Can I Use Essential Oils In My Spa?
While many users like to add essential oils to their hot tub to increase the spa-like experience, doing so is not a great idea. Essential oils are touted for their incredible health benefits.
However, given that spa’s are not designed for essential oil use, these oils can be quite harmful if added to the water. For instance, the oil is likely to coat the spa’s filters preventing them from effectively cleaning the water. As a result, the water will become very dirty very quickly, and the filters may need to be replaced entirely.
Additionally, the oils may leave a residue on the lining of the spa and the plumbing of the system. This layer of oil can be extremely difficult to remove and often harbors dirt and bacteria making the spa unfit for use.
Is it Safe to Put Essential Oils in a Hot Tub?
While there is no immediate danger to putting essential oils in a hot tub, long term use could be detrimental.
For example, the oil can cause filter malfunctions and create a lining on the walls of the hot tub. As a result, dirt and bacteria is not efficiently removed from the water, and bacteria has a place to thrive.
Consequently, the water quickly becomes contaminated and may affect anyone who uses the hot tub potentially causing them to become very ill due to the bacteria to which they then become exposed. This means that while using essential oils may not be dangerous while they are in use, they can become dangerous over time.
What Essential Oils are Good for a Spa to Use?
While some essential oils are labeled safe for hot tub use, it is important to ensure that no other oils are being used for aromatherapy in a hot tub as they can pollute the water and may cause damage to the filtration systems.
For example, pure essential oils should never be added directly into a hot tub. Luckily, essential oils deemed safe for hot tub use are deemed as such.
However, to ensure complete compliance with aromatherapy protocols for hot tubs, it is best to purchase approved products directly from a certified hot tub dealer to ensure the safety and longevity of one’s hot tub.
What is the Scent Used in Spas?
Due to its ability to cause relaxation, lavender is the base scent for nearly all spas. To achieve this effect, one can purchase lavender oil or spray for their home.
However, to truly create an authentic spa-like experience, a few more scents should be used to mix and match. Depending on the mood one is hoping to induce, various combinations of essential oils can be used to replicate the scents of a spa.
To begin, in addition to lavender the most common spa scents include:
- Eucalyptus,
- Tea Tree,
- Sandalwood,
- Bergamot, and
- Chamomile.
These smells are all easily dispersed through diffusers and will leave your home smelling like a true spa.
Can you Put Essential Oils Directly into the Bath?
Essential oils should never be poured directly into a bath. These oils are not water-soluble. Therefore, pouring them directly into bath water will result in a film of oils resting on top.
If left sitting like this, the essential oils will cause one’s skin to sting and burn upon contact. Therefore, in order to safely use essential oils in the bath, they should be dispersed using items such as shampoo, shower gel, or bubble bath before they are added to the water.
However, no matter what substance is being used to diffuse the oil, it is important to check that the products will mix and that the oil will disperse throughout.
What do Spas Use to Make it Smell Good?
Spas typically use a combination of essential oils to create feelings of calmness and relaxation in customers. Most often, these oils are dispersed through the air using diffusers.
Furthermore, lavender and eucalyptus are by far the most common scents found in spas and can be used on their own or mixed together. In addition, Tea Tree, Sandalwood, Bergamot, and Chamomile are also commonly found in spas. However, simply adding smells to the air is not always sufficient enough to create a spa-like feeling. Therefore, air purifiers are often used in spas to keep the air quality fresh and remove any unwanted scents such as those from cleaning chemicals or nail polishes.
Can I Put Baby Oil in my Hot Tub?
Baby oil should not be added to a hot tub. Ideally, baby oil should not even be used on one’s skin if they intend to later use a hot tub. Baby oil does not mix with a hot tub’s water.
Therefore, if it is added directly or even just pulled from one’s skin, it will likely sit on top of the water and create a film of oil. This oil can then create a film on the lining of the hot tub.
Or, it is drawn into the hot tub’s jets and filters creating blockages. This can lead to faulty filtration systems and permanent damage to the hot tub.
Can you Put Eucalyptus Oil in the Hot Tub?
Eucalyptus oil should not be placed in a hot tub. Oil does not mix with water, and hot tubs are not designed to manage the addition of any type of oils.
Therefore, adding them to the water can create irreversible damage. For instance, if added to a hot tub, eucalyptus oil may seem beneficial at first.
However, it would remain sitting on top of the water, creating a sort of film. This film would be able to harbor bacteria and is very hard to remove if it becomes attached to the hot tub’s lining.
Furthermore, the oil is likely to be drawn into the hot tub’s jets and filters where it will create clogs that prevent dirt and bacteria from being drawn out of the water. As a result, the hot tub would become very dirty very quickly, and the filters and jets could potentially be damaged.
