Scent Almanac
Electric diffuser blends
Essential oil blends for an ultrasonic water diffuser, at 3–5 drops per 100 ml of water. Use essential oils only.
- Difficulty
- ●○○
- Time
- active 5 min
Safety first
- Use essential oils only, not fragrance oils. Fragrance oils aren't made for misting, can gum up the ultrasonic plate, and some degrade the plastic.
- Pets and children: cats and birds are especially sensitive to diffused oils (tea tree, citrus, peppermint and eucalyptus among them), and so are dogs to some. Don't diffuse where pets can't leave the room, and keep diffusers out of pets' reach. Don't diffuse peppermint or eucalyptus around babies and young children.
- Check oils against pregnancy cautions before diffusing during pregnancy. Stop if anyone gets a headache, cough or watery eyes.
- Run it for 30–60 minutes at a time in a ventilated room rather than all day.
- Keep undiluted oils off skin and out of children's reach.
Steps
- Unplug the diffuser, remove the lid and fill it to the line with room-temperature distilled water.
- Count 3–5 drops of essential oil per 100 ml of water. A 200 ml diffuser takes 6–10 drops in total.
- Add the drops straight onto the water, following one of the example blends or your own.
- Replace the lid, plug it in and run it in 30–60 minute sessions, or use the intermittent setting.
- Empty the leftover water after each day. Don't leave oily water sitting.
- Once a week, clean it per the maker's instructions: usually half water, half white vinegar run for 5 minutes, then wipe the plate with a cotton swab and rinse.
If something goes wrong
- Weak or no mist
- Oil or mineral build-up on the plate. Clean with vinegar and a cotton swab, and use distilled water.
- Scent too strong or causes headaches
- Use fewer drops (start at 3 per 100 ml), run shorter sessions, and open a window.
- Scent disappears quickly
- Citrus top notes fade fast. Add a drop of a base note like cedarwood or frankincense to anchor the blend.