Why Diffuse Essential Oils?

At doTERRA, we recommend using essential oils aromatically or topically depending on the properties in each individual oil. Nearly every oil and blend, with the exception of HD Clear^® and Immortelle, can be diffused. Diffusing an oil helps us take advantage of its most noticeable characteristic—it’s scent. By learning more about how much of a role smell plays in our lives, the impact of essential oils can be understood on a deeper level.

The Power of Scent
Our sense of smell is one of our most powerful senses, and you have probably noticed in your own experience that some scents are more positively associated in our minds than others. Your body contains over 1,000 receptors for smell—more receptors than for any other sense. Dr. David K. Hill D.C., Founding Executive points out that even though our noses are not as acute as a bloodhound’s, “you can still detect thousands of varieties of odors in infinitesimal quantities.”

By putting essential oils directly into the air we breathe, we can influence the feeling of our environment, and, more powerfully, our own emotions. The doTERRA Emotional Aromatherapy^® System contains six blends formulated to address specific emotions, but any oil can have this impact. We know that citrus oils, for example, are uplifting and energizing to your mood, while scents like Lavender or doTERRA Balance^® are calming and grounding.

Other Uses and Benefits
While smell is a great tool, there are other reasons that diffusing essential oils can be beneficial to you:

It can purify the air in your home. Juniper Berry, Lemon, Lime, Melaleuca (Tea Tree), and specific blends like Purify and doTERRA On Guard^® are useful for this purpose.

Some oils can help maintain feelings of clear breathing and open airways. For example, doTERRA Breathe^®, Douglas Fir, Lavender, and Eucalyptus all have this ability, among other oils.

To minimize the effects of seasonal threats. Specifically Arborvitae and doTERRA Breathe help here.

Only a small amount of oil needs to be used if you’re using it in an ultrasonic diffuser. This means you can use one bottle of essential oil many times before you’ll need more.

How to Diffuse
The best way to diffuse is either nebulizing (cold air) or ultrasonic (water) diffusion. Heating oils to diffuse them can alter their delicate chemistry. Most of the diffusers doTERRA offers are ultrasonic diffusers, meaning that they use water to disperse the oil into the air.

To diffuse in an ultrasonic diffuser, put cool tap water to the fill line and add at least two drops or more to the water. Then, choose the time setting you desire and let it run. Diffusing in a nebulizing diffuser is waterless: take the cap and orifice off of your bottle of essential oil and attach it to the diffuser and choose your settings for time and amount at a time.

If you don’t have a diffuser, there are other ways to enjoy the benefits of diffusing. Try adding a few drops of essential oil to your palms and cup them over your nose while you inhale deeply. This is an easy technique especially when you’re on the go. Or, add some drops of oil to a glass spray-bottle with water and spritz around the room.

The combinations of essential oils you can diffuse are endless. And, like each of you, they are as unique as you would like them to be. Check out our post on creating blends to see what scents go well together, or follow us on Facebook, Pinterest, or Instagram for more ideas.