Woman Suffers Severe Burns Because Of Essential Oil Diffuser

There was a time that oil diffusers adorned almost every home in our attempt to relieve ourselves from stress.

24-year-old Emily Smith shared her terrifying experience with an oil diffuser warning others to be careful when using them. Smith was diffusing a blend of undiluted patchoili oil and other oils in her home in London to alleviate stress.

Emily Smith, 24, suffered chemical burns because of her oil diffuser.

She felt her skin sting and hot. She ran her face under the tap for 10 minutes and soaked her face for another 20 minutes. She called 111 (UK’s equivalent for 911) and described her condition and said that she got a first-degree burn and does not need to go to the emergency room.

However, she felt her condition worsened her face was swollen, her eyes were blurred and watering, and her skin was producing puss, so she went to the emergency room. After 12 hours she was diagnosed with a chemical burn.

Emily Smith warned others of diffusing oils at home.

Emily Smith said,

“In the process of turning the appliance off, some of the vapor from the diffuser must have sprayed onto my face. But I didn’t think anything of this. I discovered the real danger of these essential oils, and realized that when the diffuser had sprayed onto me, essential oils had soaked onto my face and eyes and remained there. When exposed to the fire, these had a chemical reaction and ‘ignited.’ Had I realized this earlier, I might have been given priority at the hospital, and treated faster.”

According to Joshua Zeichner, M.D., director of cosmetic and clinical research in dermatology at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York, essential oils can definitely cause chemical burns. It is important to contact a physician when your skin comes in contact with oils and you start experiencing a reaction as chemical burns can be quite serious.