Posted by Dorine King on May 20th, 2017 in Diffusers, Diffusing Essential Oils, Therapeutic Uses of Essential Oils

I Want to Diffuse Essential Oils, But I Don’t Know Where to Begin! – A Two Part Series; Post 2 of 2

I Want to Diffuse Essential Oils, But I Don’t Know Where to Begin!

Here are some simple ways to diffuse essential oils.

1.  Tissue or Cotton Ball:

How To

• Place 2 or 3 drops of an essential oil or an essential oil synergy blend on a tissue or cotton ball.
• Tuck it into a pocket or the vent of the car or
• Simply hold it close to your nose.
• Refresh it with 1 drop of the oil or blend every hour.

Advantage:

• Costs very little
• Requires no equipment
• Is very portable – can be used anywhere or anytime.
• Perfect on a plane, bus, train, or at your desk while at work

Disadvantage:

• The aroma does not last very long and you have to replenish every hour.

STORY:

My husband took on a part-time job at JoAnn Fabric about 10 years ago.  He had never worked with the public before.  This caused him some anxiety and stress.  We made an anti-anxiety blend.  We put a few drops of the blend on a cotton ball each morning he was going to the part-time job, and put the cotton ball into a baggie (so it would still be potent by 5pm when he went to his part-time gig).  It worked!  He’d pull out the cotton ball and tuck it into his shirt pocket.  It helped him get over his anxiety about dealing with the “public.”  Eventually, he honed his skills and no longer needed that little stress relief.

2.  Tea Light Diffusers

How To:

• Fill a small ceramic or stone container with water (the cup should hold at least 1-cup of water). Heat with a tea-light candle (not a votive) from below.  Add 6-10 drops of essential oil or an essential oil blend.  The essential oil molecules will be carried into the air by steam.

Advantage:

• Very easy
• Inexpensive
• Quiet
• Portable – easily moved around the house

Disadvantage:

• Because they are portable and can be moved from room to room or to the classroom, they may break.
• Be aware that the water gets hot – especially, if there are children or pets around.
• You need a supply of replacement candles.
• The heat from the candle may alter the oil.
• The aroma is strong the first few minutes, then dissipates, so you need to replenish essential oil or blend every hour.

3.  Nebulizer

NOTE: A nebulizer is electric and pumps air through a glass vial filled with an essential oil or an essential oil blend.  It usually has a plastic base, which holds the pump, and a glass nebulizer that holds and sprays the essential oils out as a fine mist into the air.  They cover a large area and disperse the mist into the air.

How To:

• Drop your essential oils or essential oil blend into the glass vial, plug it in and you are ready to go!

Advantages:

• Does not alter the temperature of the essential oils
• The molecules produced are very tiny and find their way deep into the lungs – awesome for respiratory issues.

Disadvantages:

• They can be expensive. Better models have a timer.
• The glass piece is breakable and can be expensive and difficult to replace
• Uses essential oils fast.
• Must be cleaned. You need to clean the glass vial every now and again by running alcohol through it.
• Thick essential oils like Sandalwood, Vetiver and Patchouli may clog the unit.

4.  Room Spray:

How To:

• Using your Dilution Chart, add essential oil or an essential oil blend to your bottle, then add distilled water.
• Shake well before using

Advantages: (Spritzing the air … )

• Masks odors
• Freshens a room
• Great tool for energetic work
• Requires no heat, no electricity, no batteries
• Very portable

Disadvantage:

• Glass bottles should be used but can break
• Plastic bottles can be used, but over time the essential oils will deteriorate the plastic.

Story:

My husband and I have just returned from a week-long holiday.  We rented a flat via AirBnB.  It was a beautiful flat with its own private patio.  However, it was a basement (walkout) flat off the garage.  When we first arrived, there was a staleness and mustiness to the air.  Luckily, we packed an Essential Oil Vacation Travel Kit and used our Air and Linen Spray and that cleared the air right away!  We used it once more during our 7-day stay after a day of heavy rains.  It eliminated the stale odor, refreshed the air and the linens and made us feel more at home.

5.  Fan Diffuser:

NOTE:

Fan diffusers blow cool air across a disposable pad which is doused with 5-10 drops of essential oil.

How To:

• Drop the essential oil or essential oil blend on the pad
• Plug in the diffuser/turn it on.

Advantage:

• Easy to use
• Requires no candle or heat
• Works better with heavy base-note essential oils, such as Patchouli, Sandalwood, or Vetiver – they evaporate more slowly.

Disadvantage:

• The moving air evaporates the essential oils quickly – especially the lighter top-note oils like lemon, orange and other citrus – top-notes last about 10 minutes.

6.  Terracotta Diffusers:

Kinds and Advantages:

 *  Neck Pendant – keeps oils close to the face so you can inhale essential oil molecules as they evaporate

• Pretty
• Keep essential oils off your skin
• Allow you to emit a signature scent
• Helps protect you from air-borne bacteria
• Makes a great gift

*  Lightbulb Ring

• Easy to use and is also hidden under the lamp shade

*  Aroma-Sphears

• Easy to use and pretty in a dish in the bathroom
• Easy to clean – just use a mild soap and water and let dry

Disadvantages:

• Like tissues and cotton balls, the essential oils will be strongest when first applied. You will need to refresh often.

7.  Plug- In, Travel and USB Diffusers:

How To:

• Plug into a wall outlet, the car charger unit, or a USB port on your computer or in your car
• Add just a few drops of essential oil or essential oil blend on the pad

Advantages:

• Inexpensive
• Very portable

Disadvantages:

• Need a supply of tiny pads, or vials (Aroma2Go USB)
• Need to use a different pad or vial each time you change aromas
• You can re-use pads and vials, but there will be residual aroma from the previous oil used.

8.  Ultrasonic Diffusers:

NOTE: Like a nebulizer, these diffusers produce a cool, fine mist in which the essential oil molecules are misted into the air.  Great for room-sized diffusing.

Advantages:

• Do not use much essential oil – usually, 1-5 drops total
• Very easy to use
• Easy to clean
• Uses tap water
• Light and easy to move from room to room
• Some models have settings to use more or less essential oils
• Some models have timers, automatic shut-offs, and different options to disperse the essential oils

Disadvantages:

• Some larger models are not super quiet
• Some models don’t have a way to adjust the mist output, so can be overpowering in a small space

Story:

I own three different Ultrasonic Diffusers and love all three of them.  They all work the same easy way

The one in my office is a Greenair Spa Vapor+ . I usually use a citrus blend in this diffuser and use it as an afternoon pick-me-up.

The one in my husband’s office is called Jasmine .  He usually runs some type of a respiratory blend.

The H2EO is the first diffuser I ever bought and I still love it!   We use this one in the bedroom – typically if one of us is not feeling well and need calming rest or for respiratory issues.  This is also the one I carry and use throughout the house.  I may purchase a 4^th diffuser just for the main floor.  – Convenience you know, I like to have everything at my fingertips!

If you want to learn more about essential oils, how to use them and diffusing, register for the next Therapeutic Uses of Essential Oils class June 3-4, 2017.  Hope to see you there!