Aromatherapy Inhalers: Your Questions Answered -

Aromatherapy is the practice of using essential oils to uplift one’s physical or psychological well being. These oils can be extracted from plants, or items like coffee beans. With an understanding of this concept essential oils can safely be used in conjunction, or instead, of medications.

What is an aromatherapy inhaler?

An aromatherapy inhaler is simply a device that allows you to smell essential oils. It is a small, handheld device used for vaporizing essential oils to make the air around you smell soothing. While the name may pose some concerns, it is simply a holistic approach to healing the mind and the body by using your sense of smell.

Where Can I Get this Essential Oil?

You should definitely NOT be buying your essential oils at Walmart, Walgreens and Target. You’re breathing these oils into your lungs and into your bloodstream. Quality matters. Read our article (written by an aromatherapy professional) on where to buy essential oils.

The word “inhaler” is almost a misnomer and makes it sound like a medical device in my opinion. I sort of wish it had a different name. The point isn’t to deeply inhale the essential oils and get them into your lungs, but rather to get them to the olfactory nerves in your nose.

There are two different ways to do this (believe it or not). One is just what you’d imagine, you put the inhaler up to your nose and sniff it. The other method is to pull air in through your mouth and then exhale it through your nose without inhaling it into your lungs. They both do the same thing so it’s a matter of personal preference.

Why use an aromatherapy inhaler versus a diffuser?

Diffusers are used to fill a large area with a common smell. Great for homes and cars, diffusers are designed to put a singular concentrated scent throughout an area. This doesn’t mean that you can’t mix scents, it just means that that smell will fill the whole room. Keep this in mind before you use this for the first time. These work especially well to create a relaxing and inviting atmosphere in your house.

As more and more places become scent free it may not be as easy to bring aromatherapy practices to your office. As that is where you spend most of your day, and in turn experience most of your stress, bringing your essential oils with you is incredibly desirable. This is where having an aromatherapy inhaler comes in handy.

Inhalers are intended to do the same thing as diffusers, but on a smaller scale. Inhalers are the only essential oil delivery devices that keep the smell very localized to you and your nose, instead of spreading the smell throughout the room. This can also be great to use around your home as you may not want the smell throughout your entire house.

Are aromatherapy inhalers safe?

Inhalers are just another way of delivering essential oil scents to your nose. That means they are as safe as the essential oils you’re using. Is that an actual concern? Yes, there are some legitimate concerns here. Robert Tisserand and Rodney Young authored a very comprehensive book on the topic if you’re interested, titled Essential Oil Safety: A Guide for Health Care Professionals.

Important Note: Whatever you choose for an oil, make sure that the oils you purchase are high quality. Remember, you’re breathing this oil into your lungs so essential oil quality is a terrible place to cut corners.

Because you’re using these oils medicinally, another related safety concern is the quality of the oils you’re using and whether they are what they claim to be. There are synthetic essential oils on the market and they won’t have all the same properties as real essential oils.

Can I make my own aromatherapy inhaler?

The short answer is yes. Aromatherapy inhalers are relatively simple in their construction, so you can make them from inhaler kits you can buy on Amazon or even fashion your own if you’re a real DIYer.

All the inhalers I’ve seen on Amazon are of the sort that you sniff. The only one I know of that you use by pulling air in through your mouth and exhaling through your nose is the Zen Monq line.

This short video shows you exactly how to create your own inhaler using one of the inhaler kits from Amazon:

Where can I buy an aromatherapy inhaler?

We believe in the safe practice of using quality raw essential oils to combat some of life’s struggles. Whether it’s to clear your sinuses or calm your nerve, using essential oils can be a safe and effective practice. We love that inhalers are compact enough to put in your purse, or pack, for use just about anywhere. Being able to use different scents when the time arises is an added benefit. We have created a list below with our favorite inhalers on the market, all of which can be purchased on Amazon.

Aromatherapy Inhaler Reviews

Inhaler	Rating	Price
Sage Hill Aluminum & Glass Inhalers	5/5	$$$
MONQ! Aromatherapy Inhaler	3.5/5	$$$
BoomBoom Essential Oil Inhaler	4.5/5	$$
Top 6 Essential Oil Inhaler Gift Set	4/5	$

Sage Hill Essential Oil Refillable Aluminum and Glass Inhalers

This will be the prettiest accessory in your purse, jacket or desk drawer. These handy pocket sizes inhalers come in a set of five allowing you to create personalized blends and bring them with you wherever you go. Having five of these means you can create different scents for different moods so you are fit to conquer anything. This set comes with 20 cotton wicks to which you can add your favorite therapeutic oils and slip into the aluminum inhalers.