There are a plethora of health benefits when you diffuse essential oils. The benefits of aromatherapy are vast and a great way to experience essential oils. Whether you’re looking for increased mental clarity, reducing stress levels or have other health concerns you’d like to address, The benefits of essential oil diffusers will surprise and delight you so read on to find out exactly how to use a diffuser in your home.
I diffuse daily for several reasons and believe there are many benefits in diffusing essential oils. I personally use my aroma diffuser to deodorize the air. Whether it be from last night’s dinner or having a lot of furry friends, diffusing my DIY Purification Blend is so effective. I also love diffusing lavender essential oil because it helps de-stress and calm nerves after a long day. Of course, when one of us is sick, Germ Fighter essential oil blend (thieves) is diffusing constantly. I even diffuse in my car!
Let’s get into why you’ll want to start diffusing immediately!
What are Essential Oils:
Essential oils are concentrated extracts from plants. The oils are extracted from the plants by cold pressing or steam distillation. Essential oils are used in aromatherapy which is the practice of smelling plant extracts in order to improve physical and mental health. The main compounds in essential oils are terpenes. Different terpenes are associated with aiding and healing a plethora of health and mental issues.
There are 2 different types of essential oil diffusers. There are ultrasonic diffusers and reed wood diffusers. This post will focus on electric diffusers.
Diffusing is an effective way to safely utilize the benefits of essential oils. Diffusing in aromatherapy essentially means spreading essential oil molecules over a large amount of space. You can experience great benefits without direct contact.
Benefits of Diffusing Essential Oils:
- Rids the air of fungal, bacterial and viral microbes-Germ Fighter Blend
- Neutralizes odors
- Supports the immune system-Germ Fighter Blend
- Improves concentration-Peppermint or Rosemary
- Lifts mood-Frankincense and/or Citrus oils
- Encourages healthy sleep-Lavender
- Produces negative ions
Electronic diffusers disperse oils into the air in the form of a fine mist. Absorbing essential oils via the respiratory system is a gentle, yet effective way to reap the benefits of essential oils. Studies have actually shown that when essential oils are dispersed through the air in mist form-they are more effective on airborne pathogens then when essential oils were used via topical application to a microbe or bacteria.
How to Diffuse Essential Oils:
When you diffuse, you add distilled or filtered water and 8-10 drops of essential oil.
The aromatherapy diffuser creates a mist that becomes suspended into the air for 2-3 hours after the diffuser has been turned off. This is a super effective way to “clean” your air! Especially when you have small children in school. When my girls were little we were fighting something daily. This was the time I began my habit of diffusing!
Research has proven that diffusing certain oils will reduce fungus, mold and bacteria. Not only that, you can rid your air of possible viruses and bacteria that could cause illness!
SO INTERESTING-Negative Ions:
The air contains particles that have a charge-they are either negative or positive. Diffusers actually produce negative ions which are healthy for our home.
Negative ions are produced from natural occurrences such as thunder storms, the ocean, waterfalls, forests and the mountains. They help stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system which controls relaxation, sleep, levels of serotonin, stress and digestion.
Negative ions also increase the flow of oxygen to the brain. They are attracted to positive ions which are typically what cause stress, irritability, physical issues and nervousness. Positive ions can come from dry, hot wind, pollution (dust and allergens), electronics and air conditioning. When a negative ion attaches to a positive ion, the pair are too heavy and pull each other down to a surface or the ground where they will eventually be vacuumed or wiped away. This clears the air.
Diffusing actually produces negative ions. To me, this is a huge incentive to diffuse daily.
Oils that Help Produce Negative Ions
- bergamot oil
- cedarwood oil
- citronella oil
- eucalyptus oil
- grapefruit oil
- lavender oil
- lemon oil
- lemongrass oil
- orange oil
- patchouli oil
- sandalwood oil
I believe it’s more about the movement of water coming from the diffuser though. In fact, running your shower can produce extra negative ions.
Beeswax candles also produce negative ions as well.
Other commonly diffused essential oils are rosemary oil and peppermint oil for increased brain function, tea tree oil for it’s potent antibacterial properties and lavender oil for better sleep!
Related Post: DIY Thieves Blend
Diffusing vs. Room Deodorizers:
You might be wondering why diffuse? Why not use products like Lysol or Febreeze? I talked all about the dangers of these products in THIS article but let’s do it again.
There’s nothing I hate worse then being exposed to these products. After ridding my household of these “air fresheners” years ago-it is unbelievable how offensive they are to my senses now.
There are 87 chemicals in Febreeze!
Did your mind just explode? What’s even scarier is that many of them are linked to cancer, cause birth defects or are toxic allergens.
Related Post: DIY Linen Spray + 6 Essential Oil Blend Recipes
I honestly don’t know what I would do without my diffusers. I have 3. Diffusing essential oils have so many benefits!
I used to be an avid candle burner. Candles contain some very toxic chemicals that contaminate the air. I talked about that HERE. I do still love candles but always stick to soy and beeswax. Make your own non toxic soy candles HERE and beeswax candles HERE.
However, candles can’t do what diffusing can do.
Kids are in constant contact with bacteria and viruses just waiting to trigger a stomach bug or cold. By diffusing Germ Fighter Blend (a blend of rosemary, cinnamon, lemon, clove and eucalyptus) at the very first symptom of an illness, you can help prevent the sickness from spreading throughout the house.
I love the ritual of diffusing. Honestly, there is something very intentional and lovely about lighting candles before settling in with a good book or movie and maybe a cup of tea or glass of wine. I find diffusing is the same way. I especially love it in the evening. As I’ve stated a million times, there is no better smell then lavender for me. I love it at night but during the day I add bergamot or lemon to it for a kick!
Diffusing and Skin Health
Diffusing can actually improve your skin as well! Think about how dry your skin starts to get in the winter when heaters are sucking out the moisture in the air? Even in the summer the air can become so dry plus we’re over exposed to the sun. By diffusing, you can improve extremely dry air and prevent your skin from drying out. I like to sleep with my diffuser on my night stand. Lavender can do a lot for improving sleep as well! Do yourself a favor and charge your cell phone in another room and use that extra plug for a diffuser!
Related Post: How to Make & Use Essential Oil Inhalers
Get a diffuser today! They are the best! Treat your home as a sanctuary by diffusing daily. You’ll support everyone’s health and well being by incorporating this simple habit!
Diffusers with the BEST Reviews
I have 2 ZAQ diffusers and have had them for years with no issues. I also have a Plant Therapy diffuser and love it.
Remember to always diffuse unadulterated essential oils. You might think you can skimp on oils you are diffusing but when companies add other oils or additives to their essential oils, it can really screw up your diffuser!
Where to Get the Best Essential Oils:
When using essential oils, high quality, organic oils are a must. I typically get my essential oils from Plant Therapy. I love that they offer organic oils that are affordable. Plus they offer fast and free shipping. You might be interested in my full Plant Therapy Review. They also have several certified in-house aromatherapist to analyze their essential oils to ensure consistent quality. They have a huge selection and their prices are much lower then YL!
If you have indoor cats you will need to be cautious with diffusing. Essential oils can be harmful to cats if you are not diffusing in a well-ventilated space. I wrote a post about the particular essential oils to avoid with cats along with tips on how to diffuse safely with cats.
In conclusions, essential oil diffuser benefits are many and getting into the habit of diffusing is one of the most effective ways to incorporate aromatherapy into your routine!
xx, Jenni
P.S. Be sure to share your favorite diffuser blends in the comments! I’ll share mine in a later post too!
PIN IT!!!
Hi Jenni- I also enjoy diffusing and love the benefits associated with it. However, a word of caution to those who have cats. It is my understanding that they are very sensitive to essential oils, especially those higher in linalool such as citrus oils and lavender, and diffusing needs to be done for shorter periods of time and in areas where the cat can get away from the smell. The National Association for Holistic Aromatherapy (www.naha.org) says: “Essential oil use for felines (cats) is very limited due to a cat’s sensitive metabolic system and their internal organs: the liver and kidneys do not breakdown certain substances due to lack of enzymes.” Birds are also very sensitive to essential oils and their diffusion. The Lavender cat (www.thelavendercat.com) is very informative on this subject. Don’t mean to be a Debbie downer, just looking out for the kitties 🙂
Lisa
Lisa-Thank you so much for this-I totally forgot to mention this. My kitties stay outside all day so I don’t worry about it but you are so right-those kitties can’t take much of the oils. I didn’t know about birds too!
Thanks for the info Jenni! I use oils although not as much as I could. Really was not aware of all of the benefits of diffusing. Now I’m more motivated!
Elizabeth-I was so glad to find the info. about negative ions! It inspired me to diffuse more as well!
What diffuser do you have in the picture. I’d like a diffuser that doesn’t require a cord.
Kelly-Hi! This diffuser has a cord-I might have edited the pic to make it prettier! It’s from Spark Naturals though. I have never heard of a diffuser that is battery powered but I’ll keep my eyes open!
@Kelly:
Mountain Rose Herbs has a battery/USB diffuser. I LOVE it. I have 4 of them. 1 for travel, 1 in the bathroom on the toilet tank and 1 near my litter box…The other is a spare.
Hi Jenni
I need some advice- I recently bought a ultrasonic diffuser. On the packaging it only mentions using essential oils, however when I started reading the manual it says only to use ‘water soluble essebtial oils’. I dont want to use any ‘fake’ stuff, but I cant find information on whether the diffuser will still work with pure essential oils or not. Do you perhaps have any info on this?
Oh and a very Blessed, Merry Christmas to you and your family!
@Anneen:
There is no such thing as a “water soluble essential oil” Water and oil are totally different products. Hydrosols, or ‘waters’ may be what they are talking about. But those are MUCH less fragrant, and often they don’t smell nearly as nice as essential oils and are less potent as well….
I found your post from Pinterest! This is a great starter post for people who want to give essential oils a try.
Kara-Thank you!!!