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> Aromatherapy Article Archive > Aromatherapy
and Essential Oil Diffusers
Diffusion is the process of dispersing
essential oils so that their aroma fills a room or an area with the natural
fragrance. From the simple to the elaborate, many different methods exist
for diffusing oils into a room. Three easy methods exist which can be
done with things you probably already have in your household. In addition,
there are numerous diffusers and diffusing devices available for
purchase from aromatherapy vendors. This article will detail the different
types of devices and methods that may be used. For blends that you can
try once you have your diffuser, be sure to visit the Diffuser
Blends page.
Methods That Can Be Done With Items Already in Your Household
Simple Tissue Diffusion
- Place 3-4 drops of essential oil on a tissue. Place the tissue near
you. As movement occurs in the room (i.e. as you move or as someone
walks by), you will notice the aroma.
- Advantages:
This method can be used anywhere and is quickly transportable.
- Disadvantages:
This method does not emit much aroma into a room.
Steam Diffusion
- Boil 2 cups of water. Pour the water into a bowl and add up to 10
drops of oil to the water. Use fewer drops if you are using an oil that
may cause irritation to your mucous membranes (i.e. cinnamon, eucalyptus,
rosemary, pine, thyme, cajuput, etc.). Use of energizing or relaxing
oils can make this method useful any time of day or night. The steam
will heat the oils and cause them to evaporate quickly into the room.
- Advantages: This method will quickly diffuse the oils into
a room.
- Disadvantages: The aroma is not exceptionally long-lasting.
Additionally, the heat may alter or destroy certain constituents of
the oils and thus the therapeutic benefit may not be as optimal as using
cold-air diffusion methods.
Candle Diffusion
- Light a candle and allow it to burn for about 5 minutes. Extinguish
the candle, place 1 drop of essential oil in the melted wax (not on
the wick!) and then relight the candle. Essential oils are highly flammable,
so great care must be used.
- Advantages: This method can be used most anywhere that a candle
may be used.
- Disadvantages: Essential oils are flammable, so great care
must be used. The aroma is not long-lasting. The heat may alter or destroy
certain constituents of the oils and thus the therapeutic benefit may
not be as optimal as using cold-air diffusion methods.
Diffusers and Diffusion Products on the Market
The descriptions below are generalities about the different
products that are available. Always check the specifications, requirements
and safety comments supplied with the particular product you are interested
to confirm that it is suitable for your needs and expectations. To
locate vendors that sell diffusers, visit the Diffusers & Nebulizers Category of AromaWeb's Business Plaza.
Lamp Rings
- Lamp rings are a terra-cotta ring that sets directly onto a light
bulb. It has a grooved lip that goes all the way around it. This lip
holds essential oil. The heat from a light bulb heats the essential
oil in the Lamp Ring and the oil is then gently diffused into the room.
- Advantages: Lamp Rings are usually very inexpensive.
- Disadvantages: If any essential oil gets onto the light bulb,
the light bulb could break. The heat may alter or destroy certain constituents
of the oils and thus the therapeutic benefit may not be as optimal as
using cold-air diffusion methods.
Clay Pot Diffusers
- Clay pot diffusers go by many names, but they resemble small terra-cotta
pots. They also can be found in various small shapes such as pyramids.
A clay pot diffuser contains an opening for adding essential oils. Usually
a cork is the method by which the opening is closed. The oils permeate
through the pot and then diffuse out into the room. The intensity of
the aroma depends on how much essential oil is added to the clay pot.
- Advantages: Clay pot diffusers are very inexpensive, easy to
use, and do not require electricity or batteries.
- Disadvantages: The aroma is strongest shortly after adding
essential oil to the clay pot and then dissipates as time passes. As
such, it’s hard to keep the same level of aroma in the room.
Candle Diffusers
- A candle diffuser is a diffuser that utilizes a tea light or other
candle to gently heat the essential oil to promote diffusion into a
room. A candle diffuser is usually ceramic or metal. The diffuser has
an opening or space for a candle and a little bowl or tray for storing
a tiny quantity of essential oil. Candle diffusers come in many shapes
and colors from the modest functional piece to the piece that acts both
as a work of art and as a candle diffuser.
- Advantages: Candle diffusers can be inexpensive, depending
on the style and design. Candle diffusers do not require electricity
or batteries.
- Disadvantages: One needs to be as careful with using a candle
diffuser as with using candles in general. Also, one must be sure to
keep replacement candles on hand. The aroma generally diffused by a
candle diffuser is very light and it does not usually diffuse an entire
room. The heat may alter or destroy certain constituents of the oils
and thus the therapeutic benefit may not be as optimal as using cold-air
diffusion methods.
Fan Diffusers
- Fan diffusers come in a variety of sizes, shapes and styles. A fan
diffuser uses a fan to blow the essential oils into the air. To use
a fan diffuser, essential oils are usually placed onto a disposable
absorbent pad or into a tray. The pad or tray is placed into the unit
and then powered on. The fan then blows air across this pad or tray
and carries the aroma throughout the room. Since fan diffusers come
in a variety of sizes, some fan diffusers will only diffuse a small
room whereas others can diffuse very large areas. Some fan diffusers
require the use of an absorbent pad (the pads can usually be reordered
from the retailer or directly from the manufacturer). In others, the
use of absorbent pads is optional.
- Advantages: Fan diffusers are available in a wide variety of
brands and styles. Depending on the brand and model, fan diffusers can
fragrance a large area. Fan diffusers are generally easy to use. Some
fan diffusers are powered by both electricity and batteries making them
quite portable.
- Disadvantages: Some fan diffusers, depending on the brand and
model, require the purchase of replacement absorbent pads. Some fan
diffusers are noisy.
Electric Heat Diffusers
- Similar to a fan diffuser, heat diffusers use heat and a fan to gently
heat the oil and disperse the aroma into a room.
- Advantages: Electric heat diffusers may fragrance larger areas,
depending on the brand and style. They can also help to more efficiently
disperse the aromas of thicker oils such as Sandalwood and Patchouli.
- Disadvantages: Heat may alter or destroy certain constituents
of the oils and thus the therapeutic benefit may not be as optimal as
using cold-air diffusion methods.
Nebulizers
- A nebulizer is a device that takes essential oils and breaks them
into separate molecules before dispersing the smaller molecules into
the room. It is said that these smaller molecules can be more readily
absorbed by the lungs and thus create greater therapeutic value than
by use of other diffusion methods. A nebulizer is a small (perhaps 8"
x 4" x 6") device that consists of two main parts: the plastic
base that contains the motor and a very unusual, clear blown-glass looking
device that holds and "nebulizes" the oils. Instead of the
use of the unusual glass piece, some nebulizers use a special bottle
that looks like a Boston round bottle.
- Advantages: It is said that nebulizers can supply greater therapeutic
benefit than the use of other diffusers because they break the oils
down into smaller molecules.
- Disadvantages: The glass piece is breakable and expensive to
replace. Compared to other methods, cleaning the glass between different
oils is time consuming. Depending on the style nebulizer, thick oils
such as Sandalwood and Patchouli usually cannot be used as they can
clog certain style nebulizers.
For Those Who Own a Food Dehydrator
I do not recommend purchasing a food dehydrator for
diffusion purposes as it is a little bulky and cumbersome for this purpose.
If, however, you already own a food dehydrator, you may have nice results
in using it as an alternative to diffusing EOs. Excalibur,
makers of high-end food dehydrators, say that you can dry evergreen branches
directly in the machine to experience the aroma. They also mention that
you can place a wet sponge with a few drops of oil on it (they say vanilla
extract, but this should work with EOs) into the dehydrator. It goes without
saying, however, that you should follow all safety precautions and instructions
for your dehydrator model and only leave your dehydrator running for this
purpose for a short period of time.
To locate vendors that sell diffusers, visit the
Diffusers & Nebulizers
Category of AromaWeb's Business Plaza.
For blends that you can try once you have your diffuser,
be sure to visit the Diffuser Blends
page.
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