What To Do If You Put Too Much Essential Oil In Your Diffuser.

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If you’ve ever put too much essential oil in your diffuser, you know that it can be a pretty unpleasant experience. Not only does the smell become incredibly strong, but it can also be quite dangerous. In this blog post, we will discuss what to do if you put too much essential oil in your diffuser and how to fix the problem!

A photo of a man suffering from the effect of too much oil ina diffuser
If you put too much oil in your diffuser it could cause nausea and headaches or even worse.

The reasons why it is bad to put too much oil in your diffuser.

Putting too much essential oil into your electric diffuser is bad because:

  • The diffuser can overheat and potentially break
  • The essential oils can start to degrade, which means they’ll lose their therapeutic benefits
  • The strong smell can be overwhelming and even cause headaches or even feelings of nausea.
  • Too much oil in the diffuser can actually be dangerous, especially if you have pets or small children who could come into contact with it.

Why is too much essential oil dangerous to children and pets?

If large amounts of diffused essential oils are inhaled by children or pets, they could experience serious respiratory issues. Inhaling diffused essential oils can also irritate the eyes and skin. If your child or pet gets essential oils on their skin, it could cause irritation or burns.

All of this depends on the type of essential oil that is diffused and the amount that is released, however it doe give you food for thought and that is why it is important to use the correct amount of essential oil in your diffuser.

As an example check out these essential oils below that are harmful to pets:

How much essential oil should you put in your diffuser?

The general rule is to use about 1-3 drops of essential oil per 100 ml of water in your diffuser. This will give you a nice, strong smell without being overwhelming. If you want a weaker scent, you can use less oil.

I have actually written a detailed guide on how much essential oil you should use in a diffuser that you may find very helpful, have a read.

What to do if you put too much essential oil in your diffuser.

If you find that you have accidentally put too much essential oil in your diffuser or are just finding the scent to be over-powering try not to worry and just follow these simple steps.

  • Switch off your diffuser immediately.
  • Do not inhale the essential oils directly, they will be very strong and could even make you feel nauseous.
  • If possible, open a window or door to help ventilate the room.
  • Empty the diffuser reservoir into a jar, You can then water this down to the correct level to be diffused so that you are not wasting your oils.
  • Clean the diffuser by running a quick cycle with white vinegar (You can read my diffuser cleaning guide here if you want).
  • Once this is done you should be ready to go again and use the correct amount of essential oils in the water.

What to do if diffusing essential oils makes you feel nauseous.

If you start to feel nauseous after diffusing essential oils it is best to stop diffusing the oils immediately and open a window or door for ventilation. Try drinking some water and if possible get out into the fresh air. The feeling will pass but in the meantime try to sit down and relax and get some nice deep breaths of fresh air.

Diffusing essential oils can make you feel nauseous if you are using too much oil or if the oil that you are diffusing does not work with you. I have found that some oils I diffuse can make me feel nauseous and some can give me a headache, in time I have learned which ones are right for me.

If you would like to learn more about this subject have a read of my guide about essential oils causing nausea.

The symptoms of essential oil overdose.

If you think you have put too much essential oil in your diffuser and you start to feel some of the below symptoms you need to stop using your diffuser immediately and follow the cleaning guide above. For some of the more severe reactions turn your diffuser off immediately and consult a doctor or medical practitioner:

  • Dizziness
  • Headache
  • Nausea/Vomiting
  • Rapid breathing
  • Rash
  • Swelling of the tongue or throat

Final thoughts

I hope you have found this post helpful and informative.

Try not to worry too much, we have all added too much oil to our differs at one time or another.

Remember using the correct amount of essential oil in your diffuser is important. Not only for the amount of scent released but also for your health.

If you are ever unsure or need more information on a specific subject please do not hesitate to contact me using the contact form or by leaving a comment below and I will get back to you as soon as possible.

Happy diffusing!

Andrew Scents and Aroma
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