To Humidify or Not to Humidify?

To humidify or not to humidify is the question! And it’s a question I have asked myself a lot over the winter.

This year brought the greenest, mildest Christmas I’ve ever seen in Western Canada. A glance on Google at weather trends in the continental United States over the past few months tells me that most of you likely experienced something similar.

While I realize how devastating the climate change and El-Niño-caused mildness will be in the coming months for my region and many others, I must say part of me was excited to experience a mild winter.

How has winter treated my eczema before?

Winter has traditionally been the most taxing season for my skin, specifically my atopic dermatitis. The dry, cold air where I live causes flare-ups that I find more uncomfortable than the sweat and heat-induced summer flare-ups. However, my skin didn’t get the memo about the mild winter because it cracked and peeled like it was -50 degrees Celsius outside with gale-force winds despite the temperature rarely dropping below zero.

The usual products I use to combat bad flare-ups were working, but it seemed that they didn’t last as long anymore. Given my sinuses and house plants were also struggling with the dryness I felt that a humidifier might be the perfect solution; three birds with one stone and all that.

What did I learn in my research on humidifiers?

The Winter 2024 edition of the National Eczema Association's magazine recommends getting a humidifier in their article “6 Tips to Manage Eczema in the Winter.” So I figured if they endorse getting one, it’s probably a safe bet. However, I realized two things. First, I didn’t know squat about humidifiers and second, because of that, I needed to do some research before jumping into buying one.

So, I took to the internet to analyze consumer reports, product reviews, and a handful of peer-reviewed research articles on the subject. While pouring through all that information on humidifiers, I came across information that spurned a realization which ended up being beneficial for both my wallet and my skin.

While on a humidifier internet rabbit hole, I stumbled across an article from a manufacturer's blog that explained the difference between humidifiers and diffusers.

What's the difference between a humidifier and diffuser?

To summarize the article, the main difference between the two is the tank size and the output amount. A diffuser traditionally holds a small amount of water but it functions in the same way as a humidifier, just on a smaller scale. This makes it ineffective for humidifying purposes but good for dispersing scent around an enclosed space.¹

When I learned this, it dawned on me that I have had a perfectly effective humidifier all along. In my defense, when it was given to me I was told it was a diffuser and didn’t know the two were fundamentally the same thing. However, looking back it seems fairly obvious given my “diffuser” has a comparable tank and output to some of the larger humidifiers available for purchase. It is truly a beast - but a super cute one with a nice wood grain pattern.

Has it worked for my skin?

Ever since I realized I already had a humidifier I have been using it non-stop and I think it has made a bit of a difference, even if just with the overall moisture level of my skin. My flare-ups are still happening but they seem a bit more tolerable. My tropical plants are happier.

So, in conclusion, when asking to humidify or not to humidify my answer would have to be a resoundingly positive “to humidify!”