Aromatherapy is a wonderful way to relax at home, but you need aromatherapy diffusers to disperse the aromas of your essential oils.
There are several diffusers on the market and their efficiency in providing an adequate concentration of aroma for a specific length of time varies greatly.
I have listed several common types of diffusers to help you decide which diffuser would best suit your needs.
Aromatherapy Diffusers
The following diffusers are specialized items that are designed to disperse aromas from many essential oils.
- Lamp Rings. Lamp rings can be made of clay, soapstone, and other materials. While they do not take up a lot of room, they are fragile. I used to have a terra-cotta ring and it broke during a move. However, I was quite satisfied with it while I had it. You simply need to put a few drops of essential oil in the groove of the ring and place it on a light bulb. A few minutes after you turn on the light, the aroma of your essential oil will fill the room.
- Pros: These lamp rings may be the least expensive aromatherapy diffuser on the market. The heat of the light bulb warms the essential oil and quickly disperses the aroma in the room.
- Cons: The obvious disadvantage is that you have to turn on the light (and use electricity) to use this diffuser. Also, the essential oil gets heated and its constituents may be altered, reducing the effectiveness of the oil. You should know that these rings were meant to be put on old-fashioned light bulbs. They may not fit on the new, energy-efficient bulbs that look like coiled fluorescent lights.
- Candle Diffusers. Candle diffusers come in all shapes and sizes. The one shown below uses a small tealight candle to heat water that has been scented with a few drops of essential oil.
- Pros: These diffusers quickly disperse the aroma throughout the room. You don’t need to use electricity to benefit from this diffuser. They are not overly expensive and can be used for different essential oils. The strength of the aroma can be easily increased by adding more oil to the water.
- Cons: The problem with this type of aromatherapy diffuser is that you have to treat them like candles and should never leave them unattended. Also, the heat of the candle evaporates the water and oil, and it is possible that you may run out of water while the candle is still burning. If this happens, you could damage your diffuser. Also, the essential oil gets heated and its constituents may be altered, reducing the effectiveness of the oil.
- Oil Diffusers. Oil diffusers are normally made of clay. They also come in all shapes and sizes and many of them look like art pieces, so the prices can vary significantly. The oil diffusers sometimes have an orifice where essential oil can be placed or you pour a few drops directly onto the diffuser. The oil makes its way into the porous material and then exits into the room. This type of aromatherapy diffuser is not heated.
- Pros: These diffusers can be wonderful additions to your decor. You don’t need to use electricity to benefit from these diffusers. The effectiveness of the oil is not compromised by heating it.
- Cons: The quantity of essential oil will directly affect the strength of the aroma and because it is not heated, you will need a lot more than with a candle diffuser.
- Plug-In Diffusers. You have probably seen plug-in diffusers on television. Many large companies sell them in grocery stores and department stores. You plug them in a power outlet, and the aroma comes from a small cartridge-like insert or a bottle.
- Pros: These diffusers are readily available. They are not overly expensive and the aroma quickly disperses through the room.
- Cons: If you opt to buy your aromatherapy diffusers at the grocery store, the selection of essential oils is limited. You also have to stick to one brand because the cartridges and oil bottles are not compatible. Also, trends tend to change quickly, and as such, the specific type of cartridges or oil bottles that goes with your plug-in diffuser may not always be available. Because electricity warms up the oil, the effectiveness of the essential oil may be compromised.
- Fan Diffusers. Fan diffusers can be your basic plug-in diffusers that were fitted with a fan to push the aroma through the room. There are also some that are battery-operated and many more types that are available through specialized stores. The fan diffusers that you buy through a specialized store are more suited for aromatherapy purposes because you can use pure essential oils and they come in various sizes that will disperse varying strengths of aroma.
- Pros: Fan diffusers are readily available. They are not overly expensive and the aroma quickly disperses through the room.
- Cons: If you opt to buy your aromatherapy diffusers at the grocery store, the selection of essential oils is limited. You also have to stick to one brand because the cartridges and oil bottles are not compatible. Also, trends tend to change quickly, and as such, the specific type of cartridges or oil bottles that goes with your fan diffuser may not always be available. Because electricity warms up the oil, the effectiveness of the essential oil may be compromised. At times, you may find the noise from the fan to be annoying.
- Nebulizers. Nebulizers are complex machines that turn liquids into vapors. By doing so, the molecules of essential oils can be more readily absorbed through your respiratory system.
- Pros: Essential oils dispersed through a nebulizer are quickly dispersed in a room and more easily absorbed into your system.
- Cons: The nebulizers are more expensive and not as widely available as other types of diffusers. They contain breakable parts and require thorough cleaning when switching between two essential oils. Also, thicker essential oils are not suited for this type of diffuser.
Other Types of Aromatherapy Diffusers
While there are other types of diffusers such as the aromatherapy car diffuser, aromatherapy vaporizer, reed diffusers, and aromatherapy inhalers, most of these diffusers use one of the dispersion techniques mentioned above.
Everyone has different needs so pick your favorite for your lifestyle. My favorite aromatherapy diffuser is the candle diffuser because of its flexibility. I decide how strong the aroma will be by adding more (or less) oil to the water. It’s also pretty easy to clean and the glow of the candle provides a warm addition to my home.
Now that you have read more on aromatherapy diffusers, you need to find the right essential oil.