I understand what your saying and I know I was a respiratory therapist for 10yrs before getting whipples disease. Obviously there are some benefits because it's considered aromatherapy so it has to do something when even just smelling it I just don't know how far that goes. I guess a diffuser would be the way for that to do anything breathing it in through the air I imagine. What do you think your doing when your breathing it in through the hot water vapor it goes through your mouth and nose. Same principle.