Practical Aromatherapy - The Easy Magic of Diffusing Essential Oils
Essential oils are a curiosity to many folks -- they smell nice, but they're just not sure what to do with them, never mind how to get the most from aromatherapy's science-proven benefits (like antiviral, antibacterial and stress-reducing actions). So where to start?! Inhale! Breathe them in! By using a diffuser to accelerate the evaporation of oils in the air around you, not only does your place smell great, but its the best way to use the most sought-after uses of aromatherapy: immune system and emotional support. We'll start with a quick review of the potential benefits of diffusing essential oils for your family, with specific notes for children, then look at the best diffusers for each use.
Scientifically Proven Health Benefits of Essential Oils
The big interests in home use of essential oils is twofold:
- They can bring calm to overexcited youngsters while acting as antidepressants for everyone.
- They have proven antibacterial and antiviral actions; they are able to destroy these microbes in the air, while simultaneously support the strength of our immune system.
There's a good bit of scientific data backing both these claims available for free viewing at PubMed.Gov -- start by simply searching for "essential oil" and see where it takes you. Again, the easiest way to reap these benefits of essential oils is to use a diffuser to release the oils into the air in your environment. A diffuser simply evaporates oils faster than they would naturally, getting a therapeutic concentration into your living or office space -- but there are many diffuser styles -- we'll help you find the one best suited to your needs.
Diffusers For Antiviral/Antimicrobial Action & Immune Support
In order to best disinfect the air in your surroundings, you can imagine you'd need a little bit more essential oil than what evaporates from an aromatherapy candle. To get this amount of output requires a "nebulizing" diffuser. To "nebulize" an essential oil means to make a very fine mist, which quickly and easily evaporates. Some diffuser manufacturers claim their diffusers make smaller droplets of mist than others, but the truth is they all will work. The droplets all "disappear" completely upon leaving the diffuser, without any residue around the machine. To best conserve your oils while still creating these therapeutic effects, you'll want a timer system too -- some come with them built-in, though the most versatile will be external, fully-programmable timers you can find online or in a hardware store.
Even the nebulizing diffusers come in a couple of styles: Ultrasonic or Cold Air. The ultrasonic is a small ultrasonic humidifier which makes a mist of cool water and essential oil together. The cold air style make a mist of only the essential oil, and of all the diffuser styles can output the highest concentration. Both these styles are regulated, allowing you to set the output to suit the size of your space and your therapeutic needs.
Fan And Warming Diffusers for Stress Reduction and Improved Rest
For simple aromatic use -- where oils are used for uplifting your spirits, calming or helping your children sleep, or just making your environment smell fantastic, a "fan" or "warming" diffuser is totally appropriate. The fan diffusers work by blowing air from a small fan over a pad that has been saturated with essential oils -- the warming diffusers work the same way, but with a little bit of heat (they don't get so hot as to burn anyone, and are safe to use around kids). The fan units will emit a quiet hum when on, the warming units will be silent -- and the fan units will generally emit aroma into a moderately-sized space, while the less-expensive warming units are suited for a single room.
Automatic On/Off Cycles For Best Results
It's a known fact that if you smell the same aroma for hours on end, eventually you won't notice it any longer. Also, once your environment has enough oil evaporated in the air, no more is needed for the disinfecting effect until the oil naturally dissipates. A timer helps conserve your essential oils by only evaporating your oils during the "on" cycle. The "off" cycle in effect lets your nose forget the oils are in the room. Therapeutic timing cycles are around 5 minutes "on", 25 minutes "off" -- this is completely flexible depending on the diffuser, the room, and your desired "aroma strength". Some diffusers come with timers "built-in", but for those that don't, a common appliance or lamp timer will do the job. The better timers will be infinitely adjustable, allowing you to set the diffuser cycles precisely -- these timer units are called "digital, programmable" timers.
Selecting The Best Oils For Your Needs
Each essential oil has a unique chemistry; the unique chemistry of each oil gives it its aroma and its therapeutic action. For emotional support -- oils that make you happy -- consider the "Needle" oils. Oils distilled from Spruce, Fir, and Pine needles are very popular to give your home the scent of being deep in the forest. You can imagine how pleasant that may be! Other anti-depressant oils include the citrus oils (virtually all the oils pressed from the peels of citrus fruit are considered very uplifting) and some folks really enjoy the florals: Rose Geranium, Rose, and Neroli. Lavender essential oil is THE most studied oil for calming and rest. There are many resources on the internet to help you find the oils you enjoy smelling, with the psychological energetic profile you're interested in. Most oils in this category are safe for all ages -- only Peppermint, used for invigorating mental activity, is not recommended for use with younger children.
For disinfecting your surroundings and boosting your immune system, there are many highly regarded oils to choose from. Lauris Nobilis (Laurel Leaf) was recently noted to have direct effects against the virus causing SARS, and due to its very complex chemical nature, will likely have this effect against many other viruses. Narrow-leaf Eucalyptus is very popular, and is called the "aromatherapist's designer oil" for its broad range of actions. These include antiviral and immune-supportive effects, as well as a nice "pick me up" aroma. A little online research will help you find more oils in this category, and even diffuser blends formulated for this purpose. As the antimicrobial oils are often very potent, it is important to research whether your oils of choice can be safely used with children -- it is likely that they are ok, but its best to be sure. A few oils that are too strong for diffusing are Cinnamon Bark and Oregano (these are excellent antimicrobial oils, but inhaling them can irritate the mucus membranes). Eucalyptus, Laurel Leaf, Rosalina and Lavender are great immune supportive oils for the whole family.
In Conclusion: Diffusers Make Aroma-Therapy Simple
Essential oil diffusers are inexpensive and easily purchased at a local health food store and around the internet. Look for a unit specifically designed for use with pure essential oils, rather than "fragrance oils" (man-made replicates of natural scents -- there is no "pumpkin pie" essential oil, for example!). If you're not sure which oils to start with, there are many guides and great books available, and many aromatherapy companies will have support staff to help get you started. The world of aroma-medicine is available to you, and diffusing oils in your home is a great beginning in this realm of natural medicine.
Author: Joan Kelly - Cacao, the "food of the goddess" - to learn more about this high vibe fruit and various other musings see the authors blog, ""Organic Medicinal Herbs".
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