Are Pillow Sprays Safe? (Yes, But Not 100 Percent)

By / Tips & Bits

There sure are tons of pillow sprays (or pillow mists) to choose from these days. But are they truly safe to use? Will it cause some “funky bad reactions” when used on a daily basis?

Non-toxic pillow sprays made from natural ingredients are generally safe for use, even in the long term. But upon direct contact with the pillow spray, people who are sensitive to certain essential oils or ingredients may still suffer from allergic reactions.

Yes, this is not the type of article that goes “it’s safe, now buy all my recommended pillow sprays”. If you are still concerned, let us address the issues further and cover a few more points – Read on!

 

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Stuff To Look Out Recommendations & Alternatives The End

 

STUFF TO LOOK OUT FOR

Are you new to the world of “pillow spray” and “essential oils”? Here are a couple of things to take note of and look out for.

 

SAY NO TO THE CHEMICAL SPRAYS

When it comes to pillow sprays and essential oils, I will generalize them into a few “common types”:

  • Man-made chemicals, no natural ingredients. Quick example, “apple-flavored spray”. Yes, flavored, not natural.
  • Mixture. Contains a certain percentage of pure essential oil, but the rest is chemical.
  • Natural. All-natural essential oils and ingredients, but may not be the best (may still contain very small traces of pesticide, fertilizer, and chemicals).
  • Organic. The “true all-natural”, but usually expensive too.

The “chemical ones” are pretty easy to spot, some of them outright hide the ingredients list purposely. Or commonly, there is additional alcohol just like perfumes – Things like “ethanol” and “glycol”. As to why chemical sprays are bad, just do a quick search for “perfume poisoning”, and even “perfume asthma”.

While “chemical pillow sprays” and perfumes are generally safe, they are along the lines of “irritants” for the folks who are sensitive. Definitely not recommended to smell and touch them for an entire night.

 

“NATURAL” PILLOW SPRAYS MAY STILL BE HARMFUL

This may sound weird from someone who supports natural ingredients, but the “pillow sprays made with pure essential oils” are not exactly 100% safe either.

  • Small traces of pesticides and fertilizers can exist in essential oils, depending on how the plants are being grown. The bad side effects will not be immediately visible, but they may cause some health issues in long-term usage.
  • Even for the “organic” ones, “natural insecticides” may still be used for pest control.
  • People who are allergic to certain essential oils will not handle the pillow spray well.

Don’t get me wrong though, natural ingredients are a lot safer than chemical ones. It’s just that people with certain allergies do exist.

 

 

DO A “SAMPLE TEST” FIRST

So if you really want to be safe, the smart way is not to spray it all over the bed and pillows. Do a small test on a corner of the bed for one night first, and see if it triggers any bad reactions; If it does, cleaning one corner is a lot more manageable than the entire bed.

 

RECOMMENDATIONS & ALTERNATIVES

Whether you decide to adopt pillow sprays or ditch that idea, here are a couple more considerations that may help.

 

WASH YOUR PILLOWS OFTEN IF YOU USE SPRAYS

Some pillow sprays may tout themselves to be “non-staining”, but that doesn’t mean they disappear into thin air overnight. Traces will still build upon the bed/pillow over time. So if you use pillow sprays on a daily basis, it is best to also step up on the cleaning – Change the pillowcase and wash the pillow more often.

 

 

DIY YOUR OWN PILLOW SPRAY

Off the shelf pillow sprays can claim anything they want – Non-toxic, harmless, natural, organic, etc… But there are no ways to verify these claims, unless the spray is sent to a science lab for some crazy content analysis.

The next best way to know what is exactly inside a pillow spray is to make one yourself. Yes, they are not that difficult to make. The easiest way is to just mix Witch Hazel and Lavender essential oil. Just do a “DIY pillow spray” search on the Internet, and there are tons of recipes.

 

PILLOW SPRAY ALTERNATIVES

If “good smell” is all you need, then consider aromatherapy instead of pillow sprays. That is, diffusing essential oils into the air and not directly spraying on the pillow. Spare yourself of the trouble of washing the pillow. There are many ways aromatherapy can be practiced:

  • The traditional aromatherapy burner with a candle.
  • Scented candles.
  • Humidifiers with soluble essential oils.
  • Aroma diffusers with reed sticks.
  • Or the plain old “put a few drops of essential oil on a wooden block”.

Personally, I will go with humidifiers on a timer. That is the safer option than burning candles overnight.

 

 

THE END

Thank you for reading, and we have come to the end of this short guide. I hope it has helped to answer your doubts. Good luck and have better nights of sleep!

 

LINKS & REFERENCES