Sep 6 2010
Reed Diffusers – How To Fill Your Home With Fragrance
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It is obvious to anybody that you are using a fragrance reed diffuser in your home the minute they step over the door. Reed diffusers allow you to enjoy the scent of your chosen essential oil in its purest form, unaffected by heat or smoke.
Many people use scented candles, and these are also a fabulous way of giving your home a marvelous smell, but many prefer the pure smell of a reed diffuser. So what is a fragrance reed diffuser, and how does it differ from a candle or an oil burner or evaporator?The idea could not be any easier and operates in the same way as an oil evaporator, except that reeds are use to absorb the oil and diffuse the fragrance.
The diffuser consists of a number of reeds that act as the wicks. Reeds, such as rattan, are essential since they have an absorbent honeycomb structure, unlike wood or bamboo. Neither wood nor bamboo are suitable for use as diffusers, because their structure is too dense and does not permit sufficient absorbance of the oil. Those who use wooden barbecue skewers or even toothpicks as reeds have no understanding of the science behind what are doing.
The oil itself should be specifically intended as fragrance oil for reed diffusers and will generally have a low molecular weight so that the size of the molecule doesn’t prevent it absorption in to the structure of the reed. You must use fragrant essential oils for your reed diffuser – most other oils simply will not work, because they are too heavy to be absorbed properly through the reeds.
Around 10-12 narrow reeds are normally used, and placed into a bottle containing the light fragrant oil. The fragrant oil in a reed diffuser travels up the reeds by capillary action and is then transferred into the air through the reed stems. It is a delicate, unadulterated fragrance, with no flame or smoke being involved. The fragrance is delightfully fresh as long as you use oils designed specifically for reed diffusers – normal fragrance oils, such as you would use in an evaporator or burner, are too heavy and thick to be of much use in such a diffuser.
It was stated earlier that you cannot dilute fragrant oils with other cheap oils in order, and in the same way you also cannot add some fragrant light aromatherapy carrier oil to them to achieve the same thing: that does not reduce the molecular size of the oil molecules, just dilutes it so that the reed acts as a filter allowing the lighter scent-free oil to be absorbed but not the fragrant essential oil. Reed oils are chosen for their absorption properties as well as their fragrance.
You can use a relatively low molecular weight substance that is compatible with oils, such as dipropylene glycol, but you will need to make sure of this and that you don’t ruin your oil with anything that will clog up the pores of the reeds. It requires an experienced fragrance chemist, familiar with the chemical nature of fragrant oils, to properly formulate oils suitable for fragrance reed diffusers.
The reeds you use should be cut to about twice the height of the bottle so that half the reed is in the bottle and half out of it, and your bottle can be anything from half full to full of oil. The amount of oil you use is a matter of judgement. If you do not use enough the reed will not become properly infused with the fragrance or else the diffuser will run out prematurely. So a 10 inch bottle can be filled from 5 inches up to 10 inches with oil and the reeds should be cut to 20 inches. A six inch bottle should contain 12 inch reeds, and so on.
A final tip is never to reuse reeds. Although it might appear that you should be able to do that, oils thicken with time and the air in your room can also contain dust, so the reeds can become clogged up with oil and dust and prevent proper absorption.
Among the advantages that a reed diffuser offers over scented candles is the fact there is no flame, and hence no fire hazard, and it therefore cannot go out. Because they operate without the need for heat or power they are more convenient than electrical diffusers which need an electric socket to work properly.There is also no need to heat the oil in a reed diffuser. The diffuser works by capillary action so you enjoy the fragrant oil in its purest form.
What are the benefits of fragrance diffusers; why do people use them? One of the main benefits of using a reed diffuser at home is it’s ability to freshen a room’s atmosphere, masking any lingering stale odours.. However, they are also calming and soothing. People will use fragrance reed diffusers in the same way that others will use incense sticks or cones. They are a simple pleasure of life just as a hot relaxing bath is after a hard day at work. You don’t have to justify it, just enjoy it.
Using a fragrant reed diffuser in your home can provide a relaxing and satisfying end to a long day.Armed with a chilled glass of your favourite wine and an enjoyable read, what better way could you imagine to end a busy day?
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