Diffusing essential oils have become a very popular. It is a very quick and effective way to use essential oils for their benefits. You can now find diffusers in the grocery shop as well as your local hardware shop. It is worth it to just look into what is the difference between certain diffusers and which would suit your needs better. By getting an understanding of the different diffusers out there you can decide which essential oil diffuser you should use.
What is diffusing essential oils?
Diffusing essential oils is basically dispersing the essential oils so that the aroma gets released in the room or area where you have the diffuser.
Different diffusers
1. Ultrasonic essential oil diffusers
These diffusers uses water and ultrasonic waves in order to diffuse the essential oils. This is probably the most popular type of diffusers and they can be really decorative as well as practical. Often they come with a light setting. I have one that has different calming sounds as well as light settings which makes it a very useful diffuser to use before bedtime. One thing to note though is that it can humidify your area as well because it uses water. If you are living in an already humid environment, it might not be wise to add more moisture to your room.
2. Atomizing essential oil diffusers
These diffusers are better known as nebulizers. They are much more expensive to use and to buy. You do not dilute your oil with this type of diffuser so you would use more oil. The nebulizer breaks the essential oil into very tiny molecules that can be inhaled much easier and therefore this type of diffuser would be better for aromatherapy purposes.
The viscosity of the essential oils need to be taken into account. Certain thick and heavy oils like sandalwood would not be a good choice. It is also much more cumbersome to clean this type of diffuser. They can be a lot noisier depending on the size of your nebulizer.
3. Electronic heat essential oil diffusers
This electronic device uses heat to heat up the oil and to diffuse that into the room. The heat might slightly change the molecular structure of the oil though. These diffusers are good if you have a larger area that you would like to be filled with the aroma of the essential oil. Sometimes the oil can get stuck on the surface of this device especially oils with a thicker viscosity. You can use alcohol to remove the residue.
4. Candle diffusers
These diffusers use the heat from a tealight candle most of the time, but you can use a larger candle as well, to heat up the oil and diffusing that into the room. Most of the time these diffusers are made of ceramic. They can be very decorative and fill your room with more ambiance. You will have to be mindful of using the candle and not leave it unattended. Candle diffusers are great if you don’t have or want to use electricity.
5. Fan style essential oil diffusers
This type of diffuser is also called an evaporative essential oil diffuser. These devices basically works on the premise of blowing wind over the essential oil and diffusing the oil into the room. They come in different shapes and sizes and some have a tray or a filter that you drop the essential oil onto. Sometimes they are portable and some are battery operated. The con of these type of diffusers is that you will get the oil, if you use more than one, in segments. What I mean is the lighter oils will be dispersed first and then the heavier oils will be dispersed later.
Diffuser safety tips
1. Diffuse in a well ventilated space
2. When using a diffuser with pets in the room, make sure that they can leave the room.
3. Make sure you don’t use oils that can be toxic for dogs around your pet.
4. Essential oils are concentrated therefor don’t diffuse for hours on end. It is better to diffuse intermittently. For instance 60 min on and then 60 off.
5. Follow manufacturers instructions for your diffuser and don’t exceed the amount of essential oils recommended for your diffuser.
6. Don’t use too high concentration of essential oils in your device. Less is more. It is the synergy between different essential oils that is more important than the amount of drops that you put in of each type of oil.
7. Get your diffuser from a trusted source. I personally prefer the diffusers from iHerb and Planttherapy.
Take care of you, so that you can take care of those you love
Elize
