A Guide To: Using Essential Oils to Scent a Room
The gentle power of aromatherapy is undeniable. One deep inhale when you arrive at the spa is all it takes to transport you into another state of mind – but for those of us who don’t keep candles burning day and night, essential oils can be another way that allows you to distribute your own fragrances of choice.
Use An Oil Burner or Diffuser
The easiest way to make sure the scent in your essential oil circulates throughout a room is to purchase a purpose-built diffuser or oil burner – this category even features several different types.
An oil burner uses the heat from a tealight to warm a water bath infused with a few drops of your chosen essential oil. An electric diffuser essentially emits a constant mist into the room, while static diffusers allow scent to permeate a room through porous material; these can utilise anything from lava rocks to woolly cloth.
Remember that the scent from these static diffusers will rarely dissipate completely, so it may be difficult to switch between several different scents frequently without some remnants of the previous oil.
The Hot Water Way
If you don’t have any of those sorts of contraptions on hand, or perhaps you’re traveling and don’t want to lug a bag of rocks with you, then a simple bowl of hot water is an excellent second option. A few drops of essential oil into a cup or bowl of boiling water is all you need to do, and as the water evaporates, it will send the scent wafting into the atmosphere. Start with 10 drops and add more as needed.
Crystal Power
Naturally porous, your healing crystals make for great diffusers, as long as they aren’t the pocket-sized variety that you handle in your palm often. If your crystals mainly serve sitting still in the centre of a table or on a shelf all day long, then they can easily serve a dual purpose by carrying scent from your essential oil. Just do a quick search to make sure that your crystal isn’t fragile – if it shouldn’t go in water, then oils, too, may damage its structure. Otherwise, a few drops onto the top of your crystal is enough. If it sits in the sun the scent will diffuse even quicker and more effectively.
Make Your Own Room or Pillow Spray
You can use essential oils in a DIY room spray or hand sanitizer spray for a quick hit of scent whenever you want. Add 10 or more drops of oil into a vessel filled with boiled or distilled water – half a glass should do – and make sure to mix in a couple of spoonfuls of alcohol to help the oil and water blend. If you’re making sanitizer, ensure that the solution is 70% alcohol to kill virus germs.
