diffusing

THE GREAT DIFFUSER EXPOSÉ PART THREE – YOUR DIFFUSING QUESTIONS

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Introduction

Part One – Reviews on YL Diffusers

Part Two – Reviews on non-YL Diffusers

Actually I thought it’s gonna be a short article with like only 5 questions… then my awesome Let’s Add Oil teams came back to me with more questions. Thank you ah~~ *burns midnight oil*

So anyway here goes!

  1. Why diffuse? Isn’t it just a nice smell? 
    Nooooo~! Actually if you pick the right diffuser and use awesome oils like Young Living, diffusing can bring about so many benefits.    It can support your respiratory health, immunity, emotions and the list goes on. Tidbit! Do you know that emotional memories and trauma (eh even getting scolded by Mom when young also can be considered as trauma ok???) can only be released by smell alone? I kid you not.
  2. Can I use a burner, e.g. the one with a tealight candle? 
    Please don’t. When using the Young Living oils, I would highly recommend the Young Living diffusers and a select number of non YL ones that I have personally tried.     Basically you want to look for an ultrasonic diffuser that emits cool mist OR a nebulising diffuser rather than something that can burn and produce carcinogens with heat. After all, you don’t want to compromise the awesomeness of these oils ya?
  3. Can i mix 2 or more oils together to diffuse? 
    Ok, this one is a mixed bag of answers. I personally don’t because I think blending needs someone trained in aromatherapy to do it in order to yield the best benefits.    However I have seen blending recipes for diffusing at the Young Living Blog and have seen recipes created by YL members too. So I guess my answer to you is “Do you trust the source?” If so, go ahead.
  4. What are the diffuser brands you would recommend? 
    Definitely Young Living. For non YL brands, I do like Muji, 7 Hummingbirds, and those from Life Science Publishers. I have heard good things about brands like Novita and Whisper too.
  5. How about those pushcart diffusers? Or those from Qoo10? 

    Well honestly I haven’t tried those yet and can’t recommend either way. But I would question on their quality of plastic because the oils can corrode them.

    Well for a fact, I know Osim doesn’t work well with the oils – it had spoiled their humidifier and the plastic has gone all blurry. Not a good sign.

    And since you would be breathing in the air and the oils tend to leach out petrochemicals, you wouldn’t want the risk right?

  6. Why should I pick an ultrasonic diffuser and how does it work?
    “Ultrasonic diffusers are typically filled with water and the Essential Oils are then added to the water where they remain on the water’s surface.  Most Ultrasonic Diffusers work by using ultrasonic vibrations to agitate the water causing the separation of the water particles and thereby releasing negative ions into the air.These negative ions bond with positively charged free radicals in the air and help to clean your space while adding a small amount of moisture.When using Essential Oils in your Ultrasonic Diffuser, the oil’s particles are dispersed into the air along with the water, leaving your space smelling fresh.  This is also how you will benefit from the Essential Oil’s therapeutic properties.”
    Source – http://www.theessentiallife.org/theessentialblog/2014/how-does-an-ultrasonic-diffuser-work
  7. Why should I pick a nebulising diffuser and how does it work?

    The nebulising diffuser works by forcing an air current through a narrow micro-tube which increases its velocity. The pressure at the exit point of the narrow micro-tube is subsequently reduced.

    nebuliser

    Due to the difference in pressure, suction is created. Hence it causes the essential oil in an alternate micro-tube to rise up. Finally, the fast stream of pressurised air then comes into contact with the essential oil causing fine, atomized micro-particles of oil to be sprayed against the wall of the glass diffuser reservoir.
    As a result, the smallest mist droplets (1.5 – 5µm) are diffused out of the top of the glass cap in a light vapor, while the larger mist droplets are returned to the bottom of the instrument to be diffused, thus forming a cycle.

    Due to the fact that there is no heat involved, the original chemical structure of the essential oils are not altered or destroyed. Therefore, the essential oil molecules are able to be quickly inhaled and absorbed by the human body in their most natural, original state.

    Thanks Winnie for putting this explanation together!
    Reference – http://organicaromas.com/pages/how-it-works

  8. How long should I diffuse?
    You can usually diffuse as long as you want for most diffusers.For the AromaLux and Therapro, because they are so powerful and you can diffuse a full 15 ml bottle, I would suggest be conservative.If you want to diffuse non stop until the bottle is empty, try setting at a conservative setting first (low intensity, longer periods in between diffusing). AND DRINK MORE WATER PLEASE.When you inhale the oils, they do start cleansing you from inside and you need water to facilitate the cleansing. That could also help prevent rare but possible reactions like headaches.
  9. Is it ok to diffuse if I am pregnant / have a baby / young child in the room?
    Yes it is generally ok. Diffusing is one of the gentlest ways to introduce oils to a body.Though I would say monitor and watch out for any symptoms too. Anytime you don’t feel comfortable, stop diffusing. Trust your gut instinct and honour your comfort level. 🙂
  10. How about diffusing for pets? 
    Yes it is ok too. But because your pet can’t communicate with you OR you may misread their cues, leave an escape route for them, e.g. leave the door ajar. If they don’t like it, they WILL leave the room.
  11. Can I diffuse in a room without aircon switched on? 
    Yes you can. You can also have the fans on, windows closed if you like. If your windows are open, perhaps shift the diffuser away from the window.
  12. What are some oils that are not ideal for diffusing? 
    That would be the really thick and goopy oils – Myrrh, Vetiver, Patchouli. They may clog up your diffuser so I would rather apply these topically instead.
  13. I heard from my friends that the ultrasonic diffusers need to use filtered / distilled / boiled water for diffusing. Is that true?
    It depends on which diffuser you are using. Check the instruction manual? Thank goodness the recent models like Dewdrop can use tap water. I know personally that Muji, 7 Hummingbirds, SoundTech, Aria, Sha can use tap water too. 🙂
  14. I can turn on my diffuser but there is no mist coming out. Is it spoiled? What I can do? 
    If you have a YL diffuser, good news! There is a one year warranty. Bring it down and quote your member ID to the customer service staff. They will run a check, troubleshoot and swap for a brand new diffuser as necessary. The new diffuser will continue on the remaining of your existing warranty.If yours is a non YL diffuser, contact the seller. I am sure they would do something for you. I know 7 Hummingbirds and SoundTech have excellent customer service!

 

Big thanks to these Let’s Add Oil (LAO) folks for helping me come up with the FAQ questions! You rock, ladies! 

– Bunga Mawar
– Winnie Fannon
– Michelle Yeong
– Lynn Ong
– Saera Wee
– Siying Huang
– Maine Foo

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