What are Carrier Oils? How to use Carrier Oils for Essential Oils

What are carrier oils? Carrier oils for essential oils.
What are carrier oils?

What Are Carrier Oils And Why Are They Important?

Did you know that you can enjoy the benefits of essential oils by applying them directly to your skin? 

Yes, it’s true!

These are called topical essential oils.  But to do this safely, you need to use a carrier oil to dilute the essential oil first.

Carrier oils are non-volatile and vegetable-sourced oils that are basically the partners of essential oils.

These oils work together to safely deliver the benefits of essential oil directly to your skin.

In this article, I’ll go through what carrier oils are, the best carrier oils to use, as well as their benefits.

So, let’s learn more about these carrier oils, shall we?

Let’s jump right in!

What are Carrier Oils?

Essential oils are volatile substances and they evaporate quickly. They’ve also got the natural aroma of the plant they were made from.

What would be a perfect companion for essential oils?

Well, a carrier oil should be the following things:

  • Obtained from vegetarian sources
  • Neutral in smell

So, what are carrier oils?

Carrier oils are non-volatile, which is why they serve as great companions for essential oils.

There are a lot of oils that can act as good carrier oils so you’ll have to choose which one is the best for you and the end result you are trying to achieve.

Why are Carrier Oils Used?

If you topically apply essential oils by themselves, they’ll prove to be too strong and that’s why they need to be diluted.

Carrier oils, on the other hand, don’t evaporate or have a scent of their own. This makes them the perfect companion to dilute essential oils.

By using a carrier oil you can be sure that:

  • The concentration of the essential oil is reduced
  • There is no change in the therapeutic quality of the essential oil

But, there’s a catch.

Like anything high in fat, carrier oils themselves have a low shelf life which can range between six months to a year.

The Different Types of Carrier Oils You Can Use

The list of all the different carrier oils that you can use is endless. But as a rule of thumb, you should use a carrier oil that is:

  • Of the highest quality
  • Contains no additives

Other than that, you should also choose between cold-pressed and unrefined oils.

Cold-pressed oil, as the name suggests, are unheated and therefore retain all of their properties.

On the other hand, unrefined oils have been refined a little but still retain their strength and richness.

Popular Carrier Oils for Essential Oils

As I mentioned before, a good carrier oil should meet the criteria of having a neutral smell and should be from a vegetarian source.

So, this means that there are a lot of options that you can choose from!

But there are certain oils that have been preferred over others.

Let’s take a look, shall we?

Serial Oil Name Oil Properties
1 Grapeseed Oil
  • Moisturizing
  • Light and thin in consistency
  • Good for massages
2 Sweet Almond Oil
  • Sweet aroma
  • Moisturizing
  • Rich in Vitamin E
  • Good all-purpose carrier oil
  • Quick Absorption
3 Jojoba Oil
  • Long shelf life
  • Moisturizes hair and skin
  • Nutty aroma
4 Olive Oil
  • Thick consistency
  • Strong aroma
  • Popular choice
5 Coconut Oil
  • Coconut aroma
  • Solid white in color
  • Moisturizing
  • Long shelf life
6 Shea Butter
  • Solid at room temperature
  • Nutty aroma
  • Moisturizes skin
7 Cocoa Butter
  • Solid at room temperature
  • Chocolate aroma
  • Can be blended with other carrier oils

Studies have shown that oils high in linoleic acid are best suited for people that have oily skin.

On the other hand, oils high in oleic acid are best for those who have dry skin.

Your Guide to Diluting Essential Oils

Did you know that some essential oils are actually poisonous if you ingest them?

That’s true!

And, most can cause problems if you don’t apply them topically with the help of a carrier oil.

So, not only does the carrier oil ensure better absorption of the essential oil, it also helps in reducing the dangerous side effects of it.

Here’s a guide that’ll help you dilute the essential oils to your liking:

  • 0.25%: Ideal for children between the ages of 6 months and 6 years.
    This means using one drop per 4 teaspoons of the carrier oil.
  • 1%: Recommended for children above 6 years of age, elderly people, and pregnant women.
    This means using one drop per 6 teaspoons of the carrier oil.
  • 2%: This is ideal for adults and means using one drop per teaspoon of the carrier oil.
  • 3%: Ideal for health concerns such as muscle pain or injury.
    This means using two drops per teaspoon of carrier oil.

Keep in mind that using essential oils without diluting them could do more harm than good. Make sure that you apply them topically using a carrier oil.

Moving on…

Why Apply Essential Oils Topically?

Using essential oils topically can help them get absorbed into the skin at a fast rate and get into the bloodstream faster.

Topical administration can help you locally get the benefits of an essential oil.

So, you see, topical administration of essential oils has a lot of benefits. Here are some examples of their uses and benefits:

Skin Care

You can enjoy the benefits of essential oils by applying them directly onto your skin but diluting them with a carrier oil first.

Most skin care products boast of having certain essential oils in them, but the truth is that the concentration of the oils is not enough.

You can use the following oils to get the best results for your skin:

  • Lime oil
  • Orange oil
  • Lemon oil
  • Patchouli oil
  • Lavender oil
  • Sandalwood oil
  • Cedar oil

And several more!

Hair Care

Do you have dull, frizzy hair? Are you concerned about dandruff and dry hair?

Well, applying essential oils directly to your hair can help you with that!

Following are the essential oils great for your hair:

  • Castor oil
  • Lavender oil
  • Peppermint oil
  • Coconut oil
  • Rosemary oil
  • Chamomile oil

And more that target these areas of concern.

Migraines and Health Concerns

Did you know that peppermint essential oil helps with migraines?

Tea tree oil, Eucalyptus oil, and lemon oil are known to help with respiratory issues.

For joint pain, Clary Sage, Juniper, and Frankincense essential oils are known to be really effective.

What I’m trying to say is that essential oils have a variety of different uses and advantages when topically applied to the skin. And for that, the assistance of a carrier oil is necessary for the best results.

Qualities of a Good Carrier Oil

When looking for a good carrier oil for essential oils, there are a few things that you need to keep in mind in order to make the right choice.

Let’s take a look, shall we?

  • Neutral fragrance: A good carrier oil should ideally be odorless or have a neutral fragrance
  • Good shelf life: A carrier oil should have a shelf life of at least six months
  • Non-refined: Non-refined oil has been processed to some extent but still retains its qualities
  • Cold-pressed oil: If you can afford them, cold pressed oils make excellent carrier oils. The reason for this is that no heat is used to extract the oil and all of the nutrients in the oil are still there!
  • Good absorption: A good carrier oil should be able to be absorbed quickly by the skin for the maximum absorption of the essential oil
  • Addresses your skin concerns: If you’re applying the carrier oil to your skin, it should help you with your skin issues. For dry skin, oils like coconut oil, Shea Butter or Cocoa Butter are best suited.

Keep in mind that a good carrier oil can help you a lot in the long run! So, choose wisely keeping all the underlying factors in mind!

Oils You Should NEVER use as a Carrier Oil!

I’ve gone into great detail about the things that make a good carrier oil.

Now, I’d like to go through some of the things that don’t make good carrier oils at all so that you don’t repeat my mistakes!

So, let’s get started!

The following are oils that are best left alone:

  • Butter
  • Vegetable shortening
  • Margarine
  • Petroleum jelly
  • Mineral oil

Keep away from these at all costs! Don’t waste those precious drops of essential oils on these!

The Verdict: What Are Carrier Oils?

If you’re looking for a good carrier oil, you should look for a good vegetable-based oil that has a neutral smell.

The thing with essential oils is that they’re volatile and they evaporate quickly.

So, in order to topically enjoy the benefits of an essential oil, you should choose a carrier oil that suits your primary needs as well as your budget!

There are two types of carrier oils that you should look out for:

  • Cold-pressed oils: They retain all of their nutrients since they’re not heated
  • Unrefined oils: These are partially processed and retain most of their nutrients

I hope this article helped you understand what are carrier oils and their uses. Leave comments if you’ve got any questions or concerns and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can!

What are Essential Oils? All You Need to Know About Essential Oils

What are essential oils
What are Essential Oils?

I’ll bet you’ve been hearing an awful lot about essential oils and thought what are essential oils and how do I use them?  Well, today I am going tell you all you need to know about essential oils.

In recent years, aromatherapy has become mainstream and the general population is enjoying the benefits of essential oils.

I’ll be going through what essential oils are, how they’re made, and the benefits of essential oils so that you finally know what all the buzz is about.

So let’s get started!

What Are Essential Oils?

Do you like the scent of a beautiful red rose?

If you do then you’re acquainted with the aromatic properties of an essential oil.

Then, what are essential oils?

Essential oils are naturally occurring compounds that are found in roots, flowers, seeds, barks, and stems. And they’re responsible for giving each plant its distinctive fragrance.

Essential oils have been used by humans for beauty treatments, preparing foods, and health care.

Other than that, essential oils have effects on our physical as well as emotional wellness. But, we’ll get into that a little later.

To better understand what are essential oils, let’s take a look at how essential oils are made.

Moving on…

How are essential oils extracted?

Did you know that to date over 3,000 essential oils that have been identified?

Essential oils are not manmade but they are extracted from nature using two key techniques.

  • Distillation
  • Extraction

Let’s take a look.

Distillation

Distillation is a really old practice that has been used to extract essential oils for years. The process of distillation is easy.

Organic material (like flowers, leaves, etc.) is placed on a grill inside a still and is sealed. During the distillation process, the volatile constituents (essential oils) rise up and travel via the connected pipe to the condenser.

From here the vapor is cooled down to its liquid form and the essential oil forms a layer on top of the water.

Three types of distillation processes are used to extract essential oils:

  • Water distillation
  • Water and steam distillation
  • Steam distillation

Expression

Expression is commonly known as cold pressing and is mainly used to extract citrus essential oils.

The modern method of cold pressing is known as ecuelle a piquer.

In this method, the rind of the citrus fruit is placed in a container that has spikes that puncture the peel as the device is rotating. This puncturing releases the essential oils.

The essential oils are collected in a small section of the container.

After the collection process, the essential oil is allowed to stand for a while to separate the essential oil from water/juice.

The Benefits of Essential Oils and How to Use them

Like I mentioned earlier, essential oils have a lot of benefits. So let’s take a look at all of these, shall we?

Relaxation and Spa

  • Improves your sleep: Did you know that using Lavender essential oil can help alleviate your insomnia?
    All you have to do is add a few drops of it to your pillow and it’ll help you in falling asleep!
  • Making body butter: You can save some dollars and make your own body butter at home by mixing shea butter, coconut oil, essential oils, and magnesium oil!
  • Relief from depression: Essential oils like rose oil are known to help boost mood and relieve depression.All you need to do is add a few drops of rose oil to your diffusers to help improve mood.

Essential Oils as Natural Medicine

  • Migraine relief: If you suffer from migraines you should combine a few drops of lavender essential oil with peppermint oil and apply the mixture to the affected area.
  • Relief from PMS: To help with the symptoms of PMS, simply mix two drops of basil, rosemary, and sage essential oils then apply to apply it to the abdomen.
  • Helps with allergies: Rubbing some frankincense essential oil and lavender essential oil on your palms and inhaling deeply can help relieve a sore throat and itchy eyes.

Home Uses

  • Helps in killing pests: Spraying some orange or clove essential oil can help kill pests naturally!
  • Amazing smelling home: If you diffuse rosemary, clove, and orange essential oils will make your house smell amazing and inviting.
    No need to buy a room freshener!
  • Cleans air: Cinnamon essential oil is known to have antimicrobial properties and if you diffuse it in your house, you’ll have some clean air and a house that smells like a Cinnabon!That’s a win-win.
  • All-purpose cleaner: You can add a few drops of tea tree oil with lemon oil to a warm water, and spray it to naturally disinfect your kitchen.

How to Use Essential Oils!

There are two ways you can reap the benefits of essential oils—by directly applying them to your body or by diffusing them in the air.

Let’s talk about these…

Ready?

Topical Application

Applying essential oils topically is a good method because they can penetrate the skin for localized benefit.

The problem here comes with the absorption.

Massaging the oil in can help increase the absorption as it helps increase the blood flow in the area.

There’s another way…

You can use a carrier oil to increase the absorption as well. This method helps when you’ve got dry skin.

But there’s a problem with this method.

It can’t be used in the sensitive areas like the eyes, ears, etc. And that’s where diffusing the essential oils helps!

How to Diffuse Essential Oils

An essential oil diffuser helps distribute the essential oil molecules through the air. Now, these molecules find their way into our nervous system through our nose when we inhale.

There are four different diffusers that we currently use.

Let’s take a look, shall we?

Ultrasonic diffuser

An ultrasonic diffuser basically uses electronic frequencies that cause a small disk to vibrate at a fast rate. These vibrations help break down the essential oil into micro-particles, and it also disperses the oil.

Nebulizing diffuser

A nebulizing diffuser atomizes the essential oils you put in it and then diffuses them. All you need to do is add just a few drops of essential oils and you’re good to go.

Reed diffuser

A reed diffuser is a good alternative to scented candles. In this method, the reeds simply soak up the fragrance oil from and then just disperse it in it air.

Humidifier Diffuser

Humidifiers are basically devices that emit steam or water vapor to help increase moisture levels in the air. This water vapor also contains essential oils that are dispersed along with it.

Blending Essential Oils – Mix and Match:

You know what’s better than one essential oil?

Two essential oils combined!

Blending essential oils is all about your nose and getting some aromatherapy in. It comes with the bonus of enjoying the benefits of two or more essential oils!

Let’s take a look at a few common essential oil blends, shall we?

  1. Blending Rosemary, Lemon, Hyssop, and Peppermint can help in improving memory and concentration
  2. A Peppermint and Grapefruit blend can help you feel energized and ready for a workout!
  3. Blending Vanilla, Sandalwood, Jasmine, and Ylang Ylang essential oils help set the mood when you’re with your significant other!
  4. Combining Tea Tree, Lemongrass, Eucalyptus, Thyme, and Rosemary essential oils is a great way to repel all the bugs in summer
  5. Mixing Vetiver, Clary Sage, Lavender, and Citrus can help relieve you of stress

But, that’s not all! You can be creative with the way you’d want to blend your essential oils and reap the benefits of your favorite essential oils whilst enjoying the amazing fragrance!

Quality Essential Oils: Finding Your Diamond In The Rough

Not all essential oils being sold are of the highest quality. In fact, some contain a very small amount of essential oil!

So, how do you make sure you invest your money in a good-quality essential oil?

I’ll help you!

  1. Look at the ingredients: The biggest giveaway is the ‘ingredients’ section. If you see something other than the oil itself, don’t buy it
  2. Synthetic fragrance: Sometimes, cheaper and synthetic alternatives of the essential oils are used, so keep an eye out for them
  3. Company reliability: Buy oils only from companies that have been known to be reliable
  4. Plastic bottles: If an essential oil is being sold in a plastic bottle, don’t buy it as it’s a fake!

So, What Are Essential Oils? The Conclusion:

Essential oils have been around for years and have a lot of benefits for our health and wellbeing. In fact, over 3000 different essential oils have been discovered!

The benefits of essential oils include relief from pain, migraines, cooking food, helping with insomnia, repelling insects, etc.

There are two ways you can extract essential oils from its organic source:

  • Distillation
  • Cold-pressing (Expression)

You can use essential oils in two ways—topical application and diffusion. With topical application, the effects are only localized while diffusion isn’t recommended for those who’ve got asthma and other respiratory issues.

I hope this has answered the question of what are essential oils?

Leave comments if you feel that I might have missed something. We always love reading your comments.

11 Amazing Benefits of Using an Essential Oil Diffuser!

Benefits of Essential Oil Diffusers
Benefits of Essential Oil Diffusers

Did you know there are amazing Benefits of Using an Essential Oil Diffuser? No, I’m not kidding! Diffusing essential oils is not only convenient but a cost effective way to get some aromatherapy in your home.

After all, there’s a reason why essential oil diffusers have been all the rage over the past few years!

Diffusing essential oils helps you with your health, sets the mood, freshens your home, and keeps the pests away!

Isn’t that amazing?

In this article, I’ll be going through the benefits of using an essential oil diffuser.

So let’s get started!

Benefits of Using an Essential Oil Diffuser

Each essential oil has its own unique properties.

An essential oil diffuser distributes the essential oil molecules through the air. Now, these molecules find their way into our nervous system through our nose and lungs when we inhale.

And this is known to be a safe and quick way of using essential oils.

Simple, right?

Now that we’ve got that covered, let’s get into the 11 benefits of using an essential oil diffuser.

All right here we go!

1) Goodbye, Stress!

Stress is probably one of the biggest problems in our modern era.

During stressful times, it’s really hard to stay calm.

You end up taking out your frustration on you friends, colleagues, family and significant others.

One of the benefits of using an essential oil diffuser that I find the most helpful is that it helps your body relax and stay calm—even in stressful situations.

Diffusing essential oils can help create a calming environment in your home.

In fact, you can also use a diffuser in your office to reap the benefits of the essential oils!

Essential Oils I would recommend are: Chamomile, Rose, Frankincense, and Bergamot.

2) Sleep Like a Baby!

A good night’s sleep is something we all crave in this digital age.

And, one of the benefits of diffusing essential oils is that it helps you sleep peacefully, creating a long lasting effect which helps you stay asleep throughout the night.

After diffusing some of that essential oil, you won’t have to update your Facebook status about how you’re suffering from ‘Insomnia’!

And, you get that beauty sleep and wake up looking like Cindy Crawford.

To help you sleep here are a few essential oils that I’d recommend: Ylang ylang, lavender, valerian, and vetiver.

3) So long, Illness!

Do you clean your house regularly?

I wouldn’t blame you if you don’t!

One of the benefits of using an essential oil diffuser is that essential oils have antimicrobials that help kill germs.

But, in all fairness, you should still clean your house

Other than that…

Some essential oils are also known to boost your immunity and reduce the likelihood of getting a cold or flu.

The oils you should diffuse to get these benefits are: Peppermint oil, oregano oil, and lemon oil.

It’s not just fighting off illnesses that diffusing essential oils can help with. One of the related benefits of diffusing essential oils is pain relief.

People have, for a long time, applied essential oils directly to their bodies to relieve them of pain, but diffusing is also beneficial in this case.

This can help relieve the pains you’ve been feeling in your muscles, joints, etc. and also help you with the persistent migraines.

Great to know, right!

The best essential oils to stay help you stay healthy are: Lavender, ginger, chamomile, rosemary, sage, bergamot, eucalyptus, etc.

4) Insect repellant

As summers come, so do the insects.

Overusing chemical bug repellents can cause your body a lot of harm. And that’s where essential oil diffusers come in.

One of the biggest benefits of diffusing essential oils is that it makes your home an inhospitable environment for mosquitoes and other insects!

Simple, right?

The best essential oils to repel insects are: Lemongrass, clove, cedarwood, and rosemary

5) Safer than Candles and Incense

Having an open flame inside your house is not a good idea.

Especially if you’ve got kids and pets running around the house.

So, I feel that one of the benefits of using an essential oil diffuser is that it’s safe. Most diffusers come with an “auto-shutoff” feature.

Other than that…

Scented candles are also known to have certain chemicals that can wreak havoc on your lungs and respiratory system.

I feel that sticking to an essential oil diffuser is the best bet.

After all, you wouldn’t have to worry about burning down your house or remembering to blow out the candle when you leave!

6) Good for Allergies

Allergies have plagued a lot of us, especially hay fever, clogged sinuses, itchy throats, and other respiratory issues.

The thing about diffusing essential oils is that they can provide you with the necessary relief without having to use any medicines!

Bye-bye dizziness and sleepiness!

Isn’t this one of the best benefits of using an essential oil diffuser? What do you think? Let me know in the comments section…

The oils I’d recommend for trouble with allergies are: Basil, peppermint, eucalyptus, and tea tree oil.

7) Set the Mood for Romance!

Think about this situation:

You’ve just brought your significant other over to your house to have a romantic candlelit dinner.

Except your home smells like kitty litter, coffee, and the strange smell that won’t go away!

Epic fail, right?

One of the benefits of diffusing essential oil is that you can set the mood of the room with the kind of fragrance you want.

The essential oils for a romantic mood that I’d recommend for this are: Sandalwood, rose, jasmine, cinnamon, clove. But go easy a little bit goes a long way.

8) Boost Your Own Mood!

Sometimes, life’s blues take over and you feel ‘down’. And, one of the surprising benefits of using an essential oil diffuser is that you can boost your mood!

No, I’m not kidding!

Like I said before, one of the benefits of using an essential oil diffuser is de-stressing and this one just goes hand in hand with that.

The essential oils that I recommend to boost your mood are: jasmine, sweet orange, rose, scotch pine, vanilla, and sandalwood.

9) Improves Cognitive Function

Did you know that one of the benefits of diffusing essential oils is that it can essentially super-charge your brain?

Sounds like it’s out of a superhero movie, right?

Not really.

Certain essential oils have adaptogenic properties that increase the body’s ability to adapt to stress. And each adaptogenic herb has three traits:

  • Non-toxic for the user
  • Beneficial for the body as a whole
  • Creating a state of balance for the user

There are several other essential oils that are known for the abilities to balance the hormones in your body.

You know what that means, right? Double trouble!

The best essential oils to reap these benefits are: Eucalyptus, pine, peppermint, and lemon

10)  Helps you Stay Cool

Yes, both literally and figuratively!

During the summer heat, all you want to do is cool down and unwind. And summers can be fun, but they also can be ruthless.

But, don’t worry! That’s where yet another one of the benefits of diffusing essential oils comes in!

Diffusing cooling, crisp minty fragrances can help you save on your electric bill and also help you beat the heat.

The essential oils that I would recommend for staying cool are: Peppermint, wintergreen, spearmint, eucalyptus, and mint.

11) Helps Saves Money!

Think about the money that you spend on the doctor and medicine when you get sick. Or the money that you spend on your electric bill during the summer, or on your daily cups of coffee.

That adds up really quickly, doesn’t it?

I feel one of the best benefits of using an essential oil diffuser is the fact that you can save a lot of your hard-earned money by investing in a good diffuser and a good set of essential oils.

This means that not only do you get to have a good, healthy life. You also get to save more money while doing that.

And that I feel is one of the best benefits of diffusing essential oils.

What do you think? Let me know in the comments section below!

Concluding the Benefits of Using an Essential Oil Diffuser!

Who knew that diffusing essential oils had so many benefits, right?

I really do feel that essential oil diffusers are still the best way to reap the maximum benefits of essential oils.

The thing that I personally like is the fact that with essential oil diffusers you can just ‘change’ the oil according to your mood—something that you can’t do with candles and incense.

So, what are you waiting for? Get yourself a good essential oil diffuser (and a set of essential oils) today!

Leave comments if you feel that I might have missed something.

Did you know about the listed benefits before? Tell me in the comments section! We always love reading your comments.

How Does an Essential Oil Diffuser Work?

I know you are wondering how does an essential oil diffuser work?  We will cover the main types of essential oil diffusers, how they work and find out which one is right for you.  First here is a quick overview about aromatherapy and essential oils.

Essential oils or Aromatherapy oils uses a plant’s aroma-producing essential oils for health benefits. These essential oils are taken from a plant’s bark, flowers, leaves, rind, roots or stalk. Oils are then blended for use in many forms, including essential oil diffusers to improve the quality of air around you. Essential oil diffusers can be used in homes, offices, and even hidden away out of sight.

People have been enjoying the benefits of great smelling air but also Aromatherapy can promote relaxation and help relieve stress. When used properly aroma diffusers are safe and can be used to help treat a wide range of physical and mental conditions. Some of these conditions include anxiety, depression, insomnia, mood disorders, and high blood pressure. This is discussed on WebMD and in the medical communities today. Aromatherapy treatments have been moving out of the exclusive spas and into everyday homes and offices, thanks to modern affordable essential oil diffusers.

Health care provider Kaiser Permanente provides information to patients on how the fragrance of certain oils may stimulate the body to produce pain-fighting substances and their safe effective use. https://tinyurl.com/ycr4jvjf There is nothing better than using them during cold season it to relieve your symptoms. Try eucalyptus essential oil in a diffuser of your choice to help you breathe easier while also adding a refreshing scent of eucalyptus trees to your home.

So, how does an Essential Oil Diffuser Work?

Simply put a diffuser is any device which allows a liquid to evaporate and release an aroma into the surrounding environment. An “Essential Oil Diffuser” permeates oil into the air quickly, filling it with minute aromatic particles that disperse throughout the room. Permeation is regarded as the most natural way to diffuse oil for maximum health benefits. These health benefits are called aromatherapy and extend beyond just their smell. This is how an essential oil diffuser works but there are several different types of diffusers so read on…

Make sure the quality of essential oils used for aromatherapy are the purest. Research has shown that the scent of essential oils enters the brain to stimulate it. This creates a high sense of wellness both physically as well as mentally to aid in your health. http://www.umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/treatment/aromatherapy

With pure essential oils in hand, your next choice is to decide what type of diffuser to purchase and which best fits your needs. The here are four type of essential oil diffusers: Nebulizing, also known as Atomizing, Ultrasonic, Evaporating and Heat Based Let’s look at them a little closer.

The 4 Major Types of Essential Oil Diffusers

Nebulizing Diffusers

Nebulizing or Atomizer diffusers work similar to a basic perfume atomizer. Atomizing is a process that forces the breakdown of essential oils into their smallest molecular form. High-velocity pressurized air is sent through a jet nozzle that causes near instant evaporation. The oils are mixed with steam and form a fine mist. This fine mist is then dispersed throughout your room with amazing coverage.

Nebulizing essential oil diffusers are regarded as the best delivery method because they provide both aroma and therapeutic healing benefits. All this happens without altering the chemical composition of the oils. They break down pure essential oil molecules without any separation of the mixture. The particles are small enough for the body and lungs to absorb them quickly.

Remember that respiratory doctors prescribe the use of medical nebulizers to administer inhalants for medicinal purposes such as treating asthma. Aromatherapy professionals rely on a Nebulizing diffuser to effectively deliver pure therapeutic grade essential oils for maximum healing benefits. Now home diffusers are available for you to buy and use in any room of your house.

While often the most expensive of the diffusers, nebulizing diffusers offer features that often include controls for spray volumes, several timers or longer operations, and an auto shut off feature. Use night or day for the greatest benefits.

Ultrasonic Diffusers

Ultrasonic diffusers are sometimes called Humidifying diffusers. These essential oil diffusers differ from the others by using electronic frequencies that result in ultrasonic vibrations. These vibrations break the essential oils into tiny micro particles that get dispersed as a fine mist into the air. These tiny particles are easily absorbed by the lungs and body for therapeutic effect on the body, mind, and spirit.

While ultrasonic diffusers create a fine mist, they do not produce the same results as a nebulizer diffuser. An ultrasonic diffuser generates sonic bubbles in the water of the device and as the bubbles implode, tiny micron size droplets of water are released from the surface.

Each bubble has a fine coating of essential oil as they float up and rapidly become part of the air in your room. The added water created from this type of diffuser also humidifies the air with a cool mist. This spreads the aromatherapy evenly throughout your room while adding humidity to the air in your home.

Evaporating diffusers

Evaporating style aromatherapy diffusers have a fan that blows air from one area to another through some a filter pad that has essential oils dropped onto it. The air blowing through the pad will cause the oils to evaporate quickly. When this happens the air with the evaporated essential oil is blown into the room. Another type of evaporating oil diffuser is called a Reed Diffuser. A reed diffuser has sticks which sit and slowly draw the oils into the air through evaporation. No electricity is required.

This method of diffusion is great for getting better smelling air quickly into any room. However, there is one drawback. Anytime an essential oil is evaporated the physical state of the essential oil will be changed. When this happens some of the lighter more volatile components evaporate much faster than the heavier and less volatile components.

This means you are getting a higher percentage of the lighter components at the beginning of the process and a higher percentage of the heavier components towards the end of the process. This just isn’t very consistent and while it is beneficial other methods provide higher therapeutic benefits.

Essential Oil Burners

Essential Oil Burners or Heat Based diffusers cause the essential oils to evaporate quicker than normal by applying heat, either through burning a candle, or by using an electrically heated vaporizer. The increased temperature will cause the essential oil to evaporate into the air.

Some essential oil burners will use high levels of heat to produce stronger smells, while others use low levels of heat to produce softer aromas. Take note that high levels of heat can actually alter the chemical properties of the oils. Heat diffusers and essential oil burners rely on evaporation. This process actually fractionates the essential oil into its components instead of releasing the whole oil into the air.

These types of heat diffusers are economical and are essentially silent in their operation. They use the least amount of essential oils for longer use in your rooms. You will not gain the maximum health benefits like the other styles of diffusers, but you will enjoy the wonderful aromas that they release.

Comparison Chart of the Different Types of Diffusers:

Diffusers Type / Benefit Provided Lung Absorption Aroma Humidity Added Price
Nebulizing Best you can get Fantastic No High
Ultrasonic Good Great Yes Moderate to High
Evaporating OK Great Trace Economic
Heat Poor Fantastic No Economic

Qualities to Look for in a High-Quality Essential Oil Diffuser

The type of essential oil diffuser you choose to buy is dependent on the intended use. Some of you will want to gain the maximum health benefits of aromatherapy. The Nebulizing essential oil diffuser will provide the maximum benefits for this type of need.

Those in dryer climates would benefit from an Ultrasonic oil diffuser for both humidity and the therapeutic benefits of lung absorption to stimulate the body and mind. While not as powerful as the Nebulizer diffuser, the dual benefits of ultrasonic diffusers make them a great buy.

Evaporative diffusers and heat diffusers are great with long lasting odor control. Both lack the full health benefits of aromatherapy, but they last the longest. They are also the easiest to refill and require little maintenance. Lastly, heat evaporators usually last the longest and have the lowest care requirements.

With any essential oil diffuser look for following features:

  • Warranties from the manufacturer, even if limited
  • The ability to load and the refill essential oil easily
  • Easy to clean
  • Auto-off timers are smart choices
  • Output and spray settings are preferred

Most people will not provide the proper upkeep if it is not easy to do. Make sure your favorite diffuser continues to work for years to come, and get an easy to clean oil diffuser.

Essential Oil Blends

No matter what type of essential oil diffuser you choose, you can start enjoying your essential oils right away. Here are a couple of essential oil blends we recommend to get started you’re your new aromatherapy diffuser. The doTERRA Serenity Restful Blend calms your emotions while creating a sense of peace and well-being. This essential oil blend is like having ripe lavender flowers bottled at the time of their peak harvest. Diffuse this essential oil blend throughout the day to help lesson tension and melt away stress. The doTERRA Serenity Restful Blend comes packed with the following high quality essential oils: Lavender Flower, Cedarwood, Ho Wood Leaf, Ylang Ylang Flower, Marjoram Leaf, Roman Chamomile Flower, Vetiver Root, Vanilla Bean Absolute, and Hawaiian Sandalwood Wood.

Another must have essential oil blend is doTERRA Breathe. doTERRA Breathe is a blend of essential oils great for allergies, and during the cold season. This blend includes the following high quality essential oils: Laurel Leaf, Peppermint, Eucalyptus, Melaleuca, Lemon, Cardamom, Ravintsara, and Ravensara. doTERRA Breathe promotes feelings of clear airways and easy breathing while minimizing the effects of seasonal threats. The doTERRA Breathe blend can be diffused at nighttime to calm the senses and promote a restful sleep.

There are many essential oils and essential oil blends to choose from. Give them a try and find out which ones will become your favorites for years to come.

How does an Essential Oil Diffuser Work?

I hope this has answered the question of How does an Essential Oil Diffuser Work. Pick out your essential oil diffuser and grab some high quality essential oils like any of the doTerra blends today. You will start to not only enjoy a wonderful new aroma around you, but the proven health benefits await you.

What is your favorite type of essential oil diffuser?  Leave a comment below with any thoughts or questions.