Should You Diffuse Essential Oils in a Wax Warmer?

Diffusing essential oils offers many benefits like keeping a room smelling fresh, setting up a certain ambiance, as well affect your mood and promote overall well-being through aromatherapy. 

There are several ways to diffuse essential oils, and one of them is by using a wax or candle warmer. Let’s take a look at using essential oil warmer as a method for your aromatherapy needs. 

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What are “Wax Warmers”

Also called candle warmers or wax burners, wax warmers are usually ceramic or glass that essentially heat up fragrance waxes or essential oils that are placed on the warming plate. 

Typical wax warmers are electric and use a light bulb to heat waxes or oils placed on the warming plate. Some use an open flame to heat the warming plate with a tealight candle. 

Candle warmers on the other hand, use an overhead lamp to heat up and melt fragrance candles, without actually lighting them up. 

Here are some of the best wax and candle warmers we recommend:

Can I Use a Wax Warmer for Essential Oils?

The short answer is yes, but there are some things to keep in mind.

Wax warmers are mostly used to heat up and melt fragrance waxes or candles, but yes, using essential oils in wax warmers is definitely an option as well. 

Wax warmers are great to use for essential oils especially for your bedroom, bathroom, or powder room. Warmers do a great job at keeping smaller spaces smelling fresh and clean. 

One thing to keep in mind is that warmers (and some diffusers) that use heat can change the oils’ chemistry in a more rapid way. Since they are simply evaporating the oil for diffusion, you don’t get the maximum therapeutic advantages of your essential oils.

For the best results, it’s recommended to use an ultrasonic essential oil diffuser, since they are designed specifically to diffuse essential oils in a more gentle method.

A diffuser will make your oils last longer and provide more therapeutic benefits, but a wax warmer can be used as a convenient, cheaper alternative.

How to Use Wax Warmers for Essential Oils

Here’s how to use essential oils and fragrance oils in a wax warmer:

You can basically pick any essential oil of your choice and place a few drops of it on the warming plate for a stronger, more potent scent. However if you want to stretch out the scent, you can dilute it with water on the warming plate in a solution of about one drop of essential oil for every 3-5 drops of water. You can also mix and match essential oils of your choice for a blended scent. 

Best Essential Oils for Wax Warmers

You can basically choose any one or a blend of any two or more of your favorite oils.

It is best you choose from trusted and reliable brands to ensure best results. 

Essential oils of flowers like lavender, jasmine, and ylang ylang are excellent in keeping your space smelling like fresh flowers aside from the calming and soothing effect on you. 

Citronella, lemongrass, and peppermint are also great for that zesty smell and vibe, as well as keeping critters like bees and wasps away.

But really, the options are endless on what essential oils you can diffuse on a wax warmer!

Safety precautions

Since wax and candle warmers generally still use heat, you still need to heed several safety precautions in using essential oils in a wax warmer. 

• Keep the warmer away from light materials that easily burn and catch fire like curtains. 
• The heating plate can get pretty hot especially when you’ve been using the warmer for hours. Be careful in handling it and make sure that you’ve turned the warmer off and have the warming plate cool down before touching or cleaning it.
• Clean the warming plate regularly as build up of oils can become flammable. 
• When using a warmer with a tealight candle, always keep an eye on it and never leave it unattended. 
• When using electric wax or candle warmers, always manage the cables properly as it could be a trip hazard. You do not want searing hot oil or oil solution to spill. 
• It goes without saying that warmers in general should be kept away from the reach of children and pets. 

Also, take the time to research the flash points of essential oils. All essential oils have a flash point – the temperature at which organic compounds vaporize and ignite. Since you will be heating up these oils to cause them to evaporate for their scent, it is vital you take the time to actually look into these so you reduce the risk of accidentally igniting your oils on fire.

Diffusers vs. Wax Warmers

Whether by means of heat, nebulization or by using ultrasonic waves, diffusers and wax warmers – any type of diffuser – does one job: they break down essential oils to the air for us to breathe. 

Looking at wax warmers and diffusers, you stand to reap basically the same benefits when you use either of these to diffuse your essential oils. There are several differences you need to take into account, of course, so let’s compare and contrast the two:

• Wax warmers are generally cheaper than diffusers. 
• Diffusers are mainly used for larger spaces like the living area or an office. Wax and candle warmers, on the other hand, are used for smaller rooms like powder rooms,  bathrooms, or bed rooms. 
• Most wax warmers and oil diffusers nowadays are designed to be decorative and can look ornamental on their own. 

Here are the best essential oil diffusers we recommend:

Final Thoughts

Keeping your house and rooms smelling fresh and helping you reap the benefits of aromatherapy, using essential oils with wax warmers is definitely an option you can look into. 

However you want to diffuse your essential oils really just depends on your needs and your personal preferences. A diffuser makes your oils last the longest and will provide the most therapeutic benefits. But a wax warmer can absolutely be used as a convenient, somewhat cheaper alternative.