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Choose a Diffuser That’s Right for You! – Diffusion Methods and Comparisons

We have often been asked which diffuser is the best; but with so many different types of diffusers available (each with their benefits and downsides), the best answer we can give is—it depends on what you like in a diffuser. There are many different diffusers on the market today, so it is important to know the differences so you can choose one that will work best for you.

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There are four different kinds of diffusers on the market today: nebulizing diffusers, ultrasonic or humidifying diffusers, evaporative diffusers, and heat diffusers. Let’s discuss what each of these diffusers is along with the benefits and downsides of each.

Nebulizing Diffusers

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A nebulizer works basically the same way a perfume atomizer works. A jet of air blowing across a small tube creates a vacuum that pulls a liquid at the bottom of the tube to the top of the tube. The air flow blowing across the surface of the oil at the top of the tube blows the oil away in a fine spray or mist.

Benefits:

  • Quickly saturate the air with oil. With a constant air supply source, this type of diffusion can quickly put a large amount of oil into the air.
  • Diffuses whole oil = best for therapeutic use. Because this type of diffusion works to put the whole oil into the air in the form of tiny droplets, it is often considered the best type of diffusion for the therapeutic use of essential oils.

Downsides:

  • Typically louder diffusers. Since nebulizing diffusers work so powerfully, they generally run at a higher sound level than other diffusers.
  • Use a lot of oil. Because nebulizing diffusers quickly saturate the air with essential oils, they tend to use oil at a higher rate than any other type of diffuser.

Tip: We generally recommend using a timer with any nebulizing diffuser and setting the timer so that the diffuser is only running for about 15 minutes each hour. This not only helps to conserve oils, but it also allows the olfactory system time to process the oils and recover before receiving more.

For those who want to be able to quickly saturate the air in a room with the whole oil, this system just can’t be beaten!

Nebulizing Diffusers Abundant Health™ Carries:
The Advanced Essential Oil Diffuser is the most powerful diffuser we carry. It features built-in settings that allow you to control both the air flow and the amount of time the diffuser is left on and off. This enables you to have control of how much oil is being diffused at a time.

The Digital Timer has 20 time slots available for you to set, so you can choose to have the device come on and off 20 times throughout the day or 20 times throughout the week. It is programmable to the minute, allowing you to set it to the exact time you want. Automate a diffuser or other device using easy preset options or custom settings for each day of the week.

Ultrasonic or Humidifying Diffusers

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Like nebulizing diffusers, ultrasonic diffusers also create a fine mist, but the method by which this is accomplished is very different. An ultrasonic diffuser utilizes electronic frequencies to cause a small disc under the surface of a liquid (usually water) to vibrate at a very fast rate. These ultrasonic vibrations break the essential oil into tiny microparticles, dispersing the oil in a fine mist. These tiny particles are more easily absorbed by the lungs for a greater therapeutic effect on the body, mind, and spirit.

While the transformation of water or other liquids into vapor normally requires great heat, the transformation of these liquids into vapor is accomplished through an adiabatic process, which means the change in state of the liquids was accomplished without any kind of heat energy being used at all.

Benefits:

  • Helps humidify the air. This type of diffusion creates a lovely mist that helps to humidify the air and features the gentle sound of trickling water.
  • Conserves oil. Because only a small amount of essential oil is needed in this type of diffuser, less oil is used as compared to other diffusers.

Downsides:

  • Very little oil is diffused. Because this type of diffuser needs a large amount of water compared to oil to create the mist, only a small fraction of the mist is actually essential oil, and it depends solely on the air current already in the room to disperse the mist throughout the room.
  • Typically needs cleaning often. If the oil is placed in the base of the diffuser with the water, there is the potential for the oil to build up on the ultrasonic disc (the silver disc that vibrates and creates the mist). If oil builds up on this disc, causing the disc to be unable to vibrate quickly, the result may be a burnt-out motor in the diffuser. However, this can be avoided by frequently cleaning the ultrasonic disc by dipping a cotton swab in rubbing alcohol and gently scrubbing the disc.

For those who desire only a small amount of oil to be diffused in a room, this type of diffuser not only works well but can also be very beautiful.

Ultrasonic/Humidfying Diffusers Abundant Health™ Carries:
Our most popular humidifying diffuser is the Whisper Premium Silent Misting Diffuser because the oil never touches the moving parts, it is easy to clean, and it has timer settings that allow the diffuser to run intermittently for up to 9 hours. This is one of the best nighttime diffusers because it is silent and will run off and on all night long.

The gorgeous Handcrafted Porcelain Ultrasonic Diffusers come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and designs. If you are looking for an elegant diffuser to display, these are the ones to look at. These diffusers also come with 16 light options (including no light) and 3 mist options: high, low, or intermittent.

The USB Diffuser is the smallest ultrasonic diffuser on the market! Just insert a small bottle of oil in the compartment underneath the diffuser, and the ultrasonic disc will mist the oil into the air. This diffuser works anywhere there is a USB connection or adapter.

The Ultra Mini USB Diffuser and the Ultrasonic Car Diffuser both use a wick to bring the water and oil up to the ultrasonic disc to be diffused out. The Ultra Mini USB Diffuser makes a great starter diffuser because it is inexpensive and works well. It is also a good choice for use with children because the water won’t leak if the diffuser is tipped over.

Other ultrasonic or humidifying diffusers include the Aroma Ready™ Oil Drop Diffuser, the Ultrasonic Personal Diffuser, the Sirona™ Ultrasonic Diffuser, the Airmid™ Ultrasonic Diffuser, and the Cloud Ultrasonic Diffuser.

Evaporative Diffusers

There are usually 2 kinds of evaporative diffusers, ones that use a fan and ones that use the existing air current. Both kinds of evaporative diffusers are pretty basic in how they operate.
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With an evaporative fan diffuser, a fan blows air from the room through some sort of pad or filter that has essential oils dropped onto it. The air blowing through the pad causes the oils to evaporate more quickly than normal, and the air with the evaporated oil is blown into the room.

The other type of evaporative diffuser doesn’t require a fan to blow the oil around but rather uses the air current existing in the room to subtly diffuse around a small area. These diffusers are usually personal diffusers such as necklace pendants, bracelets, personal oil inhalers, or pens. Some can even be absorbent beads placed in a mesh bag to diffuse in a small space.

Benefits:

  • Provides aroma for a small area. This method of diffusion works well at getting the scent of the oil into the room or around your personal space.
  • Pretty quiet diffusers. Aside from fan noises in the fan diffusers, evaporative diffusers are typically very quiet and may not make noise at all.

Downsides:

  • Oil components evaporate at different times. Anytime an essential oil evaporates, some of the lighter, or more volatile, components of the oil tend to evaporate much faster than the heavier and less volatile components. This means that instead of getting the whole oil all at once, you are getting a higher percentage of the lighter components at the beginning of the process and a higher percentage of the heavier components towards the end of the process. Because the whole oil is not diffused at once, the therapeutic benefits of the oil may be reduced.

While this fractioning of the oil may diminish any therapeutic properties that the whole oil had possessed, evaporative fan diffusion is still a good and relatively quiet means of getting the aroma of the essential oil throughout the room, and evaporative personal diffusers are great at containing the aroma within your personal space.

Evaporative Diffusers Abundant Health™ Carries:
The evaporative fan diffusers include the FanFuser™, the Battery Operated Diffuser, and the USB Fan Diffuser.

The Whispi™ Personal Pump Diffusers are a little unique because the pumping action with your finger pushes the air through the scent cell, picks up the aroma of the essential oil, and blows it out for you to smell.

Abundant Health™ offers a wide array of aromatherapy jewelry, including necklaces, bracelets, and earrings as well as other accessories such as aromatherapy pens.

Heat Diffusers

Like evaporative diffusers, heat diffusers also cause the essential oils to evaporate quicker than normal but use heat instead of blowing air to accomplish diffusion.

While some heat diffusers use high levels of heat to produce stronger smells, the best heat diffusers will only use very low levels of heat that produce more subtle aromas. This difference is important because high levels of heat can actually alter the chemical constituents of the oils.

Benefits:

  • Provides aroma for a small area. This method of diffusion works well at getting the scent of the oil into the room or car.
  • Silent diffusers. These diffusers are silent since no air is being blown, no water is bubbling, and no fans are blowing.

Downsides:

  • Oil components evaporate at different times. Heat diffusers share the same drawback of any diffuser that relies on evaporation—the potential of fractionating the oil into its components instead of putting the whole oil into the air. See evaporative diffuser downsides (above) for more information.
  • High levels of heat alter oils. As mentioned above, high levels of heat can actually alter the chemical constituents of essential oils, so it is best to only use essential oils with low levels of heat.

Heat diffusers are a very economical and totally silent method of putting an oil’s aroma into the air.

Heat Diffusers Abundant Health™ Carries:
Abundant Health™ only offers low-level heat diffusers so they can be used with essential oils. These heat diffusers include the Car Diffuser and the Plug-In Diffuser.

How do I know which diffuser I need?

With the large variety of diffusers on the market, it can sometimes be hard to decide on which one to get for youself and your family. To help you better understand your diffuser needs, try answering the following questions:

    • How do I anticipate the diffuser to primarily be used? Do I need it for its strong therapeutic benefits, or do I primarily want to diffuse for the aroma?
    • When do I need the diffuser to run? At night while everyone is sleeping or during the day? Some diffusers are quieter than others, so keep this in mind when choosing a diffuser.
    • How large is the area I wish to use my diffuser in? Some diffusers are meant for small spaces while others may cover the whole house.
    • Does the warranty matter to me? Warranties can be an indicator of the quality of the diffuser, so this may be a feature to look for.
    • Do I mind cleaning the diffuser, or do I need a low maintenance diffuser? Diffusers vary in how much maintenance is required. On average, humidifying diffusers require the most maintenance with the Whisper diffuser being an exception.
    • How much am I willing to spend on a diffuser? This can be a huge factor, but you should consider the long-term costs as well. Some diffusers are pretty inexpensive but, if not maintained properly, could break down quickly requiring multiple purchases over time. Other diffusers may be an investment with a higher upfront cost but, with warranties and low maintenance needs, could prove to be a better deal in the long run.
    • Do I care what the diffuser looks like? Some diffusers are more aesthetically pleasing than others, so if the diffuser will be prominently displayed, this could be a deciding factor.

What are the diffusers Abundant Health™ sells, and how do they compare?

Click to enlarge the diffuser information graphics below.


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Build Your Business with the Essential Oils Mini Reference Card

To be truly successful in the essential oil industry, you have to share your love of essential oils with everyone you meet. However, it’s hard for someone you talk with to internalize and remember everything you tell them about essential oils after just one meeting. You need to put something in their hands that they can take with them, refer back to, and use to learn more about the incredible benefits of pure essential oils. One great resource that we offer that is perfectly suited to this task is the “Reference Guide for Essential Oils Mini Reference Card.”

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This beautiful card features an alphabetical listing of common health conditions and suggests essential oils that many individuals have used to help with each condition. The card also includes basic information about how to use essential oils aromatically, topically, and internally so that your clients can have a starting point when learning to use essential oils. And the back of the card also includes a space at the bottom where you can place an address label with your contact information (this is a great place to list your personal website or blog too!) so that people can contact you when they want to learn more about essential oils.

This card is the perfect size to keep in your car or your purse, to use as a bookmark, to include with your essential oils first aid kit, and to hand out with a sample of your favorite essential oil or blend!

If you are looking for a great resource (that is also very affordable!) to help you share essential oils with others, we highly recommend this “Reference Guide for Essential Oils Mini Reference Card”!

 


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Simple Steps to Essential Oil Bottle Organization

It is not uncommon for essential oil users to have essential oil bottles scattered all over the house, grouped in clusters on countertops, or piled in drawers or cabinets. Some of these bottles may even be empty or unlabeled; and you probably have a variety of sizes from tiny 1/4 dram sample bottles to larger spray bottles. Does this scenario sound like your home? If so, it may be a worthy goal this year to organize your oils so that you know where to find the oils you need when a small emergency happens.

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We’ve compiled a simple 8-step organization project that can help you gain control of your oil bottle chaos. This project will help you establish an organized “main stash” where you may want to keep some of all your various oils and then smaller stashes where you can store smaller quantities of your most frequently used oils in cases or racks throughout your home.

Step 1: Round up all of your oil bottles.

Walk around your house, and gather all of your essential oil bottles. You may even need to look in the car, your purse, junk drawers, etc.

Step 2: Get an up-cycle bin.

Find a bin that you can store your empty oil bottles in. Many of these bottles can be cleaned and repurposed. Sort through your essential oil bottles, and pull out all of the empty bottles. Place them in this bin for future use.

Step 3: Make sure all the bottles are labeled.

Chances are you have bottles that don’t have labels or bottles that have labels that are worn off or handwritten and smeared by oily hands. You will want to make sure your bottles are labeled correctly so you aren’t guessing when the time comes to use them. Click here to find some blank labels or pre-printed labels.

Step 4: Find a place to keep your main stash.

If you haven’t already done this, determine where you want to keep the majority of your oils. Keep in mind that it is best to store oils out of direct sunlight and in a relatively cool place. One of our employees suggests keeping at least one bottle of all your oils here so if you need something, you always know the best place to look. This can also be the refill station if your other bottles around the house get empty.

Step 5: Get a large rack or case to store your main stash.

With all the oil bottles that will likely be placed here, you will want to find an organized way to store them so you can find the oils you need in a hurry. Abundant Health™ has a variety of large racks or cases for this purpose.

Some case options allow easy viewing of the labels on the sides of bottles. Other options may need labels for the bottle caps for easy identification.

Step 6: Get smaller cases or racks for storing oils in various locations throughout your home.

Small sample bottle cases, such as this keychain case, work well for storing oils in your purse. These small racks are great for displaying your cooking oils. One of our employees also suggests keeping dropper caps on your cooking oil bottles so that you can easily get a single drop out or be able to dip a toothpick in the oil while cooking. Depending on your style, these cases are also great for traveling or for keeping oils in the bathroom, by diffusers, or on nightstands.

Step 7: Prepare essential oil bottles for use in various places.

For example, you may want lemon essential oil to be with your cooking essential oils in the kitchen, and you may also want it by your diffuser in the living room. And if you need to use lemon oil for injuries and such, you will want to have some handy in your main oil stash. If you have lemon oil bottles in your up-cycle bin, just transfer smaller amounts of your oil into these bottles to keep in the other locations. If you don’t have any empty bottles, you can always find some here. Abundant Health™ also carries sample size bottles that are convenient to have when you only need a small amount of oil. Using disposable plastic pipettes is an easy way to transfer oils without making a mess.

Step 8: Place the newly organized essential oil cases & racks in their designated locations, and enjoy the feeling of a job well done!

We are planning a post on ways to up-cycle your essential oil bottles. Would you like to share some of the ways or ideas you have for reusing your essential oil bottles?


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15 Unique Ways to Use a Shot Glass with Essential Oils

Who would have thought a shot glass could be a great asset to an essential oil user? But, it’s true! Because undiluted essential oils can interact with plastic materials, these small glass cups are perfect for many things that do not involve alcohol consumption. In fact, they make great stocking stuffers, even for children. And, the best part is…these shot glasses from Abundant Health are only a dollar!

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15 Unique Ways to Use a Shot Glass with Essential Oils

  1. Try an allergy “shot” with a couple drops each of lavender, lemon, and peppermint diluted in water.
  2. Mix up your own mouthwash by adding 1 drop of peppermint, melaleuca, lemon, orange, cinnamon bark, or an antibacterial blend to water. Gargle, and spit.
  3. When you feel like you are getting sick or getting a sore throat, try taking a “shot” with a drop of oregano diluted in water. Gargle, and swallow.
  4. Fill the shot glass with your daily vitamins and supplements the night before so you will remember them in the morning.
  5. If you have a cough, try adding a drop each of lemon, orange, frankincense, and peppermint to a little bit of honey. Mix with a spoon, and eat.
  6. Try a detox “shot” by adding a drop of lemon to a little water.
  7. Don’t like taking your omega 3 fish oil? Make it a game with another family member, and see who can down their small glass of fish oil the fastest!
  8. AH48_HandMake your own massage blend by putting your carrier oil in the shot glass; then drop essential oils in, and mix. Pour a little bit at a time on area to massage.
  9. Clean your toothbrush at night by setting the brush in a solution of hydrogen peroxide and a drop of lemon oil or an antibacterial blend in the shot glass.
  10. Want to add oils to your bath? Fill your shot glass with Epsom salt, and drop a few drops of your desired oil(s) in. Try a relaxing bath by adding lavender or an energizing bath by adding citrus oils. After you have your Epsom salt and oil mixture, place the shot glass under the bathtub faucet, and let the running water mix it into the filling bathtub.
  11. Make a mini reed diffuser by filling the shot glass 3/4 of the way full with jojoba oil and 5-10 drops of essential oil. Place rattan reeds (cut to 4–5″ tall) in the oil mixture. After a few hours, the reeds will suck up the oil and disperse the scent into the air.
  12. Mix up your own furniture polish by putting a little olive oil in the shot glass and adding a few drops of lemon essential oil. Dip a rag in the mixture, and polish away!
  13. Have you heard of oil pulling? These shot glasses are the perfect size for mixing a little coconut oil and essential oils to swish in your mouth! Just swish for 15–20 minutes, and then spit into the garbage.
  14. Have an upset stomach, heartburn, or motion sickness? Try taking a “shot” of water with a drop of ginger, peppermint, or a digestive blend.
  15. Kids love these glasses because they are miniature and fun! If your child won’t take a capsule with essential oils, just add a drop of oil to water in the shot glass, and make it a game to drink it fast.

Do you have other ideas for how to use a shot glass with essential oils? If so, please comment below!