Lately, everyone’s been asking, can you put vanilla extract in a diffuser? That’s a great question.
Before we can answer this question, we first need to know the difference between vanilla extract and vanilla essential oil.
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Vanilla Extract Vs Vanilla Essential Oil
There is a big difference between vanilla extract and vanilla essential oil that should be explained. Let’s break down the differences between the two.
Vanilla Extract
If you bake, you are probably extremely familiar with vanilla extract. Vanilla extract can be bought at your local grocery store in the spice and baking aisle.
Inside the vanilla pod, you will find vanilla extract made up of highly unstable levels of oil, vitamins, and minerals. The vanilla extract flavor is made by using alcohol to break down the components.
A good thing to note here is vanilla extract and soap don’t sit well together. The result is brown soap. Eww!
Vanilla Essential Oil
Vanilla essential oil, or vanilla absolute, has a higher concentration than vanilla extract. You can sometimes buy it at a grocery store, and you can always buy it in health stores that typically sell other essential oils.
Vanilla essential oil is synthetic oil and can never truly be labeled 100% pure essential oil. It’s okay though because we have vanilla absolute that we can still enjoy in our diffusers!
Manufacturers normally make vanilla essential oil using the solvent extraction method. Another source mentioned using the cold press method by squeezing the vanilla bean.
The Young Living brand does a great job at explaining its process of obtaining vanilla essential oil and keeping it in its pure form.
Vanilla Extract In A Diffuser: Yes Or No?
The answer is yes, but also no. Technically, you can choose to do whatever you want to.
Some people strongly advise against using vanilla extract instead of vanilla essential oil. Vanilla extract is made for the taste and not so much for the smell. This is a big reason vanilla extract is used in the kitchen and not in your diffuser.
While others use caution by adding vanilla extract to a carrier oil before adding it to their diffuser. So vanilla extract is doable in a diffuser if you dilute it in a carrier oil first.
The main point to make here is, pouring vanilla extract straight from the bottle into your diffuser is a bad idea. Vanilla extract by itself doesn’t smell good and with its high percentage of alcohol content, it’s going to evaporate quicker than you can say supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!
They both have their main purposes for a reason. If you are still unsure, the best answer is to avoid adding vanilla extract to your diffuser.
Vanilla Health & Therapeutic Benefits
Adding vanilla essential oil or diluted vanilla extract in a diffuser provides many benefits. Here is a quick list to show you what vanilla can do for you.
Health Benefits
- Treats digestive disorders
- Helps wounds heal
- Natural menstruation regulator
- Nausea
- Anti-inflammatory
- Rich in antioxidants
- Hair Care
- Acne Prevention
- Appetite-suppressing properties for weight loss
Therapeutic Benefits
- Ease’s symptoms of stress and anxiety
- Antidepressant aid
- Aphrodisiac
- Relaxing and calming agent
You heard the many benefits of using vanilla. Are you using vanilla for health and therapeutic benefits right now?
Making Vanilla Extract At Home
So, you’ve decided to make your vanilla extract to put in your diffuser at home. You are knowledgeable of carrier oils and how to dilute them.
If you want to make a vanilla extract from home, you’ll need to buy a few ingredients. Some of which require you to be above the legal drinking age.
Here are the ingredients you need to make the vanilla extract:
- 8 oz. dark-colored glass bottle with a tight-sealing cap
- 7-8 oz. high-proof vodka (Here is the legal age part!)
- Muslin fabric for straining
- 2-3” fresh 6” vanilla beans
This vanilla extract can be used in a diffuser. You’ll want to use this extract moderately in aromatic devices.
Once you have all the ingredients together, it’s time to make your vanilla extract. You’ll want to cut up the vanilla beans and then put them into the glass bottle.
Next, pour vodka into the glass bottle, put the lid on, and let it sit in a dark corner for a month. Treat your bottle like a vampire!
Every day, shake your bottle to help release some of that vanilla goodness. When the month is up, strain the vanilla extract through the muslin fabric several times.
Pour your new vanilla extract concoction into a clean dark glass bottle and Voila! You’ve made yourself a homemade vanilla extract for your diffuser.
You can also make vanilla extract sprays. This is for people who are worried about messing up their diffuser.
5 Vanilla Essential Oils In Place Of Vanilla Extract
If you aren’t a skilled scientist when it comes to mixing vanilla extract into carrier oils, no worries! We’ve put together a shortlist of alternative vanilla essential oils that you can add to your diffuser today.
1. Gya Labs Vanilla Oleoresin Essential Oil
Gya Labs Vanilla Oil has been reviewed 62,472 times and still ranks a 4.7 out of 5-star, rating. One customer’s review mentioned how she was surprised with the original woodsy smell but now she just loves it!
Their vanilla essential oil smells sweet and creamy. The seller compares the smell to vanilla ice cream. Yummy!
2. BuriBuri Vanilla Pure Essential Oil
BuriBuri Vanilla Oil is labeled as 100% pure essential oil. We all know the truth though (vanilla oil is an absolute mixed with a solvent).
This vanilla oil isn’t reviewed nearly as many times as Gya Labs vanilla essential oil, but it still holds 87% of its reviews in the 5-star category. BuriBuri really harps on the fact their vanilla essential oil is multi-usage.
3. Edens Garden Vanilla Oleoresin Essential Oil
Edens Garden accurately labels their vanilla essential oil as 100% vanilla absolute. This brand is recognizable to essential oil users and is considered a leader in the essential oil industry.
Their vanilla oil is rated 4.4 out of 5. One person’s review appreciated the true vanilla smell and not the alcohol vanilla smell that some other brands give off.
4. Good Essential Vanilla Premium Fragrance Oil
Compared to the previous 3 essential oils listed, Good Essential’s Vanilla Oil is a fragrance oil and not pure essential oil.
Good Essential’s vanilla oil has been reviewed 18,260 times and still holds 4.3 out of 5 stars. This brand also shares several ways you can use this fragrance oil.
5. Eternal Essence Vanilla Premium Fragrance Oil
Eternal essence vanilla oil is another great option as a fragrance oil. Their premium-grade fragrance oil can be added to just about everything (Just kidding!).
You have options when it comes to mixing your vanilla fragrance oil though. Eternal essence uses vanilla orchids over vanilla pods to make their vanilla oil smell rich and creamy.
In Conclusion
Wow! We went over a lot of stuff in this article, didn’t we?!
You learned the difference between vanilla extract and vanilla essential oil. You also learned about the wonderful health and therapeutic benefits that come from using vanilla.
You have the ingredients and directions now to make vanilla extract at home. We’ve also given you 5 great alternatives for our non-scientist essential oil users.
But the most important question we answered was, can you put vanilla extract in a diffuser? In the end, the answer is yes, but there are stipulations if you do plan to add vanilla extract to your diffuser.
Always make sure to properly dilute your vanilla extract, whether you buy it from the store or make it at home. Choose the best option for you and remember, go have some fun with it!
I currently work as a medical receptionist, but my ultimate goal is to work as an occupational therapy assistant. Helping others achieve a better quality of life is something I’m after. That’s one of the main reasons I started this blog. Learn more about me.