Creating a welcoming scent for your home is becoming a very popular addition to one’s house decor. The most common ways to fragrance your home or workspace is by using essential oil candles, room sprays and reed diffusers. 

How does a reed diffuser work

Reed diffusers are a very simplistic and effective way to fragrance your room. Reeds, usually made of wood, are dipped into a liquid blended with essential oil or fragrance that is known as the reed diffuser base. This diffuser base is absorbed up the porous reed sticks and diffuse and disperse the lovely, scented aroma into the air.  

What are reed diffuser base oils

Reed diffuser bases are typically made from mineral or plant-based carriers that have adequate evaporation properties to allow a ‘diffusion’ of fragrance into the air.  An ideal reed diffuser base is thin in viscosity, can blend with fragrance or essential oils easily, allow for the easy absorption into the reeds and provide a smooth, yet lasting evaporation rate.

What is the best reed diffuser base formula

There are many of ‘home made’ recipes for diffuser bases available on the internet, however for the commercial manufacturers a more consistent and preforming base is required.  Much R & D is involved in creating the best reed diffuser base, as it is a delicate blend of creating a base that is long lasting, as well as effective in providing an upfront impression.   FIA have perfected a plant based reed diffuser base that meets this very criterion.

Once you have your diffuser base sorted you can use either a single essential oil or, blend several together to create a very customised fragrance to your liking.

The beauty of reed diffusers, given they are a more subtle way to fragrance a space than burning an essential oil candle, is that you can have different fragrance reed diffusers in different rooms of your home. For example, you may like an energising citrus blend in the kitchen and, a calming and grounding lavender and rosemary blend for your bedroom. The options are only limited to your personal tastes and preferences of aromas.

Benefits of reed diffusers

The humble reed diffuser is seeing a rise in popularity and, rightly so. Unlike an essential oil candle, a reed diffuser does not create an ambience and an aroma with a flickering flame. A reed diffuser will subtlety release its fragrance via evaporation which, is wonderful for those not wanting an overpowering scent – something sometimes burning a candle can result in. Furthermore, given they don’t require a flame – they can be confidently left unattended. 

It’s interesting to note that a 500ml diffuser, depending on temperature and humidity, can fragrance a space for as long as 12 weeks. 

All good things do come to an end and, a reed diffuser is no exception. You may notice that after some time, your reed diffuser is not as fragrant as it once was. This usually indicates one of two things. Firstly, it’s time to take the reeds out and turn them over. This allows for the dry ends to be re-dipped into the reed diffuser liquid base and in turn, release more fragrance. 

Secondly, the reed diffuser liquid base may have fully evaporated and will require replenishing. By doing this, you will continue to have a beautifully fragranced and welcoming home.