Aromatherapy or essential oil therapy is an affordable and medicinally proven way to help improve our wellbeing. The scents from the essential oils we use help to lift our mood, improve quality of sleep, and can even alleviate bodily aches.
Aromatherapy at home can be achieved in several ways such as lighting scented candles, dabbing essential oils on the wrists and temples, or heating wax melts on an essential oil burner.
Another way to quickly fill the room with a beautiful scent is to get a reed diffuser. If you’re in need of a DIY project, you can make your own diffuser right at home!
What you need
-> A small bottle or container with a wide base and narrow top to reduce evaporation
-> 20 drops of your favourite essential oil, more drops if you like the scent to be stronger
-> ¼ cup of baby oil or any unscented/ lightly scented oil
-> 3 tablespoons of rubbing alcohol or inexpensive vodka
-> Diffuser reeds or substitute with bamboo skewers
-> Scissors
-> Bowl
-> Mini funnel
Steps
1. Add ¼ cup of baby oil or any lightly scented oil such as jojoba, safflower, mineral or almond oil into a small bowl.
2. Measure out 3 tablespoons of rubbing alcohol or inexpensive vodka and pour it into the bowl. The alcohol helps the scent flow up the diffuser rods better so you don’t need expensive alcohol for this.
3. Add 20 drops of your favourite essential oil into the bowl. You can put more drops if you want the scent to be stronger.
4. Place a funnel into a suitable container or bottle and pour in the essential oil mixture until the container is ¾ filled.
5. Insert three to six wooden skewers or diffuser reeds into the container.
Extra tips
For aesthetic purposes, you can cut the wooden skewers or reeds so they only stick four to six inches out of the container. Sometimes cutting the reeds shorter can improve the stability of the container too.
Just to be cautious, it’s best to cut off the pointed ends of the wooden skewers. This is because the skewers or reeds will need to be rotated each month, and the pointed ends may be a safety risk for both adults and children.
When the diffuser reeds or wooden skewers no longer diffuse the essential oil fragrance, it’s time to replace them with a new set.
You’ll also need to occasionally check the level of the essential oil mixture in the container, and add on when necessary to keep the scent going. Remember to gently whisk the essential oil mixture with the reeds every now and then.
Why not take the DIY project further and make your own essential oil blends? It’s also important to know how to use and apply essential oils safely.
This article was first published in theSun Buzz Essential Oil Aromatherapy edition.
