Essential oil burners really elevate your mood and senses once the burner releases the essential oil aroma into the room.

And you only need a few drops of essential oils. With the right combination of essential oils, you can give yourself a serotonin or dopamine boost too!

In this essential oil burners mini-guide, I will be covering:-

Benefits of essential oil burners
Best essential oil burners
How to use an essential oil burner – step by step
How to clean an essential oil burner
Best oils for essential oils burners
Best oil blends for an essential oil burner
Differences between essential oil burners and diffusers
Best ways to get the most out of your essential oil burner

I will also be answering FAQs about using essential oil burners at home.

Before you jump into the article, don’t forget to download your freebies – Best Oils for Beautiful & Glowing Skin and Best DIY Massage Oils & Recipes for the Body.

There’s also a how-to card at the end for you to print and have on hand for when you’re ready to start using an essential oil burner.

What is an Essential Oil Burner?

An essential oil burner is a tool used for aromatherapy for relaxing the senses, elevating the mood, and providing an all-around uplifting experience.

An essential oil burner holds a few drops of essential oil and gently evaporates the scent into the room when activated with heat.

If you’re stressed out, an essential oil burner can help you disseminate the stress and calm your inner mind.

Sometimes essential oil burners are also called oil warmers.

7 Benefits of Essential Oil Burners

An essential oil burner doesn’t just improve the smell of a room. It also has numerous benefits for the skin and body.

Essential oil burners purify the air and create a pleasant atmosphere to relax.
Essential oil burners open up the airway and improve breathing.
Essential oil burners stimulate the senses and elevate the mood.
Essential oil burners can boost concentration and help you focus better. This is one of the reasons I love using it in my workspace.
Essential oil burners can enhance your meditation space. You can also use them while practicing yoga.
Essential oil burners boost the immune system. Depending on the essential oils you diffuse, they can eliminate airborne germs and keep things like catarrh and seasonal flu at bay.
An essential burner relaxes tense and sore muscles and relieves the pain. My after-workout body loves a good session every day.

How Does An Essential Oil Burner Work?

Essential oil burners have a groove at the top. Fill up the little bowl at the top of the burner with some water.

Add a few drops of essential oil or an essential oil blend. My favorites are lavender essential oil, jasmine absolute, and rose essential oil.

Place a tea light under the essential oil burner and light up. The water and oil will mix together and allow the aroma to evaporate.

It only takes a few minutes for the aroma to fill up the room. Relax and enjoy.

Do You Put Water in an Essential Oil Burner?

Yes, you will need to fill up the little groove at the top of the burner with some water to activate the oil.

You can use regular water but I like to use distilled water.

How to Clean An Essential Oil Burner

Once the essential oil and water have evaporated, you can refill the bowl with water and essential oil or blow out the candle and wait for the burner to cool down.
After it cools down, wipe the top groove with a damp cloth or napkin and store it away until it’s time to use again.
If it’s still greasy after wiping, dip the damp cloth in a bit of warm soapy water and use the wipe again.
Do not put your essential oil burner in a dishwasher or immerse in liquids. A wipe down is all that’s required.

With good care, it can last for years. I’ve had mine now for over 5 years and it’s still going strong.

Difference Between Essential Oil Burners and Diffusers

Though the names are mixed up sometimes, an essential oil burner and diffuser are two completely different devices.

An essential oil burner requires you to pour a few drops of essential oil into the bowl and activate with a tea light beneath the bowl.

When the tea light activates the essential oil, it evaporates the scent of the volatile oil into the air.

A diffuser on the other hand doesn’t require an open flame and uses electricity to gently heat up water to release the essential oil aroma into the air.

The aroma is released as a steady vapor into the air over 5 – 6 hours depending on the size of the diffuser.

So which is best? It depends on your personal preferences.

I have an essential oil burner and a diffuser. I use them for different rooms and times of the day.

I prefer the essential oil burner during the day in my workspace or in the living room.

At night, I prefer the essential oil diffuser in my bedroom because it burns for longer and sends me right to sleep within an hour.

I used the essential oil diffuser in my workspace once and 30 minutes later, my head was hitting the keyboard. lol.

Another reason I prefer the diffuser at night is because of safety. I can’t fall asleep with an open flame burning.

You won’t have that problem with a diffuser. Once most of the water in the diffuser has evaporated, it automatically shuts off on its own.

Essential Oil Burners Price

The price of an essential oil burner depends on how intricate the design is and how much work went into creating it.

Nevertheless, a good essential oil burner will not break the bank and prices start from as low as $12.

10 Best Essential Oil Burners

1. HwaGui Aromatherapy Essential Oil Burner

HwaGui Aromatherapy Essential Oil Burner has an elegant floral pattern motif allowing light to shine through.

It is made of white glazed ceramic and makes a great decor piece for any room as well. BUY NOW.

2. Nirvana Class Handmade Stone Essential Oil Burner

Nirvana Class Handmade Stone Essential Oil Burner sports a carved opening that allows the light to come through while in use.

The top bowl can also be separated from the rest of the burner. Made out of premium natural soapstone.

It is available in two other designs as well. BUY NOW.

3. Peaceful Buddha Head Essential Oil Burner

Very elegant buddha head essential oil burner made out of ceramic. The top of the buddha is uncovered to reveal the bowl for the water.

Makes for great room decor as well. BUY NOW.

4. Jojuno Ceramic Essential Oil Burner

This essential oil burner is handcrafted from high-quality ceramic and engraved with a pretty motif.

The burner is available in red, blue, and green. BUY NOW.

5. Singeek Ceramic Essential Oil Burner

I love the colored bowl and elegant floral patterns of this essential oil burner. The design casts a beautiful pattern on the wall while burning.

The essential oil burner is available in blue, purple, and green as well. BUY NOW.

6. Tree of Craft Essential Oil Burner

This essential oil burner is handcrafted with soapstone and features an exquisite carving with floral motifs.

The water bowl can also be separated from the rest of the burner. BUY NOW.

7. Ceramic Owl Essential Oil Burner

Handcrafted hollowed-out essential oil burner in an owl design. I bet a bookworm would love this as a gift. BUY NOW.

8. ShiYaCraft Mosaic Essential Oil Burner

This essential oil burner is made from high-quality glass and finished with a mosaic design for a great room ambiance.

It’s available in green, blue and red. BUY NOW.

9. Red Silk Essentials Iron & Copper Essential Oil Burner

The design of this essential oil burner is a bit different from traditional essential burners.

The main part is forged from iron and the water bowl from gleaming hammered copper. Classy and elegant design. BUY NOW.

10. NJCharms Ceramic Essential Oil Burner

Charming essential oil burner with hand-carved holes for spreading soft light and casting lovely patterns on the wall and table.

The essential oil burner is available in 4 different patterns. BUY NOW.

If you want something a bit more handcrafted, check out the collections from independent artisans on Etsy HERE.

Best Oils for Essential Oil Burners

You can create your own blend of essential oils from the suggestions above but some of my favorite mixes include:-

Lavender and geranium essential oil
Lavender and orange essential oil, and jasmine absolute
Lavender, eucalyptus, tea tree, rosemary, peppermint, and frankincense essential oil
Rosemary, peppermint, and lemon essential oil

Best Safety Tips for Using Essential Oil Burners

1. Don’t Leave Essential Oil Burners Alone

Never ever leave an essential oil burner unattended. Even though the heat source is sort of enclosed, it’s still an open flame.

2. Keep Away from Children

Always place an essential oil burner out of the reach of children. Much higher than you believe they can’t reach.

3. Blow Out Essential Oil Burner Candles When Required

You need to pay attention to the essential oil burner so when it runs out of water, you can blow out the candle.

If the candle keeps burning after the water has evaporated, it will leave a stain on your burner. It can also crack the burner.

4. Essential Oil Burners Are Great for Self-care

Engage an essential oil burner for a complete self-care session by including music, meditation, etc.

5. Use Best Tea Lights for Essential Oil Burners

Use natural soy wax tea light candles like these to get the most out of every session. Great for people with sensitive noses and skin.

6. Don’t Obstruct Airflow

When in use, place the essential oil burner in an open clutter-free area with adequate airflow. Obstructing air flow is a potential fire hazard.

If you have any questions about using an essential oil burner, ask in the comments section.

How To Use An Essential Oil Burner

Yield: 1 session

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 5 minutes

Difficulty: Simple

This essential oil burner recipe is simple and very relaxing. It's easy to prepare the burner and expect a lovely aroma to fill up the room within 5 minutes of lighting the candle.

Materials

Tools

Pack of matches

Instructions

Fill the groove at the top of the burner with a little bit of water. Don't overfill.
Add a few drops of your essential oil or an essential oil blend. My favorites are lavender essential oil, jasmine absolute, and rose essential oil.
Place a tea light in the space under the essential oil burner and light it up.
The water and oil will mix together and the heat will allow the aroma to evaporate. Relax and enjoy.

Notes

Feel free to mix and match the essential oils. If you don't like the aroma, just put out the candle, wait for the burner to cool down then pour out the water and start again.
I use distilled water but you can use bottled water or tap water if you don't have distilled water on hand.