The Benefits of an Aroma Diffuser
An aroma diffuser, or oil diffuser, disperses essential oils into the air in a fine mist. They’re a key tool in aromatherapy, which uses different scents to heal the body and mind.
Diffusing essential oils like ginger, chamomile, eucalyptus, tea tree, clary sage and rosemary can help to prevent the spread of germs and keep your immune system strong.
Improves Your Mood
Scents can have a direct impact on your mood. When you smell a scent, it travels to your olfactory nerve and influences the amygdala in your brain—the area associated with your emotions. Certain aromatherapy oils—like lavender oil—are well known for their calming effects, helping to ease stress and anxiety. Others—like citrus oils—are uplifting and may help improve your focus and productivity.
Using a basic essential oil diffuser is one of the easiest ways to enjoy these therapeutic benefits. When choosing the best oil diffuser for your home, look for an ultrasonic model that uses vibration to transform water and oils into a mist of fragrant vapor. It’s also important to only use high-quality essential oil and to follow the manufacturer’s recommended use instructions for your particular device.
Relieves Coughs and Colds
Essential oils can soothe a cough, help you breathe easier and ease the discomfort of a cold. Eucalyptus oil can help dislodge mucus, clear airways and soothe a sore throat. Cinnamon is a natural antiviral and contains menthol, which may help relieve congestion. Tea tree oil can inhibit the growth of bad bacteria that cause sinus infections and respiratory issues.
Use a plug-in diffuser that emits a fine mist of the aromatherapy oils into the air. It’s best to follow the manufacturer’s instructions about adding the right amount of oil. “Essential oils are super concentrated, so a couple of drops is probably all you need,” Nelson says.
You can also add a Aroma diffuser few drops of an essential oil to a steaming bath and inhale the scent. Or, combine a few drops of Lavender or Peppermint oil with a carrier oil and massage it near your nostrils before bed to ease breathing.
Relieves Pain
When you use the right oils in your aroma diffuser, you can help ease a number of physical ailments. For instance, the terpene limonene can reduce labor pains while the terpene linalool has calming effects.
Essential oil diffusers also work well to alleviate a variety of stomach issues, from feeling too full after a meal to having an unsettled stomach. The scent of certain oils, such as chamomile, lavender and clary sage, may also help you fall asleep so that you can get the restful sleep you need to feel refreshed.
An aroma diffuser can also assist in easing muscle soreness and stiffness, particularly if you’ve been working out or have an office job that has you sitting for long periods of time. Applying the diluted oil to a sore or stiff muscle and kneading it into the tissue can also ease discomfort by eliminating the lactic acid that causes it.
Helps You Sleep Better
Inhaling aromas from essential oils such as chamomile and lavender can help relieve stress, allowing you to fall asleep. Other scents, like those of ylang-ylang and neroli, can also induce sleep.
An ultrasonic diffuser, which is an electronic device that emits a mist of water and oil, is one of the best ways to introduce these oils into your home’s air. You can buy premade ones or make your own, though it’s important to test any oils on a patch of skin to ensure they don’t cause a reaction.
Another option is to use a reed diffuser, which features thin sticks of porous wood in a small glass container of essential oil. When the heat in your room evaporates the oil, it perfumes the air. You can also spritz a bed linen spray containing a blend of essential oils such as ginger, eucalyptus, clary sage, rosemary and thyme on your pillow or mattress.
Promotes a Healthy Lifestyle
An aroma diffuser makes it easy to breathe in the beneficial properties of a few drops of essential oil. It can create a calming space for relaxation or an energizing environment to help focus.
Certain oils have mood stabilizing qualities that promote feelings of calm, especially for women who experience frequent hormonal highs and lows during the menstrual cycle. Calming oils like lavender and bergamot also can trigger neurotransmitter activities that lead to the production of the sleep hormone melatonin for restful sleep.
In addition to promoting mood stability, essential oils can encourage circulation and lymph drainage beneath the skin, which can reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Choose a diffuser that features a humidifier for added benefits.
While some people use a diffuser with just a few drops of essential oil and let it evaporate into the air naturally, Nelson recommends that you follow the manufacturer’s instructions for the right oil-to-water ratio to avoid overdoing it. The best aromatherapy diffusers also feature timers to make it easier to keep track of the amount of essential oil you’re using in your home.
Helps You Create a Signature Blend
When choosing a scent for your aroma diffuser, make air humidifier supplier sure it is pure and bottled by a reputable company. Look for a blend with top, middle and base notes. Top notes evaporate quickly, while middle and base notes linger up to 2 hours.
If you have a respiratory issue, diffusing essential oils helps preserve feelings of clear airways and easy breathing. They can also help calm a nervous stomach or irritable digestive tract.
Try a relaxing blend of soothing lavender and calming ylang-ylang or invigorating sage with grounding vetiver. Or create a spa-like atmosphere with uplifting lemon, rejuvenating basil and earthy juniper. Infusing a signature scent into your home is a simple way to elevate wellness rituals, says wellness expert Esme Benjamin.
