Tag Archives: aromatherapy diffusers

Diffusing fragrances: 4 simple household essential oil diffusers

Diffusing essential oils involves dispersing oils into a room or an area so that the aroma of the oils fill the room/area and is sufficient enough to be inhaled by people. Diffusing oils can be therapeutic and aromatic at the same time, thanks to the pleasant scent of oils or blends diffused. Some people tend to think that diffusing oils requires a lot of work, including purchase of expensive diffusers. Not really. There are methods using which you can diffuse oils with diffusers made of household things. If you are not satisfied with the kind of diffusers you use, you can probably try diffusers that are inexpensive and readily available in stores. This article will elaborate on how to use household things or cheap stuff as diffusers and reap the benefit of using a great diffuser from them.


Diffusing essential oils – Methods: There are several methods to disperse essential oils. Below are a few of them:

1. Simple Tissue Diffusion method: This method involves use of nothing but a tissue. You can use the tissue to diffuse oils instantly and get immediate benefit out of it. Take out a tissue and pour 3 to 4 drops of essential oils or essential oil blends on it. You may not be able to get the full aroma when the tissue is close by. But, when you move across the room, you will scent the fragrance of your blend. Though this diffusion is the easiest, simplest and most immediate, it cannot spread the aroma into an entire room. But this method can be used anywhere and is easily transportable.

2. Steam Diffusion method: A very common method. You can diffuse essential oils by using steam. That is, heat water and pour it into a bowl. Add about 10 drops of oil to the hot water. The heat will diffuse the oils and spread the aroma. Use lesser number of drops in case of oils which may cause irritation to your mucous membrane. Some of such oils include Cinnamon, Eucalyptus, Rosemary, Pine, Thyme, Cajuput etc. Relaxing oils diffuse well and make you feel fulfilled and happy. One of the defects of this method is, the aroma does not stay longer. Also, heat can alter the therapeutic effects of oils, unlike in other diffusers.

3. Candle Diffusion method: This is also a common method. You can try this at your home and anywhere you can burn a candle. Light a candle and allow it to burn for a few minutes. Once the candle starts melting, extinguish the light and pour a drop or two of essential oil on to the melted wax (near the wick) of the candle. See to it that your oil does not fall on the wick. Now, light the candle again and enjoy the aroma. The heat of wax and light of the candle will spread the aroma of the oil blend. Though this method is useful, it is not long-lasting and may cause serious danger on account of the high inflammability of essential oils.

4. Clay Pot diffusion method:
This method can be followed if you have a clay pot diffuser made of terra coat. A small pot can be used if you cannot buy a commercial Clay Pot diffuser. Take a small pot and pour essential oil blends in to it. Close the pot with a cork, with just a single opening (of the size of a small hole). The aroma depends on the size of the hole and the quantity of oils in the pot. The aroma is the strongest shortly after you pour oils, but dissipates after time passes.

For clean healing aromas: 7 tips to clean essential oil diffusers

Essential oil diffusers can work as atomizers, humidifiers and air purifiers. Before using an essential oil diffuser, you should know how to operate, clean and maintain a diffuser without issues. Since diffusers are one of the best ways to use an essential oil, they ought to be maintained and cared for properly. They are also pretty expensive to be replaced frequently and this makes periodical cleaning of these instruments mandatory.

How does a diffuser work? Before learning to clean a diffuser, you should know what a diffuser is and how it works to emanate essential oils into air. A diffuser uses ultrasonic waves to break down  essential oils in water, releasing a waft of scented air into your living area or work space. It generally consists of a plastic base, holding a motor and a glass tube to disperse oils into air. The glass tube combines water with oils and diffuses clean, scented air molecules into the room. If your diffuser is clogged due to excessive use of oils or on account of sticky, heavy carrier oils or essential oil blends, its functionality will be reduced and you may only get less than half its original efficiency. In  order to avoid this, you need to clean your diffusers every week or at least once in 10 days depending on your usage frequency.


How to clean essential oil diffusers: Cleaning essential oil diffusers is pretty easy and will not require more than half an hour. You will need rubbing alcohol to do the job as it will remove all essential oil residue which may be sticking to the curves and ends of diffusers. Below is a step-by-step process on how to do it:

1. Add alcohol to diffuser: Add ½ oz of rubbing alcohol to your diffuser and clean with gloved hands. Rubbing alcohol is effective in removing any kind of residual wastes from essential oils, including sticky substances, aromas etc. You can tilt or sway the diffuser to let the alcohol pass through every curve or intricate point in the glass decanter.

2. Run the diffuser with alcohol:
This is the next step. You can use the same alcohol or drain the first alcohol solution and add a fresh amount of it into the diffuser. Run the diffuser with alcohol for about 3 to 5 minutes. This will ensure that the alcohol goes through every point or crevice of the glass tube. However, this would diffuse alcohol into your room. So ask people who are allergic to alcohol scent to leave the room.

3. Clean the glass tube: Remove the tube from the base of your diffuser and plug it with your finger. Add another fresh bout of alcohol and shake the diffuser well to clean all parts of the tube. This will distribute alcohol into the nooks and crannies of the aromatherapy diffuser and ensure  a proper cleaning of the whole instrument.

4. Allow alcohol to stay overnight:
If you feel that many essential oil substances still remain in the glass tube, allow alcohol to stay in the diffuser overnight. Alcohol will do a complete cleansing act overnight.

5. Clean with cotton swab: When you are done with all the above methods, do not stop. It would just take you a few minutes to run an alcohol-dipped cotton swab through the diffuser. This is a second round of cleaning which would make sure there no sticky oils in any part of the diffuser.

6. Wash with dishwasher:
Now comes the primary question – will not alcohol’s smell remain in the diffuser for long? Yes, it will if you do not clean it with something else. Use a dish washing soap to rinse the diffuser’s glass tube thoroughly. This would remove the remaining essential oil residue and also wipe out the smell of alcohol. You can use hot water to rinse the dishwasher.

7. Test run after cleaning:
You are done with the cleaning job and all you need to do is dry the diffuser properly. Turn the diffuser on and run it for few minutes without any essential oils. This will dry it completely and will never cause harm to the motor of the diffuser. At no point soak the diffuser in water to clean its outer surface. You can do the job by using the same cotton swab you used to clean the insides.

A waft of scented air: 5 tips to choose the right diffusers for essential oils

Essential oils are best dispersed into the air through diffusers. If selecting an essential oil for a diffuser involves a lot of work, selecting  an appropriate diffuser for your essential oil blend is a bigger job. This is because only good and apt diffusers can do the diffusing job well. You need to use a particular diffuser for an enclosed space and a different nebulizing diffuser for a large space. Choice of diffusers also depend on the hours you want the diffuser to function, the Notes of the essential oil blends used and the nature of the space in which the diffuser is used (car, home or patio). This article will explain in detail the things to note while choosing essential oil diffusers.

Why essential oil diffusers? Aromatherapy enhances health in a lot of ways and diffusing oils into the space you live is one way to using aromatherapy for your utmost benefit. Diffusing essential oils do not just create a scented atmosphere, but also pave way for a healthier you, through its healing properties. As the sense of smell inhaled is directly connected to the limbic system of the brain, aromatherapy makes physical, emotional and psychological improvements and changes possible. Diffusing essential oils also aid with respiration and breathing and cleanses your environment off impurities, germs and viral/bacterial contagions (like H1N1 flu or other flu symptoms).


The trick to getting to all these benefits is to use an appropriate diffuser for the purpose. But it is not that easy and the below points will explain to you why it is so:

1. First steps: Where do you want to use your diffusers? In your car or your toilet or living area or patio? You need to decide that first. Based on the space of the room and the purpose of the diffuser and diffusing oil, you can choose your diffusers. Some essential oils work well only with certain types of diffusers. Some others have very low diffusing ratios and can work even for 6 to 7 hours. Before choosing your diffuser, decide on the following: the space in which your diffuser is to be used, diffusing blend (its notes, evaporation quotient etc), the numbers of hours you want your diffuser to work (or scent to be prevalent).

There are several types of diffusers present in the market. Below are some of the most popular of them:

2. Jar, Reed, Smelly Jelly diffusers: Least expensive but most efficient. They work great with small enclosed spaces, but the scent throw is not far or expansive like in other diffusers. With Jar diffusers, we need to change the reeds too often. Smelly Jelly diffusers work only in stable environments and hence are not suitable for use in car.

3. Candle diffusers, aroma lamps: Ideal for small spaces. But these diffusers need watching as candle flames are involved. These work by diffusing essential oils by the heat of a tea light or similar heating device. If you use a heating device, you need to add water so that you can get the steam of oils used. Diffusers of the light bulb kind of rings also fall under this category. Used for tiny spaces, they must be refilled constantly.

4. Electric and fan-based diffusers: These are some of the expensive diffusers in the market. A car diffuser of this kind involves adding a few drops of the essential oils to a tissue and plugging into the car dash cigarette lighter. The diffuser heats up the scented cloth and diffuses aromas into the car space. Peppermint, Grapefruit, Lemon and Ginger work well as car diffusers. In case of fan-based diffuser, you can plug into your room and use it for 3 hours.

5. Nebulizing diffusers: These are diffusers for large spaces. Most of them are hand-blown, glass nebulizers that are attached to a motor and work by dispersing aromatic molecules into air. Since they don’t use heat to disperse oils, the oils remain unchanged and retain their therapeutic value. But these are also the most expensive of all the diffusers in the market.

DIY diffusers: How to make essential oil diffuser kits at home

Many want to buy and try using essential oils. But the problem is, they do not know where to start. Though they know and have heard about the benefits of essential oils and aromatherapy, they are hardly ready to take the risk of buying and using oils. What stops them is their lack of knowledge in the subject and the fear that essential oils may inflict harm on their body or upset their living environment. To eliminate all your fears and take a small step toward aromatherapy, you can try making diffuser oils and kits at home. You can make essential oils for diffuser by mixing your favorite oils with mineral oil. You can make diffuser kits with just simple glass bottles and reeds. Here’s how to do it.

Aromatherapy oil diffusers – How to do them? Aromatherapy starts with your knowledge of essential oils. You should be completely aware of the basic properties you plan to use and also why you want to use them. If you want to use essential oils just for the sake of their aromas, you can as well try out synthetic fragrances. On the other hand, if you are interested in curing or healing your problems through aromatherapy, you need to learn the properties, reactions and therapeutic-grade levels and usages of essential oils you plan to use in diffuser kits. Added to that,  you need to know the contraindications of essential oils you plan to apply.


Below is a step-by-step guide on how to make diffuser oils and diffuser oil kits:

1. Glass bottles: Collect used or new glass bottles. Let the bottles be dark, have small mouths and wide bases. You actually don’t need a stopper for a bottle as the reeds will replace the stopper. However, for blending purposes and self safety, you can have a stopper.

2. Buy the supplies: Preparing a diffuser oil is not that easy. You need to get familiar with the basics of essential oils, contact your health care provider and buy all the essential oil ingredients. You can buy the oils at a craft store, a local chemist or botanist or manufacturer or even at an online essential oil depot. Do ask the buyer for the uses of every other essential oil you buy and also, ensure that you buy only therapeutic grade essential oils. You can use a variety of essential oil blends, which include –  Lavender, Eucalyptus, Peppermint, Citrus, Chamomile and other blends for relaxation.

3. Make the diffuser oil: Mix all the ingredients of the essential oils in a diffuser kit and blend well. You need to add a few other things like dipropylene glycol and mineral oil. While the mineral oil blends the ingredients well, the dipropylene glycol will help with diffusion through reeds. The mineral oil, if efficient, will also make the essential oil better and last longer.

4. Shake the ingredients: Once you have done collecting your ingredients, blend them well by pouring them on to the chosen aroma bottle. You can press your thumb over the stopper-less bottle without spilling the oils or shaking them out of the bottle.

5. Make your reed diffuser: When you are done with the blending, bring your reeds and place them inside the mouth of the bottle. Use about 10 to 15 reeds. If the reeds are lengthier, cut them short to make them diffuse scents quicker and easier. It is enough if the reeds protrude about 6 inches from the mouth of the bottle. Since reeds are porous, they absorb the oils and yield the maximum effect.