Air fresheners and disinfectants are no-no’s for good quality indoor air (see Green Living at Care2 for more). But, hark, listen to this: The therapeutic effects of diffused essential oils on the respiratory system are especially helpful during the cold and flu season because the diffused oils destroy airborne bacteria in the home. By using a diffuser, it is possible to dispense a therapeutic aromatherapy treatment to a number of people simultaneously. Here’s how diffusers work, plus formulas for cold and flu prevention and treatment:

SIMPLE SOLUTION:  There are many ways of scenting an environment. Incense has been used to deliver scent for thousands of years. More recently candle burners, simmering potpourri pots and light bulb rings have all become popular methods of dispersing scent atmospherically. Although these methods are aesthetically pleasing, they are not the best choices for aromatherapy. Commercial incense and potpourris are often rounded out with synthetic scents; their purity is unreliable. Additionally, incense smoke may transmit harsh, and even carcinogenic, chemicals along with its pleasing aroma. Candle burners and light bulb rings can overheat delicate essential oils, changing their chemical makeup.

Diffusers act quite differently. Without altering or heating oils, they disperse them into the environment via an air jet pump connected to a glass bell. A nebulizer within the glass bell diffuses a fine mist of negatively charged, scented ions into the atmosphere, much the same way that nature spreads fragrance.

The aromatic diffuser first appeared in Paris in 1960, when Dr. Bidault demonstrated the germicidal action of aromatic essences on tuberculosis, whooping cough and influenza. His clinical observations indicated that disinfection of the air surrounding a patient at a therapeutic preventive effect. At the University of Paris School of Pharmacy, students tested his theories by collecting samples of air from an urban factory, the forest of Fontainebleau on the outskirts of the city, and from a Parisian flat. By diffusing various essential oils into sealed chambers containing the air samples, they were able to validate the effectiveness of the essential oils against airborne bacteria and molds.

The modern aromatic diffuser is a natural alternative to aerosol deodorizers and chemical air fresheners. (Read Care2’s Easy Greening about air fresheners.)

Using a diffuser is an excellent way of purifying the environment as well as administering the uplifting, rejuvenating, or relaxing effects of selected oils or blends to a group.

Diffuser Blends for Special Purposes

Respiration: Eucalyptus, lavender, inula.
Clean air: Lavandin, lemon, MQV.
Purifier: Thymus ‘linaol�?/I>, T. vulgaris, lemon.
Cold and flu blend: Oregano, lavender, eucalyptus, thyme, clove, cinnamon, peppermint.