The Benefits of using an Oil Warming Diffuser

How to use an Oil & Tart Warming Diffuser

By Penny Keay

There are many types and methods of diffusing essential oils depending on your reason for diffusing.

Most people understand the use of fan diffusers or personal space diffusers such as terra cotta disc and jewelry.

However, many people don’t know how convenient and longer lasting the use of an oil or tart warming appliance can be when you have a busy life style.

Simplicity is the word I use to describe using an essential oil warming device.

Since there are many styles of oil and tart warmers, I’ll list a few later on and explain some of the practical applications for each type.

First let’s talk about the benefits

The benefits include –

Diffusing at low amounts for extended periods of time. Diffusing essential oils at low amounts can help your emotional and physical well-being without the risk of over dosing. The essential oils can help freshen the air, clean the room of airborne germs, viruses and fungal spores.

The Wax tarts are the ‘carrier’ for the essential oils you will be using. The use of wax tarts mixed with your essential oils slows down the evaporation rate and allows for slow and steady diffusing.

Low maintenance – wax tarts last for months and only need to be replaced if you change the oils being diffused (that is, if you want to change it). To change the wax, let it completely cool, then use the handle of a wooden spoon to gently push the solid wax out of the bowl. You can cool the bowl further by placing it in the refrigerator for 30 minutes, this will help the wax pop out more easily.

Special NOTE: the wax tarts described for use with the Oil and Tart warmers we sell, are the ones we make here that are based using low temperature melting soy wax with a bit of beeswax (so they can travel in warm temps during shipping). We don’t know about other types of tarts as they may not be made from wax at all.

You do have to add more essential oils to the wax but not as often as you do as when you use a fan diffuser.

Another great thing about Oil & Tart warmers is when you are trying a new recipe, you can simply add the essential oils to the melted wax. You don't even need to stir them in. The gentle heat will mix the oils together and start diffusing them. You can stir them if you like using a small wooden stick or a glass stirring rod.

You can add more oils easily and quickly. Since a wax tart warmers use an open bowl design, you simply add more drops to the surface of the wax.

Once the wax is melted, you can stir the essential oils into the wax to help slow down the rate of diffusing. Although it is not necessary, if you don’t want to stir the oils, most of them will slowly mix with the melted wax.

Continued diffusing once the heating is turned off or the tea light candle is finished burning. While the wax solidifies during the cooling process the essential oils will continue to scent the area.

Depending on the temperature of the room, it may take several hours for the wax to harden.

Even once hardened the essential oils present on the surface of the wax will continue to diffuse until they are all dissipated into the room. Depending on the essential oils used it may scent some of the base note essential oils for weeks.

Oil and Tart warmers are completely silent. If you want quiet, then this is the way to go for diffusing.

However, electric oil and tart warmers should be turned off while sleeping. Never use a tea light candle diffuser while sleeping.

Some of the ways you might use a melted wax diffuser

When treating a home for viruses, fungi or bacteria. Not limited to molds and mildews, you can also diffuse oils that will effectively kill viruses and bacteria that can cause influenza, colds, bronchitis and various upper respiratory ailments,

Entertaining for an evening or party – indoors OR outdoors

When dealing with various emotional issues including but not limited to depression, SAD, PTSD, grief, loss, Alzheimer’s, ADHD, ADD, Autism,

Simply for the pure enjoyment of diffusing your favorite essential oils scents. Actually, the ways are endless.

FAQ - Won’t the oils be ruined by the ‘heat’ produced?

Short answer: No

First, you need to remember that essential oils are Steam distilled. That means they have been exposed to heat over 212 degrees already. So, the gentle warming the Tart Warmers produce is not going to change the properties of the essential oils. The majority of electric Tart warmers heat the wax to about 125 to 140 degrees depending on the style of warmer used.

Tea light diffusers can heat the wax a bit warmer but again, never above the temperatures used to obtain the essential oils in the first place during the extraction process.

What does ruin the oils? Improperly storing them in the bottles.

Don’t leave the caps off, don’t expose to un-needed heat source during storage.

The main reason for these two statements is not the heat but the fact that Oxygen in the bottle whether capped or not capped and adding a heat (as in the sunlight) will OXIDIZE the essential oils much faster.

This will damage and change the chemical constituents over time. Some essential oils are more susceptible to this oxidation process such as the Citrus (orange, lemon, grapefruit etc) and Needle oils (pine, spruce, fir).

When not in use, store your bottles of EO’s tightly capped and in a cool, dark cupboard or in the refrigerator. Use a Storage box to keep them all in one place.

Tart and oil warmers are very safe to use when used properly and common sense is applied.

Risks or Dangers of using tart warming devices.

Spilled wax – can make a mess that can be hard to clean. If it does spill, let it cool and the wax typically will ‘pop’ off the surface. If spilled on clothing, normal laundering will wash out the wax.

Simply do not move the diffuser until the wax has cooled and hardened.

The warm wax can cause reddening of the skin should it be spilled on your skin. Keep the warmer out of the reach of children and pets.

For the most part the electric tart warmers heat the wax just until melted or approximately 125-130 degrees.

These temperatures are still hot enough to cause mild burns should the wax touch the skin.

Caution should be taken when there are pets with ‘long tails or hair’ are in the home. Wagging tails can knock the bowls off the warmer or spill the melted wax. Simply use the device on a counter top or shelving out of the reach of tails, mouths and paws, since this is the best advice to avoid these types of mishaps.

Tea light type Tart warmers – these pose more of a risk due to the fact there is a flame from a small candle. Remember – fire is fire even if the candle flame is small.

Make sure you keep these types of diffusers away from flammable materials, away from pets and certainly away from small children.

Some more helpful information about oil and tart warming diffusers.

There are several styles of diffuser that can be used.

They come in small, medium and large size bowls. Some heat by electricity, some by tea light candles and some use a light bulb.

The ambience of a lighting style diffuser can turn an evening into a calming, relaxing environment to help you to wind down after a hectic day. A time where you can reflect or meditate at leisure and reap the benefits of the oils being diffused.

Several of the lighting style tart warmers have variable lighting (dimmers) and heating capabilities. This makes them handy to use in a bathroom as a night light yet, provides gentle diffusing of odor fighting essential oils.

Depending on the size of the room you can often times find the appropriate size tart warmer for your liking.

Don’t forget you can use a timer with an electric tart warmer. Set the time to turn on about 30 minutes before you arrive home from work. Be welcomed by the scents you enjoy as you walk through the door.

Or, If you work in a busy office, you may be able to use a tart warmer too. Simply putting them on a timer with 2 hours on and 2 hours off may provide the best solution for your office to keep personnel happy and healthy.

Don’t underestimate the smaller units as they can diffuse essential oils very efficiently too.

The larger bowl capacity diffusers come in handy when you have a large home, are entertaining or have a situation you are dealing with an infective agent as in a ‘sick house’ for mold remediation.

How about when you are entertaining outdoors? Electric Tart warmers with bowls are more effective at diffusing insect repelling essential oils than those ‘tiki’ lights or pots. There is no risk of flames causing a fire and you have slow steady diffusing of essential oils in the air for hours.

There are so many wonderful applications for using an Oil and Tart Warmer. I’ve only touched on a few, I’m sure you can find more ways to use these beneficial essential oil diffusers.

Most of these diffusers will last for years. We have one of the larger ones we have used for nearly 15 years. We have changed the wax a few times but for the most part, it is our standby diffuser when we need to clean, disinfect the air and are entertaining.

When ‘flu’ season is here (like this time of the year), the use of our Tart Warming Diffuser is constant. We just add several drops every day or so to give the boost we need to keep essential oils working in our home and office 24 hours a day.

Every home should have at least one oil and tart warmer along with other methods of diffusing. The versatility of oil and tart warmers make them an indispensable diffusing method.

If you notice, we have more Oil and Tart warming devices than any other type of diffuser for as these can be some of the best diffusers for use in any home or office. See the links above for diffusers to see all the Oil & Tart Warmers, Lighting Style Tart warmers and last but not least all our Tea Light Diffusers.

The information provided in this Website article is for informational and educational purposes only.
You should not use this information to replace medical advice given by a licensed medical practitioner. Anyone considering alternative therapies should remember to consult with their licensed medical professional before using any alternative or complementary method. We do not give nor is any opinion on our web site medical advice, they are merely suggested uses.

Therapeutic Quality Oils