How to Diffuse Essential Oils

Many essential oil resources recommend diffusing essential oils into the air. Diffusion means to move molecules from a place of high concentration to an area of low concentration. So basically you want to move the molecules from your bottle into the air so you can continually breathe it in. Diffusing oils, of course, makes your home smell wonderful, but it is also a very good way to prevent and treat illness depending in the oil you choose to diffuse. You can look for future articles with some diffusing ideas but for now let's discuss some options on how to diffuse your oils. Below I will list all the ways I have tried to diffuse oils and I will give you the pros and cons of each.

• Pot of Simmering Water: You can add drops of essential oils into hot simmering water
  and stir to combine then just keep it simmering on your stove for the day. As the water turns to steam the molecules will be lifted into the air. The Pro: Inexpensive!! The Con: Due to oil and water not mixing very well the scent you achieve in the air will be faint at best, plus unwanted heat in your home is no fun in the summer. You can mix the oil with some Epsom salt and then add it to the water to better combine the oil and water, however I still only achieved a faint smell.
• Spray Bottle of Water and Oil: You can use a glass spray bottle (oils will erode plastic) add purified or distilled water and then add drops of essential oils. Pro: Inexpensive to start, Wonderful Smell!! Con: This method gives you a much better scent in the air, however you will use a lot more oils going this route. Due to the molecules coming out of the spray bottle in a much larger form it will take many more drops of essential oil to achieve the results you are looking for. Also the water can settle places you would rather not have it, such as on your bed. I would use this method to replace air fresheners in your home in places like the bathroom.

Heat Diffuser: At many health food stores or aromatherapy stores you can buy a heat diffuser. Some you plug in and put the oils in a metal cup, some you put on top of a candle. Pro: The most inexpensive diffusers you can buy. You can buy one at Whole Foods for around $19-$25 or a candle burner is even less expensive than that. The candle diffusers are also really fun to have in your home as decoration. I have several around the house. Con: This method will also only give you a faint scent of the oil and the scent will only really reach the area of the room right around the Diffuser or Candle Burner. I also had several oils get scorched and have a burnt smell. Another problem is constantly having to replace the T-light candles that you use in the candle burners.

Cool Mist Diffusers: Pro: These are my favorite kind of diffuser. It most closely leaves the essential oil molecule intact as it distributes it into the air. All cool mist diffusers have a well in which you add purified or distilled water and the oil, then plug it in and the diffuser will blow t

he oil and water mixture out into the air in fine molecules. They will spread the oil farther and one diffuser can easily scent an entire room with a rich aroma. Con: Price is a very definite con. These are the most expensive, however with the savings you will have in oils, and the health benefit, it is a home appliance you will never regret spending the money on.

I currently own a Young Living diffuser which is my favorite. I have never found a diffuser from any other place that worked as well and while they are expensive they are competitive with other prices I have seen online. They have four different diffusers and I have used two of them. The "Essential Oil Diffuser" works very well, however it has a glass fluke that is very fragile and it did not stand the test of time with children in the home. I currently own the "Home Diffuser" which is sturdy, has color and time settings and works wonderfully!! The Home Diffuser gets my 5 Stars.

How about you? Have you used another brand successfully or do you use a method I haven't listed?

Written By : Cara Hembd