Best Essential Oil Diffusers

I’ve posted before about why we don’t use scented candles and what we use instead. One of my favorite alternatives is to use an essential oil diffuser, and many people asked what type of diffuser I use and recommend.

I’m not an herbalist or aromatherapy expert, but I have tried many types of diffusers and I wanted to share the pros and cons of the ones we’ve tried.

From my experience, not all aroma diffusers are created equal and some work much better than others. I wish that I’d read a review like this before deciding which to purchase and I hope my experience will be helpful to you.

Benefits of Diffusing Essential Oils

So what do diffusing essential oils mean exactly, and why would you do it? Aroma Diffuser uses various methods to disperse essential oil containing water droplets through the air in a fine continuous mist.

Far from being just a natural substitute for air freshener and nothing more, each type of essential oil contains powerful chemical properties (the “essence”) from its parent plant. These chemicals bind to our olfactory receptors (how we smell) and have an actual effect on our limbic system. These nerves in our brains control our hunger, emotions, anger, sleep, and more, so it makes sense diffusing oils can have a real effect.

There are a number of studies (plus a whole lot of anecdotal evidence) that diffusing essential oils can produce the following benefits, depending on the type of oil:

• reduces stress
• improves mental clarity
• uplifts the mood
• calms and promotes a sedative effect (useful before sleep)
• purifies the air

In fact, essential oils are so much more than air fresheners that we need to be cautious about how we use them around our homes and our children.

Ultrasonic Diffusers

Ultrasonic diffusers work in a similar way to nebulizing diffusers by creating a fine mist. The difference is that ultrasonic diffusers use water and essential oils to create an ultrasonic cool mist of water/oils that releases into the air. They double as a humidifier, so they are beneficial in winter, but they don’t put out as strong of a concentration of essential oils since they also use water.

Note: It is not recommended to use citrus essential oils with this type of diffuser as they can cause the parts to erode.

Pros:

• Less expensive than nebulizing diffusers
• Doubles as a humidifier (beneficial in cold months)
• Many options to choose from
• Doesn’t use heat
• Water tank has a large capacity

Cons:

• Can’t use citrus essential oils
• Need water to operate
• Must be cleaned occasionally
• Some have lights that can’t be turned off
• Not as effective as nebulizing diffusers