Essential Oil Burner Vs. Diffuser: Which Is Right For You?

Why You Want To Burn Or Diffuse Your Essential Oils.

First of all, there’s basically an essential oil for any ailment, condition, or mood. For example, using lavender can calm your nerves. Orange essential oil is known for its energizing effect. And then Eucalyptus oil is a wonderful lung & sinus opener!

While it’s true, you can simply use the oils topically by mixing with a natural carrier oil (olive, jojoba, grapeseed, carrot, hemp, sunflower, argan, etc.). You’re more likely to get even better effects by using an essential oil or diffuser. This is largely due to the fact that applying essential oils, even diluted, to the skin can sometimes cause some degrees of skin irritation. (I have sensitive skin, and I can attest to this!!)

But now we come to the question at hand: that is, which is better for you? Essential oil diffuser, or ultrasonic burner? Let’s take a look at the difference between the two, then dive into which (I think) takes the cake.

What Is An Essential Oil Diffuser?

An essential oil diffuser, you guessed it, diffuses the essential oil. Most EO diffusers are electrically powered. Either by batteries or another power source, such as an electrical outlet. They are super easy to use. You simply fill them with water, plop a few drops of your chosen essential oil(s), plug it in, and just breathe within its range of distribution.

Another, less common type of oil diffuser is a reed diffuser. It’s able to diffuse the oil using wooden reeds as a conduit instead of electricity and momentum.

What Is An Ultrasonic Burner?

Now let’s take a gander at what all an essential oil burner is. Again, it’s pretty straightforward in that a burner, burns the essential oils. This allows the oils to become vapors in the air around you, just as the diffuser does. Burners are usually made of natural elements such as copper, soapstone, or ceramic. The holder you place the oils in is typically cup-like in shape. Of course, burners must have a heat source directly below the cup portion. Generally, the source of heat is a candle or a tea light. They also make essential oil-infused wax melts to use with burners.

Which Is The “Better” Option Of The Two?

At first glance, I love the idea of using a natural element such as fire to create healing EO vapors in the air around you! It just seems more natural and pure to me. However, *spoiler alert* that’s just about where my excitement over oil burners ends. Don’t just take my word for it though! Take in all the information from this article, and let yourself decide which is ultimately going to best suit you.

So without further ado, let’s dive into the noteworthy differences between the two.

Essential Oil Vs. Diffuser: Who Wins?

1. Mode Of Operation

Diffusers evenly distribute essential oil droplets into the air without using heat. Burners, on the other hand, use heat to displace the oil into the room’s atmosphere. Many studies have concluded that heat alters the chemical composition of the oils in a volatile and unnatural manner. It can even damage or altogether destroy the oil! (Diffuser: 1; Burner: 0)

2. Safety Factors

Well, here’s another one for you. Essential oil diffusers are far less likely to catch on fire or catch something around them on fire. Also, if you have small pets or children- you don’t have to worry about them accidentally burning themself on a diffuser as you would with a burner. And don’t forget, oils are flammable. Essential oils… are oils!! (Diffuser: 2; Burner: 0)

3. Time Is Of The Essence.

With a burner, you have to keep a watchful eye on it in most cases. And a candle or tealight will only burn for so long. Whereas on the other hand, a diffuser lasts as long as it’s on and has essential oil liquid to diffuse. Also, the fragrance of wax melts do not last more than an hour once you start “burning” them in my experience! Diffusers also require far less monitoring and supervision. (Diffuser: 3; Burner: 0)

4. Initial Investment

If you’re a penny pincher, you might like an essential oil burner over a diffuser. However, I think of it as an investment. While sure, the burner may cost less than the diffuser upfront. But the diffuser is going to last a long time and the value (and peace of mind!) far exceeds that of the burner. Also remember that the burner will require you to continuously have candles on hand in order to use it. (Diffuser: 3; Burner: 1)

5. Care & Maintenance

Yet again, you’ll find that diffusers come out shining! And it’s not just because they’re easier to keep clean than burners. EO diffusers require very little maintenance. Burners, on the other hand, must be cleaned regularly. And if you’ve ever had wax warmer, you’ll probably know that those are not the most fun things to keep clean! I mean, unless that’s just me that hates scraping and scrubbing wax. (Diffuser: 4; Burner: 1)

How To Safely Use Essential Oil Burners.

Looking for an article on how to safely use an EO burner? My advice, is simply don’t. Don’t bother with a burner because my experience is that the oils never smell or last like they do when being naturally and gently diffused with a diffuser. But, if you really want some advice on how to best use one, then I’m happy to steer you in the right(ish) direction.

(I know… It’s hard for me to stay Switzerland with this one.)

• Keep the temperature of your burner low to medium. Too high could set the oils on fire or cause damage the oils, rendering it basically useless.
• Don’t forget to supervise the burner while it’s on. This means staying close by, and never leaving home (or wherever) with it still burning. And make sure it never continues to burn after the oil has been used up!
• Don’t use for more than 30-60 minutes at a time. Any longer than this, and you risk developing a headache from the chemicals present in the air when burning oils. Also, it’s difficult to effectively control and manage to keep the temperature low enough if you allow the burner to go for too long.
• Clean, every time you are finished with the burner. This ensures the burner is able to work in its prime for ever burn session.

Best Essential Oils To Use With A Diffuser or Burner.

There are SO MANY oils out there, and even more blends you can put together. I’m not kidding when I say there’s an oil (or a blend) for just about everything under the sun (and moon, and stars). However, here are the top, best ones to have in your possession at any given time.

By the way, the list below was taken directly from my post written earlier this year on the best essential oils to use and their benefits. Click here to bookmark and read after you finish here!

1. Bergamot: heals skin; reduces anxiety

2. Chamomile: soothes colds and fevers; nausea relief; calming mood enhancer

3. Clove: dental pain relief

4. Eucalyptus: general pain-relief; decongestant

5. Frankincense: mood-enhancer; stress-reducer

6. Jasmine: lessen depression; improve childbirth; libido enhancer

7. Lavender: calming; helps with insomnia; stress & anxiety relief

8. Lemon: household cleaner; disinfectant; digestive aid; mood enhancer; headache relief

9. Oregano: skin-healing; antiviral; antifungal; antibacterial; clears out respiratory system

10. Peppermint: cold and flu prevention; energy booster; digestive aid

11. Rose: mood enhancer; stress & anxiety relief

12. Rosemary: skin and hair health; joint pain

13. Sandalwood: soothes nerves; helps with focus

14. Tea Tree: fight infections; antifungal; immune system health

15. Ylang-Ylang: headache relief; eases nausea; helps with skin conditions

Best Essential Oil Mixtures & Blends.

Now we’re getting to the fun and practically magically bit of this post! You can mix different oils to create your own blends to suit your mood and intent. Whether you’re trying to beat a nasty cold, lift a sour mood or simply want a naturally pleasant scent to fill the air. There’s a blend to serve your cause.

Tip: Use 1-2 drops of each oil when creating an essential oil blend.

Air Purifying (3 options)

• lemongrass, tea tree, clove
• thyme, eucalyptus, lemon
• cinnamon, ginger, orange

Breathway Openers (4 options)

• eucalyptus, peppermint, frankincense
• cypress, grapefruit, pine
• cedarwood, lavender, chamomile, eucalyptus
• juniper, rosemary, frankincense

Immune System Boosters (3 options)

• chamomile, ginger, cinnamon, frankincense
• lavender, geranium, rosemary
• lemon, grapefruit, oregano

Energizing & Uplifting (5 options)

• bergamot, ginger, lemongrass, rosemary
• eucalyptus, lemon, lime, peppermint
• spearmint, orange, lime, bergamot
• grapefruit, coriander, lemon, orange
• peppermint, black pepper, lemon, grapefruit

Best Essential Oil Diffusers

I’ve used a lot of diffusers over the years. And there are a lot of great options to choose from! I personally like having a wide variety of options available to me at all times. Below you’ll find my top 8 recommendations.

Btw, here is a link for my healing crystal diffuser jewelry. I’ve been making these since 2013, and my customers and I swear by them! Directly below, you’ll see 3 of the 11 designs currently available in the shop. If you don’t see one you like, contact me to have a custom made!!

Best Essential Oil Burners

Well, I’m not going to lie here. I’ve really only used a few burners with wax melts and essential oils. If you’re Team Burner, then here are the 8 top-rated to choose from!

(FAQ) Have A Question About Burning Or Diffusing Your Essential Oils?

Here are a few of the frequently asked questions in regard to using essential oils. Let’s see if I can answer one of yours! If I don’t cover your question, then simply drop a comment below or contact me directly.

Is it safe to use an essential oil burner? If used properly and closely monitored while in use, then yes it is safe!

Which is better to use for aromatherapy, a burner or a diffuser? I’ve broken up the pros versus cons of the two above. Let yourself be the judge as to which is best for you, your unique preferences, and situation.

What are essential oil burners made of? Most EO burners are made of either ceramic, soapstone, or ceramic.

What’s the difference between an oil burner and an electric burner? A traditional oil burner uses a candle or fire source to burn and heat up the oils. An electric burner is a slightly better option in terms of safety. However, I can tell you that is much more difficult to regulate the temperature. This is important because when essential oils are heated too much, it renders them completely useless. And no one likes wasted essential oils!! (Or, at least I know I don’t.)

What is the difference between regular oil and essential oil? Regular oils can be used in cooking, to moisturize dry skin, and even as a carrier oil when topically applying essential oils. But make no mistake, the two are not inherently the same! Oil is a fat soluble, nutrient-rich, thick liquid-like substance often obtained from plants. Essential oils on the other hand are richly fragrant, concentrated extracts, carefully sourced from plants. So they are similar in that they both are naturally sourced, but their chemical makeup and use are not one and the same.

The Grand Finale.

To conclude and wrap this up, you may have gathered that the clear winner in my mind is the oil diffuser. However, I encourage you to think for yourself and draw your own conclusions. What’s best for me in my mind and my life, might not be what best suits you! And that’s okay because our differences are in part what makes us beautiful and unique.

Also, I may be slightly biased. When I was 5 years old, my great-grandmother died from severe burns obtained in a fire caused by a nightlight that got caught under her bed covering. Then, when I was 12 years old, my whole house caught fire because a lit candle fell in the bedroom my brother had been sleeping in. Thankfully, no one was injured in that second fire!! However, these life experiences may have made me prone to be slightly hesitant to light a candle or use an electric heat source indoors.

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