Using Essential Oils goes back to the Ancient Days, yet diffusers are only recent ideas. So what is an Essential Oil Diffuser, and which one is Best for you?
Essential oil diffusers are a convenient and practical way to help disperse the true essence of Essential Oils used in the air.
They can be used for a single room or used to cover the whole house, depending on the type of diffuser used.
Oil diffusers can become very helpful for various reasons depending on the essential oils used.
Using certain Essential Oils or even a combination can help your health in multiple ways.
- It helps to clean air passages for easier breathing
- Can assist with encouraging better sleep
- Using Essential Oils can help to relax the mind or even invigorate the mind to clean any foggy thinking.
- Creates a beautiful aroma around the room
- Being relaxed will help promote peace and harmony
- Great for use in Meditation
- Create a relaxing mood within the bedroom
- Helps promote calmness for women with hormonal changes such as the Menstrual cycle or going through Menopause.
Essential Oils vs. Fragrant Oils
The purpose of using heat diffusers is to disperse the aroma of the oil used around the local area.
Many people tend to use cheap artificial fragrant oils that are of no benefit to health and healing.
Some may smell nice, some well, are nothing like the fragrance they state to be.
This is because such so-called Fragrant Oils are synthetically made.
The only true benefit for healing and health when using oils is to use Pure Essential Oils as they are original and pure at their highest form.
How do oil diffusers work?
The main aim of oil diffusers is to help disperse the essential oil into the air.
Depending on the Essential Oil used can provide many benefits as a result.
It does this by breaking down the essential oil molecules to give the best possible action of the oil used.
This brings me to the next point below.
Types of essential oil diffusers.
There are generally five different types of Essential Oil diffusers using today these are:
Nebulizing Diffusers
This is the one most Aromatherapists would recommend because you will get the most potent and purest form from the Essential Oil used.
It works via various tubing within the Nebulizer via vacuuming the oil from the essential oil bottle.
It then sends bursts in a fine mist of the aroma into the air.
Pros and Cons of Nebulising diffusers
Pros:
- No water is used nor any heat required, saving on electricity.
- The essential oil particles are dispersed in their purest form, giving the maximum benefits for your health.
- They are plastic-free, which is great for the eco-conscious user.
- They can use all types of essential oil, including thick forms of oil.
Cons:
- As you get the most robust quality, the mist spreading the aroma can be pretty intense.
- For some, this may become overpowering, particularly for those sensitive to certain oils.
The strength produced can affect young children, those who may be pregnant or suffers from specific allergies.
So caution and thought will need to be taken into account when using a nebulizer as some Essential Oils can be pretty powerful in this way.
Because of the strong presence, many Aromatherapists recommend using the nebulizer for periods of up to 15 mins or so rather than using it most of the day or night.
Some Nebulizers can be noisy; however, you will find the ArOmis Aromatherapy Diffuser tends to be whisper-quiet.
This is the best type, it can also be slightly more costly than other diffusers.
Due to the vacuum method, Essential Oil is used, resulting in more money spent on Essential Oils.
So here you can decide, does the benefits outweigh the costs?
Ultrasonic Diffusers
The Ultrasonic Diffusers is considered the second-best choice behind the Nebulizer, yet that is based on personal choice and the need you may have.
Similar to the Nebulizer, both provide a fine mist.
However, the Ultrasonic diffuser uses water and electronic frequencies via ultrasonic vibrations located under the surface beneath the water.
These vibrations help to break up the Essential oil chemical structure into tiny microparticles.
As water is used, the potency of the essential oil is chemically broken up.
The purity is not a high as it is using the nebulizer.
Pros and cons of Ultrasonic Diffusers
Pros:
- No heat is used to create that fine mist.
- Less Essential Oil is used.
- The aroma produced can be much more pleasant than the Nebulizer as it is not as overpowering. This can create a more comfortable and relaxing feeling around the home.
- Using water and Essential oil can also act as a humidifier, particularly in a small room setting.
- You can have many short bursts using the Ultrasonic diffuser and set a timer available on most Ultrasonic diffusers.
Cons:
- As only a small amount of Essential oil is used, slightly fewer oil benefits are created when the Ultrasonic diffuser sends out its mist.
- The purity of the Ultrasonic diffuser is not as high compared to using the Nebulizer.
Heat Diffusers
At the top, you would normally add some water mixed with a few drops of Oil.
Here is where most people would tend to use fragrant oils, yet to get any full valuable benefits, essential oils can be used.
However, the issue with such heat diffusers is the chemical composition of Essential oils is broken down.
It doesn’t give the total maximum benefit of the oil required.
This may be better suited just as a fragrance burner using your cheap and synthetic oil mentioned earlier on above.
Pros and cons of Heat Diffusers
Pros:
- Cheap to operate as no power is required
- Low Maintenance
- It covers a small area
Cons:
- If using Pure Essential Oils, the chemical composition is broken down; this will change the structure of the oil.
- Care needs to be taken near open windows due to the candle being lit.
- Pure essential oils are classified as Flammable liquids, so care needs to be taken to not allow any contact with the lit candle.
- Not safe to leave unattended, and best to use it for short periods to warm up the oil and blow out the candle, perhaps after 15 minutes.
Reed Diffusers
Reed Diffusers are one of the simplest and convenient diffusers to use.
They can be placed anywhere around the home.
The use is simple in that the reeds absorb the fragrance of the oil used and slowly evaporates into the air.
However, for health and healing benefits, it may not be the best choice to have.
This only covers a small area and is not as effective as the other diffusers mentioned here.
Pros and cons of Reed Diffusers
Pros:
- Simply to use
- Reeds can be turned upside down to continue to maintain the fragrance.
- Creates a lovely scent within a small space.
Cons:
- Not for therapeutic use or benefits.
- The aroma travels slowly up the reeds and can take some time to fill the room.
- It doesn’t last as long as reeds tend to collect dust easily, thereby blocking the oil benefits.
- Doesn’t fill the room sufficiently or spread thoroughly around a room regardless of size.
- Can require more use of oils to cover the base of the reeds for proper use.
- If using pure essential oils can be costly in the long run.
Conclusion
As you can see, we now know what essential oil diffusers are and how they work.
There are many types, sizes, and shapes that you can choose from, and the personal choice you wish to make depending on the reason, area, and individual use.
Safety precaution to note:
Firstly if you have children or pets around, make sure that any type of diffuser you use is out of reach, especially the candle types.
Also, again ensure that if you are using the heat diffusers such as the candle burners that are out of reach from any open windows and curtains, to avoid any fire hazards.
For essential oils, please note that some Oils may not be considered safe for those who may be pregnant, especially in the first trimester or with young children under the age of 5.
Also, check for any essential oils that you wish to use before purchasing for your and your family’s safety.
If in doubt best to seek the help and advice of a registered doctor who knows essential oils or an Aromatherapist for further advice.
Your health and safety are essential, as is your family.
Which one is right for you, some thoughts to consider
If you are looking for a diffuser to have a pleasant aroma around the area, then heat diffusion may be the better choice.
Perhaps here, you could even use the cheap synthetic oil for that purpose as you may be looking only for the pleasant scent.
If you are looking for something intended for health and healing, along with having that nice aroma along the way.
The Nebulizer or the Ultrasonic may be the way to go as this will give you not only an overall full use but will maintain the chemical structure of any essential oil for its intended purpose.
Here is an article on some Safety tips with Oil diffusers.
Now you know what is an Essential Oil Diffuser along with how do Oil diffusers work.
I hope you have found this helpful, and it has given you a better idea of the many types around and which may be better for you.
This way, you can choose which your feel is best for you and the purpose you intend fusing a diffuser for.
I would love to hear your comment and view on which Essential Oil Diffuser may feel is better for you.
Do you already have a diffuser?
I would love you to hear which one you use and why you love it so much.
