The Benefits of an Essential Oil Diffuser
There are many ways to use and enjoy our essential oil blends, and diffusers are by far one of the most popular methods. They make aromatherapy a breeze, but if you’re new to essential oils, you may be wondering about the benefits of an essential oil diffuser and how to use one.
5 Benefits of an Essential Oil Diffuser
1. May Help with Anxiety, Stress, and Sleep
Diffusers make it easy to inhale essential oils that can help with stress, anxiety, and sleep. Many diffusers also come with a convenient timer feature, so you can set it up before bed, relax and drift off to sleep.
Even if yours doesn’t have a timer function, you can simply enjoy a 30-60-minute session before bed to get yourself into a more relaxed state.
For anxiety and stress, you can use your diffuser anytime and virtually anywhere.
Some of the many essential oils you can diffuse for anxiety, stress, and sleep include:
- Valerian: A 2020 review found that valerian essential oil may help with anxiety.
- Lavender: A 2019 review found that inhaling lavender can help significantly reduce anxiety.
- Frankincense: Research shows that frankincense can help relieve stress and anxiety.
- Bergamot: A study from 2015 found that bergamot can reduce anxiety and improve mood.
- Chamomile: Research has found that chamomile can help with anxiety and sleep issues.
2. May Help You Feel Energized and Focused
The great thing about essential oil diffusers is that you can use them virtually anywhere – and that includes your workspace. So, if you work from a home office or have your own private office at work, you can use a diffuser to help improve your energy and focus.
Several essential oils have been shown to have an energizing effect, and your diffuser makes it easy to enjoy this benefit.
Here are a few of the many essential oils you can use for energy and focus:
- Peppermint: One study found that peppermint essential oil can effectively prevent fatigue and improve athletic performance.
- Rosemary: A 2018 study found that rosemary oil may help improve memory and focus in students.
- Sage: Research has shown that sage can help improve memory and mood.
- Vetiver: Researchers concluded in a 2016 study that inhaling vetiver helped improve brain function and alertness.
3. Easy to Use
Essential oil diffusers are easy to use, making it easy for you to enjoy the therapeutic benefits of essential oils.
In most cases, diffusing is as simple as adding water and essential oils to a device and pressing the “on” button. You can go from unboxing to using in as little as five minutes. There’s nothing complicated about the setup either.
4. A Great Alternative to Scented Candles
Scented candles are great, but they can be harmful to your health and they’re a fire risk. Essential oil diffusers allow you to enjoy your favorite scents without worrying about fires. And rather than being harmful to your health, essential oils can be beneficial.
The nice thing about using essential oils is that you can change the scent quickly and easily without buying something new. In addition, you can blend essential oils to create different scents and effects.
5. May Repel Insects
Although essential oils are typically used for therapeutic purposes, they can have other effects, like repelling insects. There are quite a few essential oils that can effectively keep pesky mosquitoes and other bugs away, like:
- Citronella
- Lemongrass
- Lavender
- Peppermint
- Geranium
Many plants have natural compounds that repel bugs, and these same plants will have similar effects in their essential oil form.
How to Use and Clean Your Diffuser
While there are many different types, ultrasonic oil diffusers are the most common and popular option. Ultrasonic diffusers use water vapor to disperse the essential oil into the air. Generally, they work by filling up the reservoir with water, adding essential oils, and pressing the power button (follow the manufacturer’s directions when using any essential oil diffuser).
Reed diffusers are another popular option, and they’re even easier to use. Reed diffuser sticks are placed into an open bottle filled with an essential oil blend (alcohol, carrier oil, and essential oils). The essential oils saturate the sticks and are naturally diffused into the air.
Cleaning a Diffuser
Cleaning an essential oil diffuser is just as easy as using it. However, if you’re the type of person who likes to change scents regularly or uses your diffuser often, then you may need to clean your unit more often. Ideally, you’ll want to do a deeper cleaning when changing scents to ensure the scent is pure.
If you’re using an ultrasonic diffuser or any other type of electronic diffuser, make sure that it’s unplugged before you start cleaning. Then, empty out any remaining water from the reservoir.
- Fill the water reservoir about halfway with water.
- Add a teaspoon of vinegar (distilled white vinegar is best).
- Run the diffuser for about 10 minutes.
- Unplug the unit, and empty the reservoir again.
The process above will help clean the unit's components (similar to how you clean a coffee pot with vinegar). Like the mist vent and water reservoir, individual components can also be cleaned with vinegar and a cotton ball or paper towel.
The Takeaway
Essential oil diffusers offer many benefits. They’re easy to use, and they’re incredibly versatile. For aromatherapy and therapeutic purposes, diffusers are a great option.
If you're looking for a sweet-smelling blend to diffuse that combats an array of issues like stress and anxiety, loss of focus or energy, or even pain, look no further than Inner Warrior Essential Oil!
Made with vetiver to help improve focus, and lavender, frankincense, and chamomile to reduce your stress and anxiety. So whether you're diffusing at work or home, you have the energy and focus you need to achieve your goals without having to spend time searching for relief from anxiety and stress.