Diffusing Essential Oils
Diffusing essential oils is an easy way to set the perfect mood for the busy holiday season. I love the ambiance a lit candle brings into a room but let’s be honest, it requires your attention to maintain safety. We are often far too distracted with cooking, cleaning, or entertaining to keep a watchful eye on the flame. If you enjoy adding scents of the season to your home, consider buying a diffuser this year. Diffusers come in all kinds of shapes, sizes, and price ranges. You don’t have to spend a fortune if you don’t already own one. In fact, I suggest you don’t spend a lot of money if you are new to diffusing. Like anything else, it’s best to try it out and see if it is something you will use on a regular basis or just sporadically. Once you determine your interest level and usage, you can upgrade if you’d like.
There are a few things to consider when buying a diffuser that will help give you a “set it and forget it” experience such as the water capacity, timer and shut off features, and the area your diffuser will cover. The design, colored lights, and therapeutic values are probably something you want to consider with an upgrade, so don’t get too bogged down with all those options at the start.
I recommend a diffuser that holds enough water to run several hours. Diffusers may have continuous and/or intermittent options, which will determine how long they will run before they run out of water. I prefer ones that can run at least 3 hours in my living areas and 8 or more hours in my bedroom.
I highly suggest you acquire a model that has an automatic shut off once it runs low. This is a critical option for me. I only use diffusers with this feature.
Essential oils are potent and safe, but you will not get that lingering synthetic aroma like you do with candles or plug-in diffusers. You want to determine what size room you will be diffusing in and buy accordingly, so the scent is noticeable. I recommend a diffuser for each room regardless of square footage.
Another critical consideration is your pets. Pets are sensitive to smell and what may please us can bother them. Always ensure that your pet can freely leave a room if necessary.
What’s in Your Diffuser?
So now you are ready to experiment with scent. Are you looking to recreate your childhood memories of warm cookies out of the oven, your freshly cut tree, or just a relaxing scent as you sit by the crackling, warm fire with your favorite cup of holiday cheer? The possibilities are endless, and you can easily create your own blends or find them online. I’ve included a few blends to get you started or spark your creative juices. If you want to keep it simple, choose a scent you like such as peppermint, cinnamon, or white fir and just use that. You don’t have to use a blend if you are on a budget. Quality essential oils are expensive, but a little goes a long way. Essential oils are worth the investment because they can be used in many ways besides diffusing. I can help you select and purchase oils if you would like. Simply comment on this blog or email me. I urge you to never buy fragrance oils. Don’t be tempted by the price or the convenience at your local department store. They are often diluted with carrier oils and chemicals, so not healthy to be inhaling for long periods of time. The following recipes serve as a guideline for blending. You can mix and match or substitute as desired. Follow instructions for your diffuser with regards to how many drops of oil is recommended and the desired aroma strength you wish to achieve.
Essential Oil Blends
Home for the Holidays
2 drops white fir
2 drops juniper berry
2 drops wintergreen
Warm Winter Spice
2 drops wild orange
2 drops white fir
1 drop cinnamon
1 drop clove
After the Rush
2 drops white fir
2 drops wild orange
1 drop juniper berry
1 drop lavender
Once you begin experimenting and diffusing essential oils, you will discover that they create a variety of mood changing affects. Find out which oils you are drawn to and see for yourself the therapeutic value they possess.
