Reed
Diffusers: The New Trend In Relaxation
and Stress Reduction
By Dawn Turner
Your job. Your
kids. Your spouse. Bills. Gas prices.
Deadlines. The economy. War. Hangnail.
Lawn needs mowing. Forgot to pick up a
gallon of milk. Need to make that
appointment for Fido to go to the vet.
Forgot Nancy's birthday AGAIN.
There is
a lot going on in our lives today
that creates stress and anxiety for
all of us. It seems most of
us these days are looking
for ways to relax, unwind and
de-stress from daily pressures. Some
choose to exercise. Others may choose to
read a book or watch a movie. Others
visit spas and get luxurious massages.
But more and more these days, people are
turning to aromatherapy.
Aromatherapy itself is really not a new
phenomenon. The Egyptians have been using
aromatherapy and scented oils for
relaxation and the promotion of
health for the last 6000
years. Aromatherapy has been
used throughout the ages as a means of
healing both physical and emotional
ailments. The sense of smell and the
inhalation of certain scents can
alter ones mood and promote relaxation by
affecting the chemical balance in the
brain and causing one to become more
relaxed.
Aromatherapy has
taken on a whole new dimension and has
become a billion dollar industry. There
are many forms of aromatherapy including
candles, lotions, incense, massage oils,
etc. Becoming increasingly popular these
days are reed diffusers.
Reed diffusers are very simple to use and
provide wonderful long-lasting aromas
that fill your home with calming and
familiar scents. Diffusers are primarily
made up of a glass container, a scented
oil mixture and a handful of rattan
reeds. The glass bottle holds the scented
oil mixture which is primarily made up of
a diffuser base mixed with fragrance or
essential oils. After you have poured the
scented oil into your glass container, (a
glass bottle, jar or vase for example)
you insert the rattan reeds into the oil
and you are all set to go ! Reed diffuser
oils last a very long time. Quality oils
from a respected supplier should last
(approximately) 1 month per ounce. This
may vary a little due to enviromental
conditions. (Fan on, air conditioning or
heat on, doors open, humidifiers, etc.)
Diffusers
work by diffusing the scent into the air
through the reeds. Rattan reeds are made
up of "channels". There are
approximately 20 channels in every reed.
The channels basically "suck
up" the oil much like a straw. When
the oils reach the tops of the reeds
(usually within 12-24 hours) the scent is
diffused naturally into the air.
This provides a stable, steady scent that
is long lasting.The number of reeds you
use is based on your personal
preferences. The more reeds you use, the
stronger the scent. Usually this is
between 6 and 10 reeds. If you notice
your scent is starting to weaken, flip
the reeds. Carefully take the reeds out
of the bottle and flip them upside down.
This will expose the ends that were
sitting in the oil to now be exposed to
the air releasing more scent. After some
time of course, reeds can become clogged
with dust or become overly saturated. In
this case, simply discard the reeds and
insert new ones.
When choosing a
reed diffuser to purchase, it is
important to find a supplier that uses a
quality base and undiluted fragrance or
essential oils. Many bases on the market
today contain a large amount of alcohol
in their bases. Alcohol is highly
flammable and causes the fragrance or
essential oils to evaporate too
quickly into the air. This forces you to
have to purchase more oil in a shorter
amount of time and often lines the
pockets of suppliers out to make big
bucks from your oil refill purchases.
Another ingredient often used by
manufacturers or suppliers is dipropylene
glycol. (Often referred to as DPG).
Dipropylene glycol is a dilutent used to
"cut" fragrance oils. It can
often weaken the scent and is a little
too thick to properly wick up to the top
of the reeds. When choosing a supplier,
make sure the base or oils that they
offer do not contain alcohol or DPG.
(Dipropylene glycol).
Another
thing to consider when purchasing a
diffuser are the reeds that are offered.
You must use rattan reeds. There is a lot
of misinformation, especially on the
internet, in regards to
reeds. Some suppliers say their
reeds are made from bamboo. Bamboo reeds
will not work as bamboo chutes contain
nodes, not channels, and will not wick up
properly. I even saw an article in a
popular woman's magazine recently that
suggested making your own diffuser using
bamboo skewers. Skewers are not meant to
be used in reed diffusers. If a
supplier is telling you the reeds
are bamboo, find another supplier as they
do not know enough about reed diffusers
to be selling them in the first place.
Again, make sure the reeds are made of
rattan.
Reed
diffusers are a safer alternative than
candles as there is no risk of fire and
no dirty soot that ends up on your
furniture. You should still use caution
and keep safety first when using any
product, including reed diffusers. Be
careful not to tip diffusers over and use
care when flipping the reeds as oils can
damage delicate surfaces. Reed diffusers
oils are not meant for use on the skin
and as good as they smell, you simply
shouldn't eat them !
Reed
diffusers are a wonderul way to relax and
de-stress as well as pleasantly scent
your home or office environment. They
also make great, well appreciated
gifts as scents affect our lives in
many ways ! (Bringing back fond memories
of grandma's cookies or reminding
you of your wedding day
flowers for example). Although our
lives will never reach a point of being
completely stress-free, it's nice to know
that aromatherapy and reed diffusers are
there to take the edge off.
************************************************************************
Dawn
Turner, currently residing in a
small town in central Wisconsin is
the proud mom of two teenagers. She
is an expert in fragrance diffusion and
owns TheDiffusery.com.
The diffusery sells quality reed
diffusers and supplies. Dawn, a self
professed scent junkie, loves to travel
with her husband, listen to music and
take long bubble baths.
