Can You Put Essential Oils In A Wax Burner?
The straight answer is "Yes We Can" put essential oil in a wax burner, however it is very important to follow some safety precautions.
We love essential oils, and if you're like me, we can't live without them because their beautiful fragrance helps us to relax and they are part of our daily well-being routine. You can use my energising essential oil blend in the morning to help kick start your day and my calming essential oil blend in the evening to help you unwind and prepare you for a good night's sleep. You diffuse essential oils in every room because you love to fragrance your home so if you're hooked on essential oils, this is what you need to know to stay safe when diffusing them in a wax burner.
What is a wax burner?
A wax burner also called a wax warmer, has a bowl where you place hard scented wax (also called wax melts or wax tarts). The wax is then gently heated by a tealight placed under the bowl. As the wax temperature rises, it melts releasing its fragrance. There are also electric wax warmers that do not use an open flame. Wax warmers can also be used to diffuse essential oils.
Essential oils are flammable
All essential oils are flammable to varying degrees and the flashpoint (the temperature at which ignition occurs) of each oil is different. Lavender has a flashpoint of 65 Centigrade (149 Fahrenheit) while Ylang Ylang has a much higher flash point of 90 Centigrade (194 Fahrenheit).
Safe diffusion of essential oils in a wax warmer
According to Robert Tisserand, one of the world's leading experts in aromatherapy, who has researched essential oil safety for over a decade and has even written a book around this important topic, it is much safer to use an electrical wax warmer because it doesn't operate with a naked flame. See below an excerpt from a recommendation that he makes regarding the safe use of diffusing essential oils with a wax warmer:
Where there have been problems is with burner/vaporizers that use a naked flame candle – these have been known to “spontaneously” catch fire, and they are a fire hazard. When a naked flame comes into direct contact with concentrated essential oils and a very hot burner, sometimes with oily residues, this can be a risk. Much better to use ones that operate without a naked flame.
Before switching to essential oil diffusers, I have always used wax warmers with an open flame for the diffusion of essential oils and I've never had any safety issues. However, I've always filled the bowl with water and never exceeded 10 drops of essential oils. Of course, if you want to be extra cautious, you might consider using an electric wax warmer.
Heat promotes oxidation and chemical change of essential oils so, in order to continue to enjoy their benefits, you'll need to regularly replace the old water and essential oils solution with a new one.
Nathalie Allard
Author
Nathalie Allard is an Artisan Perfumer and the founder of Petits Rituels. She’s known for creating beautiful room-transforming 100% natural fragrances with real therapeutic benefits.