Essential oil diffusers are a hot topic right now, which comes as no surprise. In a post-pandemic world, where anxiety is rife and social hangovers intense, we’re more obsessed with wellness and self-care than ever before. And with summer still not quite with us, when those rainy days make their inevitable spring appearance, we still crave living spaces that feel cosy, calming and relaxing just as much as the height of winter.
Alongside feng shui-ing your bedroom and buying new bath towels for a spa-like pamper, investing in a zen-like lemongrass home fragrance is one of the best ways to inject calm into your space. And while scented candles, room sprays and reed diffusers have their benefits, an essential oil diffuser – or nebulizing diffuser, as they’re otherwise also referred to – goes above and beyond.
By emitting a stream of continuous mist containing drops of essential oil at a high air pressure, electronic diffusers not only fill your living room with a beautiful scent but allow you to take advantage of the benefits of aromatherapy. Oh, and they eradicate any risk of spillage or your curtains going up in flames. Life-changing? You bet.
What does an essential oil diffuser do?
An essential oil diffuser works by using ultrasonic pulses to blend drops of essential oil with water, before circulating a fragranced, cool mist around your room.
What is an essential oil diffuser good for?
Electric diffusers have the power to fill your space with subtly-scented purified air that helps you feel relaxed or perhaps more focused – depending on which essential oil you choose (more on that later). But that’s not all. Investing in an essential oil diffuser also allows you to take advantage of the benefits of aromatherapy.
What are the benefits of aromatherapy?
According to Robert Tisserand, an Essential Oil Educator and Aromatherapy Expert from California, “Clinical studies have shown that aromatherapy by inhalation can have real benefits for people with, for example, anxiety, [problems with] mental focus, depressive symptoms, and menstrual pain.”
Further research has supported this, showing that essential oils can interact with the brain and nervous system to positively impact your health and mood.
When essential oils are concentrated in an essential oil diffuser – and subsequently inhaled – they can easily stimulate the olfactory system in the brain. Thus, running an ultrasonic diffuser can effectively reduce feelings of anxiety and stress – and help you nod off to sleep.
Are essential oil diffusers bad for you? Is it safe to breathe essential oils in a diffuser?
Essential oil diffusers are safe and their risk of harm is minimal. In fact, inhalation is arguably the safest means of administering essential oils like eucalyptus or tea tree.
To be extra safe, when shopping for your essential oil blend, be sure that it specifically says on the bottle or website that it’s considered safe for internal consumption. This means the essential oil is safe to diffuse indoors and of high quality.
What are the best essential oils for diffusers?
One of the best things about investing in an essential oil diffuser is that you can switch up the oils you’re using depending on your needs at that time. Lavender is good to help you relax before bed (we recommend the Tisserand Lavender Essential Oil), while rosemary will help you stay focused when you’re working from home.
Cedarwood, lemon, bergamot, vanilla, lemongrass, orange and valerian are good for stress and anxiety, while peppermint is good for a mood boost.
Here are some of our favourite essential oil blends to drop into your essential oil diffuser:
Which essential oil diffuser is best?
There are tonnes of aromatherapy essential oil diffusers on the market, from the best essential oil diffusers for small spaces to the Asakuki diffuser and the best diffuser for large rooms. But not every essential oil diffuser is made equal.
The main features to look for when shopping for an electronic oil diffuser are automatic shut-off, varying mist modes and run time. You might also consider light options, as some essential oil diffusers come with additional features like LED lights for creating ambience. Case in point: the Beurer LA 40 essential oil diffuser has an LED light with six different colour options. You can also get an essential oil diffuser with built-in Bluetooth speakers for playing your guided meditation through, like the MadebyZen Olly Ultrasonic Aroma Diffuser.
For more from Glamour UK Commerce Writer Sophie Cockett, follow her on Instagram @sophiecockettx.