Farrah recommends opting for the best you can afford. “Make sure they’re proper oils and that you know what you’re buying,” she advises. She cites G Baldwin & Co, Neal’s Yard, Oshadhi, Tisserand, Aromatherapy Associates and Neom as go-to brands for high quality oils. It’s the same principle as perfumes. Typically, the pricier ones have rarer or more expensive ingredients. Some fragrances are made from the oils of a rare and delicate flower petal, for instance, while others are made from synthetic ingredients that are easy and cheap to source.

Electric or Fan Diffusers use the movement of air from a fan to disperse the essential oils. A pad soaked in oil is placed in the fan’s path so the air blows the scent out. These work well in larger spaces, but the scent can be less concentrated than with other types. There's nothing like walking into a room and being greeted by a lovely fresh aroma. Whether it's a citrusy lemon that'll wake us right up, or a lavender scent with chamomile notes to help us relax - having the best aromatherapy diffusers essential oils is a necessity. To help you find the perfect scent for your home, we've created a list of our best reed diffusers and we've based our ranking on their longevity, scent and aesthetic. Ultrasonic Diffusers use water and ultrasonic waves to disperse essential oils into the room. The oil is added to water and the ultrasonic vibrations break the oil into tiny particles which are then dispersed as a mist. This type of diffuser also adds a bit of humidity to the air, which can be beneficial in drier climates or months. This is very personal, but the bottom line is that you need to love the mix of oils and the scent it gives off. Look for brands that blend oils for a fragrance that sets off a certain mood – relaxing, invigorating, de-stressing. And make sure it’s subtle and well balanced, never overwhelming. Electric diffusers tend to be an investment to buy, but are cheap to run thereafter. All it takes is water and a few drops of essential oil and you’re away.To get a stronger fragrance you should add all the reeds into the jar and flip them over more frequently. The more reeds you use, the more channels the fragrance can release through. By flipping your reeds every other day or once a week, the oil will lift up again giving you a fresher, fuller fragrance. However, if you prefer a more gentle fragrance you can use fewer reeds. Oil change

As for Hayley Forster, she recommends lavender for relaxing, peppermint for focus, citrus scents for uplifting, eucalyptus for decongesting, tea tree for purifying the air, rosemary to help with headaches and fatigue, sandalwood for meditation, chamomile for calming, ylang ylang for reducing stress and frankincense to promote a positive mood. Are essential oils safe for your pets? To get the most out of your reed diffuser place it in a hallway or a room entrance. The airflow created will help circulate the aroma so the scent will reach you every time you enter and leave the room. Make sure it is out of reach of children and pets and don’t place it near windows or radiators, as the heat will evaporate the fragrance oil. Getting the most from the fragranceThere are some 400 essential oils extracted from plants all over the world. Popular oils used in aromatherapy today include chamomile, lavender, rosemary and tea tree. “Aromatherapy and essential oils are often used to reduce stress and anxiety, and to bring about relaxation,” says Farrah Idris, lead massage therapist at St Joseph’s Hospice and complementary therapies tutor at City Lit London.

A good diffuser should have a wide scent throw – the ability to effectively disperse the fragrance across the room evenly, making sure it isn’t concentrated in one area,” explains Hayley Forster, fragrance consultant and member of the British Society of Perfumers. Annie is now the Head of Ecommerce at Ideal Home's sister title, Real Homes. She was previously the Deputy Ecommerce Editor for Ideal Home, and our in-house fragrance expert. Selling FM perfumes online has been made simpler and more accessible than ever with the power of social media. Using platforms that you already have, and expanding into ones you don’t, will allow you to connect and engage with a readily available audience and target one to successfully develop. Hayley also advises the particular oils to avoid for cats and dogs. She says, “For cats, oils such as cinnamon, tea tree, thyme, oregano, clove, pine, citrus, or eucalyptus oils, can be especially toxic. For dogs, oils like tea tree, cinnamon, citrus, pine, wintergreen, and ylang ylang have been reported to cause issues.”

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Heat Diffusers use heat, usually from a candle or electricity, to gently heat the essential oil to promote evaporation. However, they can alter the chemical composition of the oils, and the scent doesn’t last as long because heat tends to make oils evaporate faster.

She has tested a range of home fragrances for us (that's candles and reed diffusers) inside her specious 2-bed London flat over the past few years. She lives with two pets, so she's always on the lookout for pet-friendly diffusers too. FAQs What should I look for in a reed diffuser?

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Sunny spots can also spell trouble for the life span of your diffuser, as 'this will cause the oil in the diffuser to evaporate', according to Rachel. 'It might look nice sitting on your windowsill, basking in the sunlight, but you’ll only end up having to replace your reed diffuser faster.' Using diffusers with different notes across your home is one of our top tips to make your home smell excellent and can also make a huge difference to your mood. Small but impactful tips include opting for fresh smells in your bathroom, and avoiding anything too severe in your bedroom so as not to disturb your sleep. It’s believed the first scent diffusers were used by the ancient Greeks, who found that reeds dipped in essential oils would diffuse their scent throughout their homes and temples. Today, the best diffusers still use essential oils like lavender, eucalyptus and rose, which are commonly used in scented candles for their calming or uplifting properties.