Essential oils

[rdisano]

Hi all,

I had a question about essential oils. I hear time and time again "do not vape essential oils, they are bad" but nobody ever stating exactly why.
I would like someone with a significant knowledge base in this area to chime in.

Please don't use the moot arguement that it leaves residue behind on your coils. I have had 100% artificial bases leave a residue, and natural ones leave none.This is a question about SAFETY.

From what i understand.... An essential oil, a product of a fruit or vegetable, etc... is the carrier for a number of natural aromachemicals which make up the flavour and aroma of the subject in question. From what i understand, most flavour companies when utililzing "natural ingredients" are using nothing more than essential oils extracted and rendered water soluable by alcohol, triacetin or some other viable solvent.
Look at such companies as flavorwest or TFA. Their labels commonly contain the words "natural ingredients" or "artificial ingredients". It is my understanding that if it contains natural ingredients, it contains an oil rendered soluable in PG or VG. Look at flavorwest "orange". I forms a distinct layer at the top. This is an ESSENTIAL OIL!! From a company touted as safe to vape. I'm not picking on any one company, as i believe they all use this technique. The cost of extracting and isolating the various aromachemicals from an essential oil would be cost prohibitive and complicated, which i doubt many companies do. Hence when they simply use the natural oils nature provided.
On a side note.... if vaping essential oils is so bad, then what were the FDA thinking when they allowed the sale of plug in or candle powered essential oil diffusers?? (don't answer this question, i am aware the FDA does not think) So, am i to buy into the fact that it is ok and safe to inhale concentrated essential oils atomized from a diffuser(oils at a MUCH higher concentration BTW), but yet conversely, its dangerous and reckless to inhale essential oils from an ecig?? I don't get this.... this is irony and a huge contradiction.

Im not trying to start an arguement or anything... i legitimately would like to know if i am incorrect in my beliefs, as so many seem to be of this same mind....

 

[Susan~S]

This would be a great question for the DIY forum!

 

[readeuler]

I haven't looked into it, but I've seen the term lipid pneumonia tossed around. Something about our lungs not functioning well with an oil deposit; I don't know (I am going to look it up after this, however - now I'm curious).

I would imagine that directly inhaling oil diffusers would be bad as well (like, sucking on them, whatever they are). Conversely, I doubt you'd be harmed much by being in a room with someone vaping essential oils - but that person probably faces a non-negligible risk of developing some kind of lung issue due to the oil.

I think it's a "better safe than sorry" precaution at this point, but I'm not at all positive whether anyone has done this and faced negative consequences. I just know that posts about using essential oils as a flavoring ingredient end up in the "Not Advised" forum, usually.

EDIT:
There's a good thread on the reddit, found by googling "essential oils lipid pneumonia". My key takeaway is that some essential oils are absolutely not safe to vape (all oils are not created equal), and will negatively affect your lungs. So, if you don't have the chemistry/medical background to discern which oils are a no go, it's in your best interest to avoid them all in DIY situations. That's why the flavor sellers can use them; they have this knowledge.

So, you're not crazy and you've done your homework. But, it's probably best to leave that part of eliquid mixing to the pros. Interesting stuff!

 

[Nermal]

So, you're not crazy and you've done your homework. But, it's probably best to leave that part of eliquid mixing to the pros. Interesting stuff!

I agree. I will not assume the risk that oils might be safe. The pros can do whatever they want.