You'll Never Guess How People Are Using Essential Oils Now

If you've read my blog before or are familiar with the ingredients I use in my skincare products, you know that I love essential oils for their many benefits!

To sum up, they can have antiseptic properties, balance oiliness, calm inflammation, and reduce the appearance of scars.

Essential oils are also used in aromatherapy, too, as a natural way to relax and reduce stress.

That's another reason why I love them - as a mom and business owner, believe me, I have my share of stress!

So what if I told you companies have come up with a new way to get the calming benefits of essential oils without using a traditional room diffuser?

Behold, vaping pens that use essential oils!

I know, you're probably thinking, "What the heck?!"

Sit tight as I explain this current trend.

What is Vaping?

E-cigarettes (AKA vapes) were created as a discreet way to smoke and serve as an alternative for people who wanted to quit smoking.

While e-cigarettes are less harmful than regular ones, they still aren't completely safe, and can still contain nicotine.

Here's a refresher on how they work:

Most have a battery, a heating element, and a place to store the liquid.
The liquid can come in a variety of different flavors, like apple pie or blueberry.
Users inhale the aerosol into lungs, and they exhale the vapor, which will appear as a cloud of white steam that quickly dissipates.

How Do You Vape Essential Oils?

Brands have introduced the concept of taking the benefits of aromatherapy on the go.

Called "personal diffusers" or "diffuser sticks," they're being touted as a "healthy" way to vape and is being incorporated as part of the huge wellness trend that I'm always talking about.

The devices heat up between 110-25o degrees Fahrenheit.

There are many positive reviews on Amazon, and people have claimed that vaping has helped ease PMS cramps, prevent panic attacks, and serve as a "natural" treatment for anxiety rather than taking prescription medications with undesirable side effects.

Generally speaking, one pen can cost between $15-$50, with oil blend refills around $20 each.

Cautions

Essential oils aren't meant to be inhaled into the lungs, and I assume users will probably do this by accident.

This could potentially cause irritation or worse.

And, with traditional vaping, people you're around can breathe in the aerosol.

This can happen when vaping essential oils, too, but I couldn't find any research about side effects for others.

There hasn't been enough research done to determine whether vaping essential oils are completely helpful or harmful, of if there's simply a placebo effect.

Scientists know that heating essential oils changing their chemical profile, but haven't concluded if this makes them unsafe.