Essential oils are an easy way to infuse more natural aromas into your everyday life. These devices are small and portable, so you can take them with you anywhere you go. This post will offer an in-depth look at aromatherapy inhalers, which includes how to properly use them, as well as a great selection of essential oils for you to breathe in. You’ll also discover two of my favorite recipes!
What is an Essential Oil Nasal Inhaler?
An essential oil nasal inhaler is a small tube that has a cotton wick inside that is soaked with 12-15 drops of essential oils. It is a quick, efficient, and non-messy delivery system of essential oils into your respiratory and nervous system. Nasal Inhalers are inexpensive, a super easy DIY project and have a ton of therapeutic applications! You simply place the inhaler in your nostril and inhale the essential oil molecules, giving fast relief to such problems as congestion, headache, anxiety, and stress.
These small inhalers can be carried in your pocket, backpack, or purse and whipped out for a quick sniff. These are one of my favorite tools to keep in my aromatherapy arsenal.
Nasal inhalers can be found in a variety of fun colors giving you a creative way to match the color of the inhaler with the purpose of the blend, like blue for calming or yellow for uplifting your mood.
How to Make an Essential Oil Nasal Inhaler
What you will need:
- A small bowl (I love using colorful ramekins like these, especially when teaching)
- Blank nasal inhaler (has four parts)
- *Cotton Wick (will come with the inhaler)
- Essential Oils (one cotton wick will have approx 15-18 drops of essential oil, just enough to saturate the wick)
*NOTE: Cotton is a crop that can be heavily sprayed with pesticides. If you would prefer not to use the cotton wick that comes with your inhaler tube, I suggest you buy certified organic cotton pads and cut them to fit inside the inhaler.
There is no limit to the kinds of inhaler blends you can create!
Here is a recipe that I’ve had a lot of success with for seasonal allergies:
Seasonal Allergy Relief Inhaler
- 8 drops Laurel Leaf Essential Oil – Laurus nobilis
- 3 drops German Chamomile Essential Oil – Matricaria chamomila
- 3 drops Peppermint Essential Oil – Mentha x piperia
- 2 drops Lemon Essential Oil – Citrus limon
And this is the blend I’ll be sniffing on the plane with me to keep my immunity boosted while breathing recycled air:
Healthy Travel Immunity Boost Inhaler
- 10 drops Spike Lavender Essential Oil – Lavendula latifolia
- 5 drops Orange Essential Oil – Citrus sinensis
- 2 drops Eucalyptus Essential Oil – Eucalyptus globulus
Check out these cute inhalers with labels!
Where to Buy Essential Oils?
Suggested Essential Oil Suppliers – with GC/MS reports
Suggested Essential Oil Suppliers – without GC/MS reports
Want to learn more about essential oils? Check out these resources!
Listen: Popular Podcast Episodes
- Ten Essential Oils to Get you Started with Aromatherapy
- Blending Guidelines for Making Safe and Effective Aromatherapy Products
- Essential Oil Sensitization: Are You at Risk?
Read: Popular Articles from the Blog
- Checklist of Tools for a Basic Aromatherapy Kit
- Are Your Essential Oils GC/MS Tested?
- How to Make Essential Oil Roll-ons Tutorial plus 1 Printable Recipe
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Updated on April 29, 2025. This blog post may contain affiliate links which means I may receive a small commission if you make a purchase using them. The commission is paid by the retailer at no extra cost to you.
Hello,
Do you know where I can get organic cotton wicks for inhalers? I live in Canada and have had absolutely no luck wrt finding a supplier of organic cotton inhaler wicks.
Pls let me know where I could get some please?
thank you
Evelyn
Hi Evelyn, you ask a great question. To date I haven’t found a supplier of organic cotton wicks. As soon as I do, I will announce it in an email to my subscribers. If you want to subscribe, just go to AromaticWisdomInstitute.com/newsletter. One thing you could do, Evelyn, is to improvise with just plain organic cotton balls or pads and add the essential oils to those and stuff them into the nasal inhaler. You’ll probably have to cut them down to size. I hope this helps! Liz
I found organic inhaler wicks at aromatics.com