Jennifer Lane - Certified Aromatherapist on
How often do you enjoy the sweet, tranquil scent of essential oils? Maybe you use them in your home or office to create a welcoming atmosphere. Or maybe they're just something that makes you feel good when inhaling deeply. Whatever the reason, diffusers are an affordable way to fill your space with these scents. One popular type of diffuser is a reed diffuser which uses passive diffusion for gentle fragrance without heat, flame, or electricity. Read on to learn how to make one!
Want to learn how to make your own reed diffuser? Reed diffusers with essential oils can freshen up any room, try them in a bathroom, living room, bedroom, even an office.
Homemade reed diffusers will not only cost you less, but they are also better for your health since there are no toxic chemicals in them. Store-bought versions are made with unknown fragrance oils and additives. Make your own natural air freshener with 100% pure essential oils.
Best Essential Oils for Reed Diffusers
Good news...you can use just about any essential oil in your homemade diffuser! This doesn't have to be complicated, just pick an aroma or scented oil that you like to inhale.
Here are some essential oils for reed diffuser to try:
- Lavender essential oil
- Peppermint essential oil
- Lemon essential oil
- Rosemary essential oil
- Spearmint essential oil
- Eucalyptus essential oil
- Geranium essential oil
- Ylang Ylang essential oil
- Bergamot essential oil
You may want to avoid costly essential oils (like sandalwood or rose oil) and choose an inexpensive oil. Citrus oils are always nice and usually budget-friendly.
How to Make A Reed Diffuser
It is fairly simple to create a DIY reed diffuser, you just need a few ingredients (affiliate links):
- Narrow neck glass bottle
- Rattan Reeds (or bamboo skewer sticks)
- Essential Oils
- Fractionated coconut oil
- Rubbing Alcohol or Vodka
You can recycle an old reed diffuser bottle and make it new again with one of these recipes, or start from scratch.
You may choose to substitute the fractionated coconut oil for another carrier oil (base oil) like safflower oil or sweet almond oil.
Tip: If using bamboo skewer sticks, cut off the sharp tip with pruning shears, that is what worked best for me. The skewers are too thick for regular scissors to cut and pruning shears are commonly used to cut sticks :)
Essential Oil Reed Diffuser Tutorial
Step 1: You need 20 drops of essential oil for each 1/4 cup of fractionated coconut oil. Use a funnel to add 1 tablespoon alcohol, fractionated coconut oil, and essential oils to the bottle.
Step 2: Gently swirl to mix together, then add the reeds into the bottle. Let the diffuser sticks soak up the oil for one hour, then flip them over so the oil-saturated end is sticking up.
Step 3: Enjoy the aroma, you will occasionally need to flip the reeds to freshen the smell. You will need to replace the reed diffuser oil every 1-2 months if the scent fades, or the oil evaporates.
Reed Diffuser vs Ultrasonic Diffuser
A reed diffuser is not as powerful as an ultrasonic diffuser. Using a reed diffuser for aromatherapy is a form of passive diffusion (evaporation) that offers a gentle scent.
If you are looking for a more intense aroma, you will need an ultrasonic diffuser that will mist the aroma into your space. They require power (plug or USB) in order to work. Learn more about ultrasonic diffusers.
For me, I prefer to use an ultrasonic diffuser daily in my home, but I do have a reed diffuser in my bathroom for a continuous gentle aroma.
Essential Oil Ideas:
- Single essential oil (like spearmint or sweet orange)
- Essential oil blend from your favorite oil company
- Make one of the diffuser recipes shared below
- Create your own oil blend
10 Reed Diffuser Recipe Blends
Using essential oils can be a great way to steer clear of chemical fragrances. There are nearly endless essential oil blends to make a custom reed diffusion, here are some ideas for you to try:
1. Bedtime Blend
- 12 drops of Lavender essential oil (Lavandula angustifolia)
- 8 drops Roman Chamomile oil (Anthemis nobilis)
2. Citrus Fresh
- 10 drops Lemon essential oil (Citrus limon)
- 10 drops Orange essential oil (Citrus sinensis)
3. Spark Creativity
- 7 drops Bergamot (Citrus bergamia)
- 7 drops Lemon Oil (Citrus limon)
- 7 drops Cardamon (Elettaria cardamomum)
4. Calming Blend
- 7 drops Bergamot (Citrus bergamia)
- 7 drops Lavender Oil (Lavandula angustifolia)
- 7 drops Frankincense (Boswellia carterii)
5. Cleansing Blend
- 10 drops Lemon (Citrus limon)
- 10 drops Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis)
6. Citrus Forest
- 6 drops Lemon (Citrus limon)
- 6 drops Orange (Citrus sinensis)
- 8 drops White Fir (Abies alba)
7. Invigorating Blend
- 10 drops Peppermint (Mentha piperita)
- 10 drops Orange (Citrus sinensis)
8. Room Refresher
- 7 drops Orange (Citrus sinensis)
- 7 drops Lime (Citrus aurantifolia)
- 7 drops Peppermint (Mentha piperita)
9. Pumpkin Spice
- 7 drops Clove oil (Eugenia caryophyllata)
- 7 drops Cinnamon oil (Cinnamomum zeylanicum)
- 7 drops Orange oil (Citrus sinensis)
10. Herbal Bouquet
- 12 drops Lavender oil (Lavandula angustifolia)
- 8 drops Rosemary oil (Rosmarinus officinalis)
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