Article written by Kevin Burdin, aromatherapist and founder of the Naturatopia website.

The spread of essential oils, long considered a method of well-being, is now back to its former glory.

Indeed, essential oils allow much more than perfume an interior: they are real therapeutic tools! However, to fully benefit from their multiple properties, it is necessary to adopt quality diffusers.

Spreading essential oils means benefiting not only from their fragrance, but also from their therapeutic properties.

There are many reasons to want to spread essential oils: to create a climate of serenity and relaxation, to clean the ambient air, to accompany an ENT pathology, to promote sleep and letting go, to help with concentration... Before you start diffusing, there are a few key points to be made:

Do not spread essential oils in a room in the presence of a child under 6 years of age (we will see an alternative in this article).

Do not release essential oils if a pet is present in the room, in fact, the smell of the animals is far superior to ours, and they may find themselves disoriented by the spread.

From the age of 6, it is possible to diffuse in the presence of the child, at a rate of 5 minutes per hour.

Caution in the spread of essential oils in pregnant women, people with asthma and people with epilepsy.

In addition, some essential oils do not spread, these are irritating essential oils that contain phenols and related molecules (thymol thyme, carvacrol thyme, clove, savory, oregano), cinnamon (leaves or bark), gaultheria (lying and fragrant), birch, essential oils with ketones (rosemary As for mints that contain different ketones, they are irritating to the eyes and nervous system, do not diffuse them.

How to spread your essential oils

Now that the basics and precautions of use are laid, let's look at the different techniques of dissemination:

The perfume burner: never before has an object carried its name so well, in fact, the heat of the flame below burns the substances above, not only altering the therapeutic properties of essential oils, but also altering the fragrance that emerges from them. Don't use it!

Thermal diffusion: This method uses gentle heat with a controlled temperature so that the aromatic molecules evaporate into the room without being denatured.

Ultrasonic diffusion: This method involves water as a diffusion intermediary. It is a silent system that generates a cold mist composed of fine droplets (average 7.3 micrometers). Ultrasound diffusers are interesting for diffusing hydrolats and floral waters in particular. Aroflora has a pocket ultrasonic diffuser that can be carried anywhere: the Mistila.

Nebulization diffusion: This method is based on the Venturi effect, i.e. the passage of a very high-speed airflow that will cause the aromatic molecules contained within the essential oil. The absence of water makes it possible to obtain droplets twice as small as during an ultrasonic diffusion (between 3.5 and 4.6 micrometers depending on the model), ensuring a longer efficiency of diffusion, as the droplets remain suspended in the air for up to twice as long. This is the method of dissemination that should be preferred from a therapeutic point of view.

Ventilation diffusion: This method involves pouring a few drops of essential oils onto a suitable absorbent medium. The diffuser, which contains a fan, will send cold air against the essential oil-soaked medium in order to diffuse the aromatic molecules.

Spreading essential oils helps clean up the air in your home

Now that you know almost everything about diffusing, let's now focus on diffusing to clean up the habitat environment.

It is important to note that the key concept to clean the air in your home is to ventilate your home morning and evening for 10 minutes, summer or winter. Only then will the diffusion of essential oils support the remediation of the air.

Let's look at the essential oils that contain limonene. This molecule, which belongs to the biochemical family of monoterpenes, is active on several types of bacteria and viruses. Limonene is therefore antibacterial and antiviral. Where do we find this molecule?

In large proportion in citrus fruits, such as sweet orange and lemon, but also tangerine and bergamot.

Limonene is also present in conifers, especially in pines (sea pine, Scots pine, mountain pine) and firs (balsam fir, silver fir).

It is interesting to note that citrus and conifer essential oils blend very well together from an olfactory point of view. Indeed, the combination of at least two of the essential oils mentioned above will create a fresh and tangy atmosphere with resinous notes in the background. It is a 2-in-1 combination: very pleasant and sanitizing fragrance.

If you want to diffuse only in one room of your home, an ultrasonic diffuser will do the trick. On the other hand, if you want to clean up your entire habitat, you can combine performance and aesthetics, with the eco-designed ONA diffuser with clean and modern lines.

Synergy of sanitizing essential oils:

• 4 drops of lemon
• 4 drops ofsweet orange
• 2 drops of sea pine

Start diffusing by adapting the diffuser power that's right for you.

Why don't you diffuse to your office?

The LILIA diffuser is for you: elegant, mobile, powerful and equipped with a USB socket, you can directly connect it to your computer (where it can also recharge, because this diffuser is equipped with a battery). To do this, take an empty bottle of tinted glass and add: 40 drops of lemon, 40 drops of sweet orange and 20 drops of maritime pine. Put the bottle directly into the diffuser, plug in and enjoy!

Why don't you scatter in the passenger compartment of your car?

Take the same previous formula and place the bottle in the BULIA diffuser. All you have to do is plug it into a USB socket and you're done!

We just saw what it was possible to do to clean up the air when everything is fine. Now let's look at what to do if a family member is sick.

The therapeutic virtues of the diffusion of essential oils

The dissemination is complementary, of course, to conventional allopathic care. The dissemination is there to support the body and prevent relatives from getting sick in turn.

If you are sick or if one of your family members who lives under the same you that you are sick, it is time to take it to the next level. Supporting the sick person and preventing others from becoming ill in turn must be prevented. What can I do?

It's interesting to go back to our original conifers. What for? They are antiseptic not only from the surrounding air, but also from the bronchial tree, which is interesting in the infectious pathologies of the lower ENT pathways (lungs).

After conifers, it is necessary to move towards the essential oils called cineolées (which contain 1.8 cineole also called eucalyptol, because this molecule smells of eucalyptus), there are several: Roman to cineole, eucalyptus globulus and radiata, niaouli, ravintsara... These essential oils are interesting because they are fluidizing the bronchi, they exert an anti-inflammatory activity on the pulmonary tree, they allow to breathe better and declutter the sinuses if they are congested.

These essential oils are controversial in people with asthma. Caution is required when diffusing in the vicinity of these people.

The last really interesting essential oil is the tea tree essential oil, also called under its English name: tea tree. It is the essential oil of aromatherapy, it is anti-infective, it acts on viruses, bacteria as well as on fungi.

What synergy of essential oils can we offer then?

• Sea pine: 2 drops
• Tea tree/tea tree: 4 drops
• Cineole rosemary: 2 drops
• Eucalyptus globulus: 2 drops

In order for this synergy to benefit the whole house, choose a nebulization diffuser. The ONA diffuser is perfect for that.

As stated at the beginning of the article, it is possible to propose a solution in young children. Indeed, from the age of 6 months, it is possible to diffuse hydrolats. Indeed, hydrolats contain a small percentage of aromatic molecules, but sufficient for a young child.

The MISTILIA diffuser allows the diffusion of hydrolats. Place the diffuser one metre from the child and add a teaspoon of thujanol thyme hydrolate or linalol thyme and a teaspoon of fine lavender hydrolate. Diffuse for 5 minutes three times a day.

Diffusion is a true therapeutic tool, much broader than the appearance only well-being and cocooning. It is the respect of detailed precautions at the beginning of this article that will allow you to ensure an efficient distribution safely! Ready? Diffuse and... Enjoy!