10 Benefits of Diffusing Essential Oils

One of my favourite ways to use essential oils in our home is by diffusing them. Did you know that our sense of smell is one of our most powerful senses? Our bodies contain over 1000 receptors for smell which is more than the amount of receptors for any of our other senses. By diffusing essential oils into the air, we breathe them in and can then experience powerful shifts in our mood and emotions, not mention purifying our air and other uses which I'll delve into below.

Best Way to Diffuse?

As beautiful as some oil burners can be, and yes, they deliver pretty smells, the heat actually alters the chemistry of the essential oil so you may not really be getting the benefits. Utlrasonic diffusers are excellent because they use cold water to disperse the essential oils into the air. Another good option is nebulising (cold air) diffusion.

Benefits of Diffusing

1. Sleep

We use oils every night for sleep. To wind down and then to have a deep sleep, because honestly, some nights I actually feel like that "Go the Fuck to Sleep" book was written specifically for me ;-) Oils like lavender, vetiver, cedarwood, frankincense, roman chamomile, are all beautifully calming. As we sleep and breathe in the aromatic compounds, they enter our limbic system, and aid in the release of seratonin and dopamine. 

2. Purifies the Air

There are many essential oils with antibacterial, antiviral properties. I love to diffuse these kinda oils after a spring clean, when any of us are sick, or really just in winter when the house has been closed up too much. Don't want anything funky in our air. These would be oils like tea tree, oregano, lemon, "on guard" protective blend, purify blend, clove, rosemary, cinnamon, eucalyptus.

3. Elevates Mood

I've personally witnessed powerful shifts in mood and emotion for me through diffusing oils in my home. When we smell the oils, they are processed through the brain's olfactory system (controls our sense of smell) which is connected to our limbic system (the area of our brain where our memories and emotions are stored). The limbic system then produces a distinct response to the aroma based on memories that are associated with a particular smell. This then leads to a rush of feelings. In this way essential oils can produce responses that can be used to enhance our wellbeing and manage our emotions. The citrus oils are favourites for elevating mood. They're like little. bottles of pure happy. I love blends like Citrus Bliss, Cheer, and Elevation. Other oils are beautifully calming like lavender, vetiver, frankincense, bergamot and the other sleepy time ones I mentioned above. Then there are oils for energising, for invoking a sense of passion and creativity, supporting us in times of deep grief and despair.... I personally love doTERRA's emotional blends for this. Click the graphic below to see how simple it is to choose a blend based on what you need in any given moment.

3. Stress & Anxiety

As above with mood management, diffusing the oils is obviously fantastic for a good dose of Calm the F Down! For me, I love to diffuse Frankincense & Balance when I feel overwhelmed, scattered, and need some centring and grounding. This is a gorgeous blend for keeping my 3 year old balanced too. If we have a serious meltdown on our hands, I love lavender peace, vetiver and cedarwood for my little guy or Peace blend.  Neroli is lovely too. There's a huge list of essential oils that are wonderful for stress and anxiety.

4. Supports our Respiratory System

Coughs, colds, flus, allergies, sinus/chest infections, our diffusing is pumping right away with On Guard protective blend, oregano, frankincense, lemon and tea tree for immune support. Easy Air blend to open the airways if we need it, especially at night with our lavender for sleep. If it's just allergies, I personally love eucalyptus and frankincense for me. 

5. Focus & Concentration

Lemon is the oil of focus! Great for school age kids needing help with concentration. I love peppermint and wild orange personally. Frankincense, sandalwood & lime are all great for clarity of mind, rosemary for memory, basil for combating mental fatigue. Diffuse in the room as you're working, studying, learning or doing homework.

6. Waking Up & Energising

Peppermint wake me every time! Peppermint and wild orange is beautiful to awaken the senses first thing in the morning or when that 3pm slump hits and you're thinking of grabbing for that 3rd coffee. Essential oils will save your money and your adrenals here ;-) Peppermint is amazing right before exercise too! Citruses are super energising. I know lots of my mamas in labour have diffused wild orange or citrus bliss during labour for energy (as well as some lavender for calming). 

7. Headache Relief

My fave diffuser blend for tension headaches is 2 drops lavender, 2 drops frankincense & 2 drops peppermint. Or adjust amounts depending on the size of your room. I always say less is more. Start with less and add more if needed.

8. Keeping Mosquitoes at Bay

Geranium, cedarwood, and peppermint are all excellent oils for repelling mozzies. DoTERRA's "TerraArmour" blend is designed specifically for this and comes in both an oil for diffusing as well as a spray for the skin. So if you're entertaining outdoors at home and can plug your diffuser in somewhere, diffusing is a fantastic way to repel mozzies and keep your guests content. 

9. Curbing Sugar Cravings 

Grapefruit, cinnamon, bergamot, black pepper and doTERRA's Smart & Sassy blend are all excellent for this. Diffuse at home when you think you'll keep reaching for sugar unnecessarily throughout the day. Grapefruit & Bergamot are particularly wonderful for promoting body love & self love. Black Pepper is amazing for supporting us in times of any type of addiction. 

10. Creating Beautiful Aromas

Ditch the candles loves! Even if they're natural, they likely contain synthetic scents. After detoxing from all those chemicals in your home, trust me, you reeeeally notice those pungent faux scents and they'll likely give you a headache. You can create yourself a signature aroma with your essential oils or create something different every single day! You could honestly create something different every day and never repeat the same blend if you didn't want to, there's that many options. After a while you begin to choose your oils intuitively each day depending on how you feel. Doing this with your children is so beautiful. Always supervised of course! 

I'd love to hear from you what your favourite diffuser blends are. Comment below.

To find out how to get started with essential oils, simply click here.

Alternatively, email me for help or to ask any questions.

Clare xx