Christmas 2016 I received my first set of oils and my first diffuser as a gift from my in-laws. I had been interested in essential oils but never pulled the trigger. I was very excited to receive the gift and jump into their use but when I got home I felt a little overwhelmed. How many drops do I use? What smells good together? What does each oil do? After having too many questions I pushed the gift aside for several weeks. After conversation with friends and some Pinteresting, I came up with a plan that has since worked for me. Diffusing essential oils is a great first step – hopefully, this quick guides set you off on the right foot!

If you have any questions feel free to message me or find me on Instagram @handrafted. 

What Water Do I Use?

For diffusing essential oils you want to use the purest water you have access to, purity of the water is important because impurities found in tap water can contaminate or spoil your essential oils. Optimally you should use distilled water for your diffuser, if you do not have distilled water, filtered water should work as well. On occasion when I run out of distilled water I have been known to use filtered water from the fridge. Don’t have filtered water either? You can also boil tap water, let it cool and then use in your diffuser.

How Many Drops Do I Use?

Most of my diffuser blends use a minimum of 5 drops of essential oil. I have seen recipes ranging from 5 drops to 12 drops. Now an important thing to note is that not all diffusers hold the same volume. For example, I have a small diffuser for my office that holds 300 mL – in this diffuser I only use 5-7 drops. In my living room, I have a large diffuser that holds 500 mL. Due to the added volume, I tend to use more drops for this diffuser (8-10).

How Do I Pick A Diffuser?

To continue from before a diffuser with more volume gives you a longer diffusion time – my small diffuser will go a whole night, while my large diffuser will last all day (and then some). Choose your diffuser based on how you think you will use it. 

• Small Diffuser: Great for single use diffuser blends (new recipe every start)
• Large Diffuser: Great for multi-day use diffuser blends

Oils can get expensive so you don’t want to fill up your diffuser with oils, run it for four hours during a specific event and then have leftover solution. 

Whether you shop on Amazon or YoungLiving.com there are a million options, read through the details and pick the diffuser that best suits your needs.

Things to consider:

• Volume
• Rate of Vapor Output
• Timer Settings/Max Run Time
• Recommend Room Size (square footage)
• Auto Shut Off
• Remote (can be a convenient feature)

How Do I Clean My Diffuser?

Cleaning my diffuser is something I do not always remember. Some instructions I read said to wipe down the diffuser between each use, while others said to rinse with hot water as needed. On occasion I have used a cotton swab dipped in rubbing alcohol to clean off the ultrasonic plate, but only when build up was visible. Other than that both of mine have been pretty low maintenance.

Each individual diffuser should come with cleaning instructions, be sure to read them. I for one am working to rinse out and wipe down each diffuser on the first of each month – hopefully, if I set a date, I will stick to the plan! 🤞🏼

What Oils Smell Good Together?

This one is always trial and error based on what you like, but below you will find some diffuser blends that I enjoy! In addition, you can find more recipes by visiting the Oils Tab here at Handrafted.com! 

Interested in what oils do? Read my Introduction to Essential Oils here for more information!

Happy Diffusing!

xo,

C

Disclosure: Please note that some of the links in this post are affiliate links and if you go through them to make a purchase I will earn a small commission.