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I have always been very sensitive to odors and regularly use scent oils, incense, candles and other aromatic devices to help relieve stress or just to create an inviting atmosphere.

Over the years I have found certain diffusion methods more effective than others. Here is a quick comparison and review.

Japanese style incense- No inner bamboo or wood core means it burns cleanly without that burnt wood smell that makes you cough. Prefer over regular incense.

Electric oil warmers- I found these convenient and very effective at dispersing fragrance and essential oils. The scents spread through the room pretty quickly and it is safer than the candle warmers. I also use a “Scent Ball” plug in diffuser that works OK for a couple of hours but after that, the oil loses it’s scent and smells slightly burnt.

Soy high fragrance candles- I like these because there is a large variety of scents and they are made of soy which burn cleaner and lasts longer than wax candles.

Effusion Lamps/Lamp Berger- these are beautifully crafted devices originally invented to disinfect the air in medical rooms. These effusion lamps consist of a catalytic ceramic burner with a wick that goes into a glass bottle that contains an alcohol/fragrance mix. It very effectively disperses the scent and is supposed to purify the air at the same time. However, I could not find any fragrances I liked as they tended to be perfumy for me and expensive to replace the scent. Also, I could detect an alcohol odor behind the main fragrance. I gave mine to my mom.

Ultrasonic diffusion mister- This device uses a ceramic disc that operate at very high frequencies which effective creates a mist which humidifies and dispenses the fragrance oil that you mix with the water. I like the fact that it does not have to heat the oil and it disperses pretty good. However, it can leave water on the surface it is sitting on, so beware. Also, the fragrance diffusion is not very efficient.

Reed diffusers- I really like these but they tend to be expensive and some of them don’t last very long. Essentially small sticks placed in a bottle of fragrance. the sticks act as a wick which diffuse the the scent. Some of them are barely noticeable while other have a very overpowering aroma. The ones with the stronger fragrance tend to not last as long. However, they require no power and are “on” all the time.

As far as the choice of fragrances go, find what resonates with you. I usually don’t reference any aromatherapy charts and just pick a scent that makes me feel the way I want…It’s all good.