BOO is a very simple therapy to do and I think it's worth trying. The idea is that you bubble ozone through olive oil and inhale the vapor that comes off the surface. The oil acts as a medium where the ozone reacts chemically, and if you're doing it right, what you breathe should be ozonides, not raw ozone.

I've done it several times. I can't say I've felt a particular benefit from it personally, but I also wouldn't call that a negative experience, it's just not a therapy I'm deeply familiar with. It's one of those things that might work better for specific respiratory conditions than for general use.

How It Works, The Chemistry

When ozone gas passes through olive oil, several things happen at the molecular level:

  • Ozone reacts with the unsaturated fatty acids in the oil, particularly oleic acid, forming triozonides. These are stable compounds that retain some of ozone's properties without being as irritating as raw ozone.

  • Some ozone dissolves directly into the oil.

  • Some decomposes into oxygen and other byproducts.

  • Some passes through unreacted.

The vapor you breathe is a mixture of, ozonide vapors, and olive oil mist. Studies suggest that olive oil can absorb approximately 160 mg of ozone per gram of oil, but not all of it reacts. This is why the technique matters.

The Balance Is Everything

Here's the key thing I tell people about BOO: you need to find the right balance between the flow of ozone and the amount of oil. When the balance is correct, the ozone reacts with the oil and what comes out are ozonides, you should NOT smell any ozone. If you're smelling ozone, one of two things is wrong: either your flow is too strong, or you don't have enough oil.

That's the test. No ozone smell = the oil is doing its job as a buffer. Ozone smell = adjust your setup.

What BOO Is Used For

Practitioners who use BOO typically recommend it for respiratory conditions:

  • Sinusitis, clearing sinus congestion

  • Bronchitis, reducing inflammation in the bronchial passages

  • Asthma, though this one requires extra caution

  • General respiratory support

The theory is that ozonides have antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory effects in the respiratory tract, and that some absorption happens through the lungs into systemic circulation.

I want to be honest: the clinical evidence for BOO specifically is limited. There are case reports and practitioner testimonials, but not the kind of rigorous clinical trials that exist for other ozone therapies. Dr. George Georgiou, who developed this method at the Da Vinci Holistic Health Center in Cyprus, has published work on it, but the peer-reviewed evidence base is thin.

Equipment

Simple setup:

  1. A good ozone generator. The brands I recommend are Simply O3 and Promolife, good customer service, solid support, decent price. Longevity also makes good generators though they're more expensive. Buy from a recognized brand.

  2. Extra virgin olive oil. About 100-250 ml in a glass container.

  3. A glass container. To hold the oil. Use glass for the container. Silicone also works. Not all plastics are the same, some are perfectly safe with ozone.

  4. Ozone-compatible tubing. From the generator to the container, and from the container to your mouth.

  5. A straw or tube. Diameter around 10mm, placed near the oil surface for inhalation. You're breathing the vapor above the oil, not drinking it.

  6. An oxygen source. Tank or concentrator.

Six items. Nothing complicated.

The Procedure

Setup

  1. Pour olive oil into the glass container, enough to give the ozone time to react as it bubbles through. Not too little, not too much.

  2. Connect your ozone generator to the oxygen source.

  3. Run tubing from the generator into the oil (the ozone will bubble through it).

  4. Place your breathing straw or tube near the surface of the oil, not submerged.

Doing It

  1. Set your generator to a LOW concentration. This is a respiratory therapy, you want ozonides, not raw ozone hitting your lungs.

  2. Turn on the gas and let it bubble through the oil.

  3. Breathe normally through the straw near the oil surface.

  4. Check for ozone smell. If you smell ozone, your flow is too high or your oil volume is too low. Adjust.

  5. Sessions typically last 10-20 minutes.

  6. Frequency: once daily or every other day.

Settings

| Parameter | Recommendation |

|------|--------|

| Concentration | Low, start conservative |

| Duration | 10-20 minutes per session |

| Frequency | Daily or every other day |

| Oil | Extra virgin olive oil, 100-250 ml |

Safety

This is where we need to be careful.

Ozone inhalation is toxic. OSHA limits ozone exposure to 0.1 ppm for an 8-hour workday. Inhaling pure ozone directly will damage your respiratory mucosa, this is not a matter of opinion, it's established toxicology.

The purpose of the olive oil is to act as a buffer, converting some of the ozone into less irritating ozonides before you breathe it. But some unreacted ozone does pass through. This is why:

  • Keep concentrations LOW

  • Monitor for any throat irritation or discomfort

  • Stop immediately if you feel burning, coughing, or wheezing

  • Ensure good ventilation in the room

  • People with asthma or COPD should be especially careful or avoid this entirely

Long-term exposure to even low levels of ozone has been associated with respiratory issues. Respect this therapy.

BOO vs Nebulized Glycerin, A Thought

With the resurgence of interest in ozonated glycerin, I've been thinking about whether nebulizing a glycerin dilution might accomplish something similar to BOO, getting ozonated compounds into the respiratory tract, but potentially in a more controlled way.

That said, I'm not an expert on this specific comparison. If you're choosing between BOO and nebulized glycerin for respiratory purposes, I'd recommend consulting with someone who has deep experience with both. It's not a question I can answer definitively.

The Bottom Line

BOO is one of the simplest ozone therapies to set up and try. The chemistry is straightforward, ozone reacts with olive oil to form ozonides, and you breathe the vapor. The key is getting the balance right between flow and oil volume so that what you're breathing is ozonides, not raw ozone.

The evidence base is limited, mostly practitioner reports and case studies rather than clinical trials. But the low barrier to entry and the relatively gentle nature of the therapy (when done correctly) make it worth considering if you're interested in respiratory support.

Just remember: no ozone smell. If you smell it, adjust your setup.

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