One of the most popular ways to enjoy the benefits of essential oils is by using a diffuser. When you use an electric diffuser, all it takes is a flick of a switch and you can go about your daily activities whilst enjoying the aroma of your favourite essential oils.
Using a diffuser is a great way to introduce essential oils into your daily routine, enabling you to understand which aromas you find most beneficial in suiting your individual needs and requirements.
But what if you don’t have an electric diffuser yet and are excited to get going with making your home smell amazing with your most-loved essential oils?
In this article, we’ll explain how you can make a homemade diffuser to enjoy your favourite essential oils, whenever you choose.
What is a diffuser?
Dating back as far as the first century, essential oils have been enjoyed for their unique abilities and healing properties, both mentally and physically. Greek physicians and botanists wrote about the positive impact of essential oils on the human body and noted that most of these benefits can be enjoyed by simply inhaling the aromas.
In the past, evaporation was the main method used to disperse essential oils around the home. Luckily, modern technology has stepped in, creating the modern day diffuser that people across the globe have grown to love.
Diffusers are an easy and efficient way to transform your space and make your home smell great. They work by dispersing tiny molecules of essential oils into the air, allowing the aroma of the oils to quickly fill the air. This enables essential oils to be distributed quickly and consistently into the air at a pace which is best suited to you. Most modern electric essential oil diffusers use ultrasonic technology, or quickly vibrating sound waves we can’t hear, to vaporize the water and oils.
Electric diffusers are quick and easy to use, enabling essential oils to seamlessly become part of your daily routine. This enables you to enjoy that ‘just cleaned’ feeling in your home every single day, whilst rejuvenating both your body and mind at the same time.
To use an electric diffuser, simply fill the container with water to the fill line and add 20-25 drops of your chosen essential oil. Then, replace the plastic lid and stone cover, select whether you prefer a continuous stream or intervals and you’re ready to go. Your diffuser will then do the rest for you whilst you go about your everyday life, inhaling the beneficial aromas of essential oils.
What are the benefits of diffusing essential oils?
The benefits of diffusing essential oils around your home or workspace are countless, whatever your mood or activities. With so many incredible aromas to select from, there is always going to be a scent which can lift your spirits and improve your productivity for the day. Whether you plan to spend your day working energetically or taking a well-earned break, essential oils make the perfect accompaniment.
Unlike air fresheners and candles, essential oils work to cleanse and purify the air, filling it with a fresh and crisp scent without any harmful or harsh chemicals to inhale. For example, eucalyptus and tea tree essential oils are renowned for their abilities to remove yeast and mould particles from the air. They work to remove harmful bacteria by breaking down free radicals lingering in the air and creating an environment that is inhospitable to them.
As well as smelling great, essential oils also bring a whole host of benefits to your health and wellbeing. These include:
- Improving sleep
- Boosting mood
- Reducing feelings of anxiety and depression
- Relieving headaches
- Clearing blocked sinuses
- Reducing pain
- Aiding relaxation
- Boosting motivation and productivity
- Enhancing focus
It’s no wonder people across the globe enjoy the numerous benefits that essential oils can bring!
Create your own DIY diffuser at home
If you’re new to the exciting world of essential oils, you might be looking for a quick solution to help you use your essential oils, whilst you order a diffuser. Panic not, reed diffusers are quick and easy to make, with materials most people have laying around the house!
An old jam jar is perfect to get you started, or you could even use an empty perfume bottle. The jar or bottle will need a small opening at the top. If your jar has a cork lid, you can create this opening using a drill. It’s useful to note that the smaller the opening is, the slower your essential oils will evaporate, and the longer they will last.
Once you’ve got your container ready, add about a quarter of a cup of carrier oil to your container, along with a dash of alcohol to help bind the products together. Vodka or rubbing alcohol work best for this. The carrier oil that you choose should be light in consistency to enable effective diffusion. Sweet almond oil is our favourite! However, fractionated coconut oil lasts a long time without going rancid.
Then comes the exciting part: add 25-30 drops of your favourite essential oils. You can choose one oil or try combining several different oils together to create the perfect blend for your space.
When the mixture is ready, place some reed sticks into the solution. Reeds that are made from rattan work best for this, thanks to their small vertical channels. These channels allow the oil to travel upwards and diffuse effectively into the air. You can purchase rattan reeds in large quantities online, from websites such as Amazon.
If you don’t have rattan reeds handy or don’t want to wait for them, you can use bamboo sticks or skewers in a pinch. These won’t work as well, but it’s a start. You could also try using other sticks and stems you find around.
You can then enjoy inhaling the aromas from your homemade reed diffuser, as the scent of the essential oils slowly disperse through your home. When the diffuser becomes empty, simply refill the container and replace the reeds. (Although if the oil has gone rancid, you’ll need to wash it out first.)
Mug warmer or candle warmer
If you don’t have the materials to make a simple reed diffuser, perhaps you have a mug warmer or candle warmer lying around.
If you do, then grab a jar or mug and simply follow the instructions for the reed diffuser, but no need to insert sticks or reeds. Place the jar or mug of carrier oil and essential oil on the mug warmer or candle warmer, and turn it on. As the warmer heats up, the oil will heat up and vaporize the essential oils, and you’ll begin to smell your amazing essential oil scents.
Of course, this method is less effective, but it will work in a pinch!
Using a spray bottle as a diffuser
If a reed diffuser doesn’t feel like the right option for you and you don’t have a mug warmer or candle warmer, you may prefer to use a spray bottle to disperse your essential oils around your home.
Simply add 25 drops of your favourite essential oils to a clean spray bottle. Then, add distilled water to the bottle, securely replace the lid and give it a shake. You can spritz this hydrosol on fabrics and furniture around your home with the peace of mind that it is safe and free from the harmful or toxic chemicals that are found in many aerosols and plug-in air fresheners.
Many people enjoy spritzing their clothes with an awakening and uplifting essential oil in the morning to kickstart their day. Ideal oils for this include grapefruit essential oil or sweet orange essential oil. On the other hand, you could also try spritzing your pyjamas, towel or pillow with a relaxing essential oil such as lavender or chamomile before you settle down for the night. This can help you to relax and drift off to a deep, restful sleep.
Whatever the time of day or occasion, there’s always a perfect essential oil to complement your mood and activities.
Volant’s diffusers
If sleek and stylish is what you’re looking for, you’ll love volant’s range of essential oil diffusers. Our stone diffusers are available in a range of different colours to suit the décor of any room of your home, whilst bringing a touch of serenity. With their timelessly classic Scandinavian design and matte finish, our diffusers fit in seamlessly with modern, traditional or contemporary spaces. Volant’s diffusers are not only diffusers but also the perfect missing décor piece for your home.
Handmade to ensure the very best quality in every product, our diffusers are crafted from high quality porcelain, making them long lasting and durable. This means that you can enjoy their powerful diffusing abilities - without worry. There’s no wonder that volant’s stone diffuser and essential oils were awarded one of the ‘Top 3 Best Wellness Products In North Europe’ in 2020!
As we’re confident that you’ll love our diffusers, we also offer a satisfaction guarantee for 60 days. This means that you can try one of our diffusers in the comfort of your own home, and in the unlikely event that it’s not right for you, you can return it for a full refund.
On top of that, all of our diffusers come with a two year warranty, so there’s absolutely no stress involved in the purchase of your diffuser. After all, we want your new diffuser to help you to create an oasis of tranquillity in your home and transform your living space for years to come without any hiccups. Simply follow our maintenance tips to keep your diffuser working flawlessly.
When filled at the 100 ml capacity, your volant diffuser can run for up to 10 hours, maintaining a beautifully refreshed room all day. Not only that, but it will automatically turn off when it becomes empty, helping to extend the life of your diffuser.
You can also choose between two different settings: continuous for a more intense experience or interval (30 seconds) for a slightly more subtle aroma. This gives you complete control over your aromatherapy experience, because you’re the most important person here.
In summary
Diffusing essential oils is the perfect way to begin experiencing the benefits of essential oils and to create an aromatic haven in the comfort of your own home. If you’re looking to dip your toes in the waters of aromatherapy, creating a DIY reed diffuser is a great way to get started. Alternatively, you can try making a mug or candle warmer diffuser or simply fill a spray bottle for a quick and easy spritz around the house.
Long term, volant’s diffusers are extremely popular with returning customers due to their undeniable durability and ease of use. Our electric ultrasonic diffusers enable you to simply turn on the device and begin enjoying the aroma of beautiful essential oils in just seconds. They also have timers and shut off automatically when empty so you can use them safely while you’re sleeping! It’s a great way to welcome essential oils into your daily self-care routine.
