Choosing a diffuser for essential oils

Excerpt from IG of Rita Bernadino, a partner of The Living Abroad Guide.

Choosing a diffuser:

“To make the right choice you need to consider some factors like: The reason you are using the diffuser, Space size Available, Investment and Personal preference. Bear in mind that nowadays there are different types of diffusers of essential oils. Some are simpler, others more complete. However, they all have the same function: to spread the essential oil.

In practice, what changes is the process by which diffusers propagate essential oil molecules through the air. Below are the most common types and their characteristics. Essential oil diffuser: Get to know them in detail. As mentioned, the choice of the best diffuser for essential oils involves various factors. Therefore, your choice may vary according to your needs. So that you can decide which option is best suited to your needs and preferences, find out about the most common diffusers and their main characteristics.

1 – Personal diffuser : The personal diffuser is one that you can always take with you. It is basically a necklace with a small diffuser, enough to carry a few drops of essential oil. There are several materials, models and sizes available to choose the personal diffuser that best suits your style.

2 – Rod diffuser: Diffusers of essential oils rods are indicated to flavor and decorate the house. They have subtle aromas, prolonged effect and are long lasting.

Evaporation in the diffuser occurs by the alcohol it contains in the composition of the perfumed liquid where the sticks are partially immersed. This is a type of practical diffuser, and your only job when using these diffusers will be to invert the position of the rods periodically.

3 – Electric diffuser :The electric diffuser is not the best option for those looking to get all the benefits of essential oils. This is essentially because you have to add between 8 to 15 drops of your essential oil, which turns out to be quite a lot of drops of oil. In addition, its main disadvantage is that the oil evaporates quickly, and therefore needs to be replaced constantly, on average every 4 hours.

In addition, diffusers that work with heat can decrease the therapeutic properties of oils. However, this type of diffuser consumes little energy, is cheap (although it ends up being more expensive in the long run due to the amount of essential oil used), they are compact and flavor the environment through evaporation promoted by the heat of electricity. They are ideal for small spaces.

4 – Ultrasonic diffuser: This type of diffuser is one of the most recent models, and also the most expensive. This is because the ultrasonic model generates oil evaporation without using heat. In this way it maintains the properties of the essential oil, which allows you to enjoy all its benefits. And, it is precisely for this reason that this is undoubtedly the most recommended model. This type of diffuser promotes the evaporation of the essential oil by mixing it in the water and subjecting it to intense vibrations. That is, in addition to being a diffuser, it is also a humidifier and room purifier.

Some models also have calming color lighting (chromotherapy) that enhance the therapeutic action of the diffuser. These are the 4 most used diffuser models these days. However, a point that needs to be taken into account when purchasing, and regardless of the model chosen, is the quality of the material on which it is built. Essential oils break the particles of the plastic. And, if the diffuser is made with a material with low quality, these microparticles will end up being diffused from the air, thus ending up directly in our lungs. In short, although all models promote the benefits of aromatherapy, the most suitable option is the ultrasonic diffuser. And, having that possibility, this is the model that you should acquire.

Information Courtesy of Rita Bernardino, Agent at doTerra. Rita is a partner of The Living Abroad Guide.