This is Part Two of our series: Best Essential Oil Diffuser Tips, a free comprehensive diffuser guide based on our personal experiences.
Make sure to start with Part 1 of our free diffuser guide here.
Best Essential Oil Diffuser Tips – Part 2
In this second part, we are going to share information on the following:
- What recipes can I use when I’m just starting to diffuse?
- Which essential oils do I use for relaxation, energizing, purifying, etc?
- How can you know if a combination is going to smell great diffused?
- How do I keep track of all these essential oil diffuser recipes I love?
- What should you write in your essential oil recipe journal?
What recipes can I use when I’m just starting to diffuse?
There are so many wonderful essential oils to explore that it’s almost impossible to remember the purpose of every single one. We keep reference guides on hand when we research our diffuser blends. We also read a lot of studies on the aromatherapeutic effects of essential oils and their natural chemical constituents.
Hopefully, you’ll find these diffuser blends to be a good starting point for designing blends that meet your needs, as well.
- 8 Get Up and Go Morning Diffuser Recipes
- 11 Relaxing Diffuser Recipes
- 7 Energizing Diffuser Recipes
- 7 Fresh Forest Diffuser Recipes
- 6 Summer Diffuser Recipes
- 10 Winter Diffuser Recipes
- 3 Diffuser Recipes for Sleep
- 10 Soothing Diffuser Recipes for Stress Relief
- 5 Peace and Contentment Diffuser Recipes
- 5 Mood Lifting Diffuser Recipes
- 7 Purifying Diffuser Recipes
- 9 Fall Harvest Diffuser Recipes
- 6 Spring Diffuser Recipes
- Christmas Diffuser Recipes
- 6 Diffuser Recipes for Focus
Which essential oils do I use for relaxation, energizing, purifying, etc?
If you want to make your own blends, you can gather these essential oils to get you started.
Best essential oils for relaxation
- Lavender
- Ylang Ylang
- Lemon
- Rose
- Clary Sage
- Frankincense
- Geranium
- Jasmine
- Roman Chamomile
- Royal Hawaiian Sandalwood
Best essential oils for boosting energy
- Idaho Balsam Fir
- Peppermint
- Basil
- Black Pepper
- Eucalyptus Radiata
- Juniper
- Lemon
- Lemongrass
- Myrtle
- Nutmeg
- Palo Santo
- Rosemary
- Thyme
Best essential oils for purifying the air
- Lemon
- Cedarwood
- Eucalyptus Radiata
- Fennel
- Lemongrass
- Tea Tree
- Orange
Best essential oils for focus and alertness
- Peppermint
- Lavender
- Basil
- Lemon
- Rosemary
Best essential oils for calming and sleep
- Lavender
- Bergamot
- Valerian
- Neroli
- Cedarwood
- Melissa
- Marjoram
- Orange
- Rose
- Royal Hawaiian Sandalwood
- Vetiver
- Ylang Ylang
As we mentioned, you can definitely buy essential oil blends for diffusing. However, it’s fulfilling and easy to blend your own recipes using pure, single source essential oils from Young Living as well.
How can you know if a combination is going to smell great diffused?
You don’t have to start out by pouring them into your diffuser. In fact, I recommend that you don’t diffuse them at first. Convince yourself that you are going to love a blend by giving it a sniff right out of the bottle.
Here’s how I recommend deciding if a diffuser blend will work for your current need:
- Research the oils to see what their chemical constituents are known for in aromatherapy.
- Choose essential oils that you think will work well together or choose one of our diffuser recipes.
- Open the bottles and hold them in your hands all at once.
- Then pass them about 6 inches under your nose and inhale smoothly and deeply through your nose. I’ll pass them right to left and back right again to make sure that I’ve smelled all the oils together.
- You’ll know if it’s the right blend for your mood by your reaction to this test.
If you think this blend is going to work, then make sure to use very few drops at first to make sure that you definitely like the effects. (You don’t want to have a diffuser full of precious oils and figure out that it’s not what you were looking for!)
Keep in mind that it’s recommended not to diffuse a blend with another blend. You can mix and match single oils or add another single oil to one blend, but don’t diffuse two different blends in the same diffuser.
If one diffuser blend recipe doesn’t strike your fancy, don’t give up. Just move to the next combination or substitute another essential oil with similar usage recommendations.
Remember: Just because you don’t like an essential oil in a single recipe or at this specific time doesn’t mean you won’t love it tomorrow in an entirely different recipe.
If any combination doesn’t strike you at first you might try another recipe blend for the moment. I’ve found that if an essential oil doesn’t strike my fancy at the moment or in a certain combination, that it will be brought back to my mind at a later time when it’s exactly what I’m needing. This makes keeping a journal a really important part of the process.
How do I keep track of all these essential oil diffuser recipes I love?
It’s all up to you. These are just a few ideas to get you started.
I started out documenting all my recipes in a regular spiral-bound notebook. I’m thrifty and it worked great. That’s what I did for a while until my kids mixed it up with their school books and my recipes were lost. Ack!
I’ve heard of others using specially designed recipe books for essential oil blends. That’s probably a good idea for keeping it distinct and clearly labeled. I think this essential oil recipe book looks promising and this essential oil recipe journal has great reviews.
Since I had to evolve from using a spiral notebook (and I’m still thrifty) I decided that my husband’s leather journal would do the trick just fine and he wouldn’t miss it in the least. Love the smell of this journal, it’s lined, and it’s got such character! (Perfect user reviews for a reason!)
I recommend writing down each recipe as you develop it. This will help you keep track of what works and what doesn’t for different circumstances. This will also help you share with friends and family when they want to diffuse in their homes for different reasons or different seasons.
What should you write in your essential oil recipe journal?
Document the oils you used, quantities, and the effects you were seeking. Also, write down how long should this recipe be diffused.
Pay attention to each blend as to how you react to the recipe.
- Do the scents blend well with you?
- Do the essential oils work well together or do they seem striking or overwhelming to you?
- Is there an oil in the recipe that just doesn’t seem like it’s working for you right now?
- Do they lead you to a sense of peacefulness, energy, etc?
Don’t be afraid to experience the essential oils in different combinations to see which blends work well for you. Everyone perceives the essential oil scents differently and reacts to the aromas on a personal level.
I like to diffuse a recipe for about 20 minutes and then see how I feel about it in that space and time. It might have been exactly what I needed to simply clear the air and move into the next part of my day.
Make sure to keep good notes on your experience. This will help you as you continue exploring and expanding your appreciation for which oils work well for your needs.
Note: Some recipes use a “toothpick swirl” to measure the essential oil. To accomplish this, I add the water and other essential oils to the diffuser first. Then I insert a clean toothpick into the oil bottle to gather just a touch of the essential oil. I transfer the “soaked” toothpick to the diffuser and swirl it around in the water. This adds just enough of the essential oil to the diffuser to avoid the overpowering fragrance you would get from adding an entire drop.
Be sure to check out Part 1 of our Free Comprehensive Diffuser Guide if you missed it here.
We hope these Essential Oil Diffuser Tips help guide you on a wonderful journey of exploring and appreciating the amazing world of aromatherapy!
See all of our Diffuser Recipes here!
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