The 4 Main Types of Diffusers for Aromatherapy
A diffuser is a device which allows you to infuse your surrounding atmosphere with the healing properties of essential oils. For more than 5,000 years the natural oils taken from plant parts like flowers and leaves, stems and roots has been used for medicinal purposes. Many of these essential oils can be used in the garden to protect your precious plants from bothersome bugs, and used on you and your pets as pest-repellents.
Some essential oils work very well when combined with other oils and water as incredible household cleaners in every room of your home. There are essential oils that effectively boost heart health and fight cancer, make your skin and hair look and feel healthy, strong and vibrant, those that deliver antiaging properties and still others that can make you smarter and boost your memory.
Some oils can be applied topically to your skin or scalp, while others have been safely added to food and beverages for centuries.
One of the most common ways to benefit from aromatic essential oils is to mist those oils into the air, and then breathe in the fragrance. One simple way to do this is to employ a diffuser. These devices come in literally thousands of shapes and sizes, with simple or complex features, they are inexpensive and costly, so you may not know which one to buy.
You are going to have to test different kinds for yourself, and make a personal preference judgment. To help educate you before you buy an essential oil diffuser, let’s take a look at the 4 most common types.
Humidifying Diffuser (Also Called Ultrasonic)
Ultrasonic diffusers create a fine mist that mixes with the air in your immediate environment. What a humidifying diffuser does is use electronic frequencies to vibrate a small disc or platform which is submerged in some liquid. Usually water is used. The vibrations occur at a very high rate, and when you add essential oils to the diluting liquid, those oils are broken down into microscopic particles.
This is done to allow your lungs to effectively absorb the natural healing properties of essential oils. You also benefit by the fact that an ultrasonic diffuser humidifies your air, which is beneficial if you find yourself in an arid, dry environment.
Nebulizer Diffuser
Have you ever used or seen a perfume atomizer? An atomizer works by directing a small but powerful air current across the top of a liquid which contains some type of aromatic perfume. In this way, the atomizer creates a very fine spray.
A nebulizer diffuser works the same way, and since this method is effective for placing all of the oil into the air, it is often times regarded as the most effective and efficient type of diffuser for receiving all of the possible health benefits from your oils.
Evaporative Diffuser
This type of diffusing device operates at a very basic level. A fan is used to blow air across a filter, stone or pad upon which a few drops of essential oil is placed. This does a really good job in immediately sending essential oil into the air in your room or nearby environment. However, this process makes some of the tenderer and volatile parts of the oil evaporate, which is why some believe this may diminish the therapeutic properties of your oil to some degree.
Heat Diffuser
Like the aforementioned evaporative diffuser, this process causes essential oils to evaporate at a higher rate than other diffusing methods. However, heat diffusers are budget-friendly and totally silent. If you go this route, choose a heat-based diffuser that uses lower rather than higher levels of heat. The less heat used, the more therapeutic and healing properties you will get from your oil.
How to Choose the Right Ultrasonic Diffuser?
How is the airflow?
The first time you are using an essential oil diffuser, you experience several challenges when using it. One of them is the fact that you can’t control the rate at which oils are misted into the air in your home. Good essential oil diffusers come with an airflow that enables you to control the intensity of the oils that are misted into the air hence spreading the oils evenly in your room.
Do you have to refill all the time?
There is no astounding moment for an oil diffuser user than sitting in a living room or bedroom just to enjoy the essential oils. The truth is, you don’t want the oils getting depleted when you’ve just settled to enjoy it or in the middle. To prevent this from happening, go for an essential oil diffuser with large amounts of milliliters so that you don’t waste a lot of time refilling it.
How wide is the coverage area?
One of the greatest factors to consider when buying an essential oil diffuser is the size of your room. Going for an essential oil diffuser with a smaller area of coverage might not be effective enough. On the other hand, Choosing an essential oil diffuser with a very wide area of coverage might be wasteful. So, be sure you know the approximate measurements of the area you want the essential oil diffuser to cover.
How easy is it to clean?
One of the hardest tasks when it comes to maintaining your essential oil diffuser is doing the cleaning. The first thing you should do to ensure that your essential oil diffuser performs best is to do away with any dirt that accumulates on it. A good oil diffuser needs to take you fewer seconds to make it sparkle. You should also be able to do away with any dirt on it using very little water and detergent to wipe off it all off. To save yourself the trouble, buy the one that is easier to clean.
How do you change your oils?
Essential oil diffuser comes with several oils that are vital to your health. The main drawback here is the fact that you have to change your oils every time simply because your body needs all sorts of essential oils. Going through most oil diffusers you will come across that diffuser that requires you to turn off the unit to change the oils. To make your work easier, you need an essential oil diffuser that will enable you to change your oils easier and faster so that it doesn’t ruin your moment.
Does it have a bottle with a narrow neck?
Believe it or not, if the diffuser uses a bowl or other vessel with a wide opening at the top, the oil can evaporate through the top rather than through the reeds, wasting the precious oil.
Does the diffuser use high-quality essential oils?
Make sure to check that the oils are alcohol-free, paraben-free, and phthalate-free.
In summary, essential oil diffuser makes a perfect appliance for any home where health is a number one priority. It will enrich your home environment with oils that prevent lots of diseases, improve your breathing, get rid of insects, save you lots of medical bills and more. However, when making your first purchase, chances that you will get what suits your needs are limited especially when you are buying it for the first time. You will come across more than enough on the market with different prices, designs and most importantly, features. Don’t rush. Use the techniques above on how to choose an oil diffuser to save yourself from making additional expenses.