What Do Diffusers Do?
To put it simply, an oil diffuser is used to fill the air with pleasant-smelling tiny particles of essential oils that can be easily felt by our bodies straight after being dispensed into the environment as well as give the room a calming ambience, depending on what kind of oils you add to the diffuser. They can also be used to eliminate bad odors and remove airborne bacteria from the air, thus improving the environment and promoting your well-being. Essential oil diffusers also work to relieve stress and create a more peaceful ambience to wind up after work and induce a better sleep throughout the night. Though the working principle of essential oil diffusers differs between different types of devices, all of them essentially do the same thing - cleanse the air, boost the mood, inspire high spirits, and help relax. You only need to decide which type will be most suitable for your needs. Let’s discuss what essential oil diffusers can be purchased.
Types of Essential Oil Diffusers
Depending on what kind of effect you’d like to achieve, you can choose from five main types of essential oil diffusers available. Although they don’t work in the same way, they all have their own advantages and will let you get multiple health benefits.
Heat Diffuser
As it’s easy to guess from the name, this type of oil diffuser works based on the heat. Compared to the other types of diffusers, this one is least expensive yet it produces a more powerful scent. Nevertheless, it’s not very popular in aromatherapy since the heat causes the chemical compound of essential oils to change, which results in diminishing their therapeutic qualities.
Fan Diffuser
Just like the part “fan” in the name suggests, these devices work by moving the air across the absorbent surface, on which a drop of essential oil has been placed. They don’t have a large area of effect though and thus are best used in small rooms such as bathrooms, bedrooms, cars, and similar.
Evaporative Diffuser
Evaporative diffusers work in a slightly different way. Its operating principle implies placing a small amount of essential oils on items like a piece of some tissue, for example, cotton ball or other porous materials which will diffuse it into the air as the evaporation process starts. For those individuals seeking an eco-friendly alternative to chemical fresheners that can be used in small rooms, evaporative diffusers can be an excellent choice.
Nebulizer Diffuser
These are recommended by professionals as the most effective devices for aromatherapy. Due to their working principle based on using an atomizer which breaks oils into extremely fine particles of oils, they provide the intense concentration of oil in the air, cleanse it from toxins and foul smells, and provide a soothing effect for the whole body by being absorbed by your skin. There’s a downside to them too. Usually, they are the most expensive and are difficult to clean.
Ultrasonic Diffuser
Among the five, ultrasonic diffusers are perhaps the most attractive option as they can not only effectively disperse essential oils into the atmosphere but also function as a humidifier, thus bringing you double benefits. The only area where they somewhat drop the ball is that because they use a water solution, the therapeutic qualities of essential oils are a bit compromised. Nevertheless, ultrasonic diffusers are considered the second-best option, only slightly trailing behind nebulizer diffusers.
Essential Oil Diffuser Health Benefits
In addition to cleansing the air and saturating it with pleasant aromas, essential oil diffusers offer plenty of health-related benefits. Many of the existing oils widely used in aromatherapy can promote neurotransmitter activity in your brain, thus leading to a release of the hormones responsible for ensuring a sound, healthy and interrupted sleep throughout the night. The best sleep oils include sandalwood, bergamot and lavender.
It might not be that obvious but when used in a shared workplace, essential oils can also be used for boosting productivity, inspiring high spirits, and elevating your mood. To achieve that kind of effect, lemon oil works the best. The aroma of this oil helps promote concentration and eliminates the feeling of anxiety, thus allowing you to fully focus on what you do. It also has antibacterial and antiviral properties and can help fight colds by boosting your immune system and making you more resilient to seasonal allergies and diseases.
Lavender is the next-best concentration oil often used at brainstorming sessions. It can remarkably boost your productivity by helping you control emotional stress as well as treating tension headaches.
Similar to lavender oil, jasmine’s used to create a soothing effect on nerves, but unlike it, it also works wonders uplifting your spirits, providing an energy boost, and producing a feeling of optimism and confidence.
In case you experience mental fatigue and need a quick pick-me-up solution in the morning, rosemary oil will do the trick. In addition to stimulating clearer thinking and improving memory, rosemary also works as an antidepressant, effectively fighting physical exhaustion and fatigue.
Other oils many people use to get rid of anxiety and calm down the mind include neroli and frankincense. You may want to try different scents to find out which one will work particularly great for you.
As we’ve mentioned, many oils have antiviral and antibacterial properties and can give quick relief from sinus, headaches, sore throat and cough arising from colds or allergies. The best immune-stimulating oils include lemon, clove, peppermint, camphor and tea tree oil. Most of them are used by adding a few drops to the bowl of a diffuser and inhaling the steam, however, there are also those that can be used topically and even ingested with food.
If you have any sort of contagion or breathing problems, applying a small amount of eucalyptus oil to the chest can work wonders. This oil can loosen up your chest and make your breathing easier, but in order for it to work, it’s best to use it at night before going to bed. For those suffering from frequent digestive problems, applying a little peppermint oil can quickly soothe your stomach and get you back to the norm.
Finally, you may want to take advantage of massaging essential oils. They can work for helping a whole variety of issues by actively stimulating reflexology points on our feet.
Essential oils can also be ingested with food, however, it’s important to use them according to the included directions because when misused, they can be toxic and even poisonous.
An environment infested with insects can be quickly remedied by diffusing the right oils. Many insects can’t stand the scent of peppermint, cinnamon, and lavender oils, making them excellent at preventing mosquitos, bugs and other nasties from breaking into your property.
And if you want to improve the indoor air quality by getting rid of the airborne bacteria, fungi, mold and other unwelcome “guests” that have made a nesting spot in your house, the best remedy for that include lemon, oregano and tea tree oils.
3-1 Solution
If you like to play around with various scents for increasing energy, improving focus and concentration or simply relaxing and calming your mind, the Premier 100 by LEVOIT can fit that purpose. This diffuser gives you all the benefits of aromatherapy by allowing you to fill your room with any scents you like, and its stylish teardrop-shaped design makes it a beautiful piece of decoration to any interior regardless of the room it's going to be placed. On top of that, it can be used as a small humidifier. Admittedly, it was not built focusing towards replacing a proper whole-house humidifier, yet if used in small areas, it will get the job done. The unit has a relatively large container with a 300ml capacity and can run up to 14 hours, gently dispensing oils into the air and making the air feel pleasantly wet.
You can’t help but notice the design of the Premier 100. Even though it doesn’t have any wood elements that many other producers like to use on these types of devices, what sells about it is its minimalist design in a neutral tone which will look great both in the office or home without clashing with its interior. And if you want to make it more noticeable, simply enable the LED ring that surrounds the diffuser. It will automatically cycle through 7 available colors and 2 brightness settings or if you pick your favorite one, enable it instead. What’s great about this unit is that it remembers the changes that have been made to the settings during use and next time you use it, it will start from where it left off.
To start the aroma diffuser, pour some water along with a few drops of your favorite essential oil to the container until it reaches the MAX level, then put the top cover on the device, plug in the cord, and press the Power button positioned from the front. In a few seconds after that, a light mist of steam should start exiting the top part of the device. The Premier 100’s operating principle is similar to that of ultrasonic oil diffusers. The membrane vibrates at an ultrasonic frequency of 2.4MHz, in the result of which the vibrations penetrate the plastic and then go into water which breaks into fine particles of mist. This mist then humidifies the room and fills it with pleasant fragrances. When it comes to essential benefits, the Premier 100 works with all natural oils, allowing you to take advantage of aromatherapy and the healing properties for treating a variety of issues, including promoting better focus and concentration, reducing stress and anxiety, giving a feeling of confidence, eliminating headaches, and simply helping to relax.
Just do not add oils directly to the container and use only high-quality oils from trusted manufacturers (we have a few great selections of best peppermint oils, turmeric oils, and more), and the Premier 100 will faithfully serve you for years to come!