By Sara Westbrook

It seems that reed diffusers have been taking the home fragrancing world by storm these days. My friend Abby has told me how wonderful hers smells and my Aunt Grace is completely in awe about how they work. And me ? I was absolutely clueless as to what a reed diffuser was, how it worked or whether or not I should be jumping on the bandwagon for this one. I nodded in agreement as if I had the slightest clue of what they were talking about. So to prevent another uncomfortable head nod from happening in the future, I decided to find out exactly what this reed diffuser stuff was all about.

Reed diffusers are a way to fragrance your home or office or any space that could use a little freshening. To put it simply- a glass container (jar, vase, bottle, etc.) is filled with a specially scented oil. Then you take wooden sticks, called reeds, and put them into the oil. That’s it. Very simple ! That’s all most of us need to know.

For those of you that would like a more detailed explanation, read on.

Let’s start with the reeds. Reeds should be made of rattan. Rattan reeds are made up of “channels”. Basically, if you look into the end of a reed (either end) you will notice (look closely) that the reed is made up of a bunch of “channels”. They resemble hollowed out tubes. They run from the top of the reed all the way to the bottom of the reed. When you insert the reeds into the specially blended diffuser oil, the oil gets “sucked up” (much like a straw) through these channels. The oil is pulled to the top of the reeds naturally and is released into the air through evaporation. Be certain that you are using real rattan reeds and not bamboo chutes or skewers. Bamboo contains “nodes” (not channels) that will block the oils from traveling up to the top.

The specially scented oil is made up of a reed diffuser “base” with fragrance oil added to it. Look for diffuser oils that are designed especially for use in reed diffusers. The best diffuser oils are made up of uncut fragrance oils mixed with a base that is not made up of alcohols or dipropylene glycol. Alcohol is highly flammable and causes the fragrance oil to evaporate too quickly. This, in turn forces you to have to buy more oils in a shorter amount of time. Good diffuser oils will last a long time (approximately one month per ounce). Avoid diffuser oil blends that contain alcohols. Also to be avoided is dipropylene glycol. Dipropylene glycol, (DPG) is a solvent used to “thin out” fragrances. Though DPG is used to thin our fragrances, the DPG itself is a little to thick to properly travel up through the reed channels. Again, look for diffuser oils that are alcohol and DPG-free for best results.

I have tried reed diffusers and oils from several sites. I avoid online retailers who use alcohol or DPG in their bases or claim to use “bamboo” reeds.

I like the complete gift sets from http://www.thediffusery.com and thought their pricing was budget-friendly. ($15.99-$19.99 for a complete gift set). Their base is alcohol and DPG free and they have a great selection of scents. I highly recommend their lavender and fresh laundry scents. Both smell nice and strong and I have received many compliments on these ! You can also buy refill oils, replacement reeds ($1.29 for a pack of 10) or glass containers separately if you’d like. I shop here most often.

I have also tried and liked the diffuser sets offered by http://www.khalldesigns.com . Their grapefruit-mint is fabulous ! These diffusers and refills are a bit more pricey, ($46 for a complete set) but I like the fact that they have other products to match your diffuser scents. Bath and shower gels ($24) and body parfum ($44) make great gifts !

I personally love that reed diffusers are flame-free. Although I love candles, I hate the soot it leaves around my home and I hate always worrying about starting things on fire. Reed diffusers are a safer option in my opinion because I don’t have to remember to blow them out !

Go ahead. Jump on the bandwagon, this trend is a great one ! And now that you know exactly what reed diffusers are and how they work, you will never be left nodding your head unknowingly again !

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Sara Westbrook, a freelance writer from Indiana, enjoys flea markets, cooking and thinking outside the box. She is available for hire and specializes in home and decor articles and dabbles a bit in medical writings as well. To contact Sara: rollinwithsara@yahoo.com

By Dawn Turner http://www.thediffusery.com

Your job. Your kids. Your spouse. Bills. Gas prices. Deadlines. The economy. War. Hangnail. Lawn needs mowing. Forgot to pick up a gallon of milk. Need to make that appointment for Fido to go to the vet. Forgot Nancy’s birthday AGAIN.

There is a lot going on in our lives today that creates stress and anxiety for all of us. It seems most of us these days are looking for ways to relax, unwind and de-stress from daily pressures. Some choose to exercise. Others may choose to read a book or watch a movie. Others visit spas and get luxurious massages. But more and more these days, people are turning to aromatherapy.

Aromatherapy itself is really not a new phenomenon. The Egyptians have been using aromatherapy and scented oils for relaxation and the promotion of health for the last 6000 years. Aromatherapy has been used throughout the ages as a means of healing both physical and emotional ailments. The sense of smell and the inhalation of certain scents can alter ones mood and promote relaxation by affecting the chemical balance in the brain and causing one to become more relaxed.

Aromatherapy has taken on a whole new dimension and has become a billion dollar industry. There are many forms of aromatherapy including candles, lotions, incense, massage oils, etc. Becoming increasingly popular these days are reed diffusers.

Reed diffusers are very simple to use and provide wonderful long-lasting aromas that fill your home with calming and familiar scents. Diffusers are primarily made up of a glass container, a scented oil mixture and a handful of rattan reeds. The glass bottle holds the scented oil mixture which is primarily made up of a diffuser base mixed with fragrance or essential oils. After you have poured the scented oil into your glass container, (a glass bottle, jar or vase for example) you insert the rattan reeds into the oil and you are all set to go ! Reed diffuser oils last a very long time. Quality oils from a respected supplier should last (approximately) 1 month per ounce. This may vary a little due to enviromental conditions. (Fan on, air conditioning or heat on, doors open, humidifiers, etc.)

Diffusers work by diffusing the scent into the air through the reeds. Rattan reeds are made up of “channels”. There are approximately 20 channels in every reed. The channels basically “suck up” the oil much like a straw. When the oils reach the tops of the reeds (usually within 12-24 hours) the scent is diffused naturally into the air. This provides a stable, steady scent that is long lasting.The number of reeds you use is based on your personal preferences. The more reeds you use, the stronger the scent. Usually this is between 6 and 10 reeds. If you notice your scent is starting to weaken, flip the reeds. Carefully take the reeds out of the bottle and flip them upside down. This will expose the ends that were sitting in the oil to now be exposed to the air releasing more scent. After some time of course, reeds can become clogged with dust or become overly saturated. In this case, simply discard the reeds and insert new ones.

When choosing a reed diffuser to purchase, it is important to find a supplier that uses a quality base and undiluted fragrance or essential oils. Many bases on the market today contain a large amount of alcohol in their bases. Alcohol is highly flammable and causes the fragrance or essential oils to evaporate too quickly into the air. This forces you to have to purchase more oil in a shorter amount of time and often lines the pockets of suppliers out to make big bucks from your oil refill purchases. Another ingredient often used by manufacturers or suppliers is dipropylene glycol. (Often referred to as DPG). Dipropylene glycol is a dilutent used to “cut” fragrance oils. It can often weaken the scent and is a little too thick to properly wick up to the top of the reeds. When choosing a supplier, make sure the base or oils that they offer do not contain alcohol or DPG. (Dipropylene glycol).

Another thing to consider when purchasing a diffuser are the reeds that are offered. You must use rattan reeds. There is a lot of misinformation, especially on the internet, in regards to reeds. Some suppliers say their reeds are made from bamboo. Bamboo reeds will not work as bamboo chutes contain nodes, not channels, and will not wick up properly. I even saw an article in a popular woman’s magazine recently that suggested making your own diffuser using bamboo skewers. Skewers are not meant to be used in reed diffusers. If a supplier is telling you the reeds are bamboo, find another supplier as they do not know enough about reed diffusers to be selling them in the first place. Again, make sure the reeds are made of rattan.

Reed diffusers are a safer alternative than candles as there is no risk of fire and no dirty soot that ends up on your furniture. You should still use caution and keep safety first when using any product, including reed diffusers. Be careful not to tip diffusers over and use care when flipping the reeds as oils can damage delicate surfaces. Reed diffusers oils are not meant for use on the skin and as good as they smell, you simply shouldn’t eat them !

Reed diffusers are a wonderul way to relax and de-stress as well as pleasantly scent your home or office environment. They also make great, well appreciated gifts as scents affect our lives in many ways ! (Bringing back fond memories of grandma’s cookies or reminding you of your wedding day flowers for example). Although our lives will never reach a point of being completely stress-free, it’s nice to know that aromatherapy and reed diffusers are there to take the edge off.

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Dawn Turner, currently residing in a small town in central Wisconsin is the proud mom of two teenagers. She is an expert in fragrance diffusion and owns http://www.thediffusery.com. The diffusery sells quality reed diffusers and supplies. Dawn, a self professed scent junkie, loves to travel with her husband, listen to music and take long bubble baths.