilled water.

Do diffusers make your house damp? ›

The basic answer to this question is yes, a diffuser does add moisture to the air. However, the output is quite small and might not make a big difference -- especially if you are in a large space.

Can you sleep with a diffuser in your room? ›

As long as you're using a high quality diffuser and high quality,all natural essential or aroma oils, there's likely no risk to diffusing your oils overnight. However, if you'd like to take extra precautions, the easiest safety solution is to get a diffuser with an automatic shut off feature.

Are scented diffusers toxic? ›

Ingredients vary, but two common ingredients can be dangerous to a child who swallows them. Some reed diffuser fragrances contain up to 70 percent isopropyl alcohol. This is the same thing as rubbing alcohol. Swallowing this can cause vomiting and make a child extremely drowsy.

Are diffusers less toxic than candles? ›

The good news is: the great alternative to scented candle — oil diffusers don't create smoke and thus won't spread toxins in the same way that scented candles do.

Where is the best place to put a diffuser in a room? ›

Placing your diffuser somewhere high up and open is always best as it can then utilise any airflow to fill the room. We advise to keep the diffuser out of direct sunlight to avoid the oils evaporating, which would not help those luxurious scents last.

Is it better to diffuse or air dry? ›

Air drying gives your hair a natural finish but makes it frizzy, while diffusers help you get a more defined curl. Air drying eliminates heat damage, but high-porosity curls take painstakingly longer to dry out. This is where blow-drying comes in handy.

Can you get sick from a diffuser? ›

Don't Neglect Your Diffuser – or Your Reaction to Oils

This is especially important for diffusers utilizing water, which can harbor bacteria that can effect indoor air quality, making you sick.

How long do diffuser oils stay in the air? ›

First, each essential oil will stay in the air for a different amount of time. Top notes, like peppermint, lavender, and eucalyptus typically evaporate within an hour or two. Middle notes, like rosemary, geranium, and chamomile, often aromatically evaporate within two to four hours.

Do diffusers improve sleep? ›

Diffusers are ideal for helping you sleep because they're long-lasting, creating mist continually throughout the night. There are different types diffusers which use different methods of releasing fragrance into the air. The type you like may depend on how strong you want the scent to be (whole room vs.

Do air diffusers purify the air? ›

Used correctly, essential oils can safely supply a host of benefits, from purifying the air and reducing mould and harmful microorganisms, to boosting the immune system, helping you destress and relax, and providing safer, more earth-friendly cleaning, disinfecting, and deodorizing solutions.

Which is better for sinus humidifier or diffuser? ›

Sinusitis experts agree that adding humidity to the air with a humidifier is generally good for sinus health. "Humidifiers can help nasal congestion in that they provide for more moisture and humidity within the nose," says Mark A.

Should I open window with diffuser? ›

It's pretty obvious when you think about it, but putting a reed diffuser near an open door or window will only result in you losing the scent and wasting oil. If you place reed diffusers in a room where doors or windows are regularly open, place the diffuser on the opposite side of the room to get the best output.

What essential oils should not be used in a diffuser? ›

Dr. Block advises against diffusing lavender and tea tree oils because of the potential complications, particularly in children and teens. Pregnant women and people who have hormone-related medical conditions such as diabetes should talk to their doctors before using essential oils topically or with a diffuser.

Do essential oils affect air quality? ›

Essential oil products are increasingly used in indoor environments and have been found to negatively contribute to indoor air quality. Moreover, the chemicals and fragrances emitted by those products may affect the central nervous system and cognitive function.

Do essential oil diffusers cause respiratory problems? ›

VOCs within the diffused oils can affect indoor air quality causing a similar pollutant effect as air fresheners, scented candles, and incense. Poor indoor air quality can worsen existing respiratory symptoms from allergies, asthma, and other respiratory illnesses.

Can you put too much essential oil in a diffuser? ›

For this reason you should not use more than 5-6 drops of essential oil in your aroma diffusion system according to the size of your room. The excessive amount of essential oils will result in a fragrance that is too strong and this is certainly not a suitable solution for small spaces.

What can I put in my diffuser to sanitize the air? ›

Thieves essential oil blends of clove, lemon, cinnamon bark, eucalyptus, and rosemary oils, creating a clean, fall-like aroma. This combination of citronella, lavandin, lemongrass, rosemary, myrtle, and tea tree oils is designed specifically to purify your air and keep your home smelling fresh.

Can essential oil diffusers cause sinus problems? ›

Essential oils are primarily made with plant-based ingredients and, just like other plant-based environment allergens, can cause nasal allergy or asthma symptoms. Nasal and asthma-related symptoms are more common when the oils are diffused and inhaled, causing: Asthma flare-ups. Congestion and/​or a runny nose.

Is warm or cold water better for a diffuser? ›

Warmer water tends to create a fuller mist while cold water can inhibit ultrasonic vibrations, therefore producing less mist. To extend the life of your diffuser, please be certain to use only 100% Pure Essential Oils. by doing so, it will ensure your unit qualifies for any future warranty claims.

Do diffusers help with mold? ›

Homeowners can consider using essential oils in the form of vapor diffusers or liquid cleaning sprays in conjunction with other mold cleanup methods to freshen and purify air and stop mold from spreading.

Are diffusers good in mold? ›

Diffusers and essential oils can be helpful before, during and after remediation. The best diffusers for mold challenges do not use water, since water fuels the growth of mold.

Are diffusers carcinogenic? ›

Limonene is a chemical given off by many scented candles and plug-ins which, when it is oxidised, can result in formaldehyde, a carcinogenic poison also used to embalm bodies.

Is a diffuser less damaging? ›

Benefits of diffusing hair

Another benefit Burnside pointed out is the reduced amount of damage to the hair when you use a diffuser. “I think because you're not actually running through the hair with a brush, there's less tension on the strands so it's actually not as damaging because there's less friction,” she said.

How long should I let my diffuser run? ›

"We see many examples of people using it improperly which causes skin burns, irritation, or sensitization," says Jean Liao. In fact you shouldn't really be blasting it for hours straight at all. His recommendation is to turn your diffuser on between one and three times a day for up to 30 minutes at the maximum.

How many diffusers do you need in a room? ›

If you're trying to cover an area anywhere from 800 to 1,000 square feet, your best bet is to simply get two diffusers. Despite what some companies say, there just isn't a diffuser that's capable of covering that much area by itself. For consistency, it's best if you use two of the same diffusers.

Do all diffusers create negative ions? ›

The air contains particles that have a charge-they are either negative or positive. Diffusers actually produce negative ions which are healthy for our home.

What is the effect of diffusers on airflow? ›

The diffuser acts as an expansion chamber to manage the air as it exits from underneath the car and reintegrates it with higher-pressure ambient air. Smoothing this transition reduces turbulence and drag in the car's wake and improves airflow under the car.

Do diffusers create negative ions? ›

An ultrasonic diffuser also produces negative ions, which help to freshen the air by removing dust particles. These negative ions bind to dust particles, making them heavier and dropping them to the ground, which leaves your air feeling refreshed.

How often should you use a diffuser? ›

In fact you shouldn't really be blasting it for hours straight at all. His recommendation is to turn your diffuser on between one and three times a day for up to 30 minutes at the maximum. According to him, overexposure and the act of inhaling essential oils can lead to headaches.

Do diffusers cause lung problems? ›

“In fact, breathing in the particles released by the oils may actually trigger airway inflammation and asthma symptoms,” she says. “The strong odors emitted by essential oils may contain volatile organic compounds, or VOCs. VOCs are chemical gases that worsen air quality and can irritate the lungs.”

Do diffusers emit VOCs? ›

It is verified that the total concentration of VOCs of these essential oils in the room air diffused by the ultrasonic diffuser is as low as 0.6 ppb and decreased soon below 0.1 ppb.

Do oil diffusers pollute the air? ›

Essential oil products are increasingly used in indoor environments and have been found to negatively contribute to indoor air quality. Moreover, the chemicals and fragrances emitted by those products may affect the central nervous system and cognitive function.

Do diffusers grow mold? ›

Not only does a dirty diffuser not run as efficiently, but it can also grow mold and other potentially harmful bacteria. To help keep your diffuser mildew-free, here's how (and when) to clean it, along with our top tips for choosing the best diffuser.

Are smell diffusers safe? ›

Essential oil diffusers should be handled with care.

They are considered a safe technology but when they aren't used in the right way, they bring some safety risks. Both the aroma diffuser and the essential oil should be picked carefully with your specific preferences and health condition in mind.

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