What can I diffuse that is safe for my pets and family?
This is a really common question for us and the answer isn’t always quite as clear-cut as it would seem it should be - but we will try to make some sense of it for you here.
First of all, let’s start with the basics. There is a difference between using good quality essential oils, a lower quality essential oil and the fake scents like febreeze or glade. The answers are very different for each of the above types of products. Febreeze and Glade products are a chemical scent and as aromatherapists, we know there are no health benefits to using these products, but they do cover up other odors in your home and they can smell quite lovely. Lower quality essential oils will give you a natural product and some benefit in your home but most of all it is again just a nice scent that you are putting in your home. When we are talking about using good quality essential oils then we need to talk about peoples general health and animals that are going to be in the room that is being diffused. The first question you should be asking yourself is who is going to be in the room while you have the diffuser going, If there are specific health issues or allergies then we would pay attention to the safety data sheets of the oils you plan to use to make sure none of them could cause any distress in the home, also if someone has severe plant allergies you would also want to avoid that particular essential oils as well. If those questions seem like too much work or if you are the type that is going to worry about everyone coming into your home while the diffuser is on then I would just stick with all of the generally regarded as safe oils for diffusion. The general safe oils seem to be safe for most people and most people will enjoy the scent in your home:
Fruits like (Orange, Tangerine, Bergamot, Lemon, Lime, Mandarin)
Florals like (Neroli, Lavender)
Resins like (Frankincense)
Roots like (Ginger)
And others like Patchouli, Petitgrain, Rosewood.
Avoid: High spicy oils in diffusion by themselves like cinnamon, cassia, clove or nutmeg. They can be ok if they are in a blend with other oils and they are a soft background of that blend but the spices by themselves have an effect on the neurological senses and that could be a risky thing in group settings or places with young children or animals.
Use caution when you have people with diabetes in the home, some oils have an effect on blood sugar for example peppermint.
Use caution if you have any pregnant ladies in the room. Stay with the pregnancy safe oils. When you are using the good quality essential oils they can have an effect on the body, so pregnancy is something we always use cautions with.
Some general thoughts about diffusing with animals in the room.
We need to think about if the animals have any health issues as well, for example many animals are now being diagnosed with human like diseases like diabetes & heart issues. Always take the health of the animal into consideration before diffusing in your car or home. If they are relatively healthy then you can use any essential oil you would be using with children in the room.
Dogs and cats are pretty good with diffusion as long as they can leave the room when they feel like they have had enough.
put essential oils in a dogs kennel or on a bandana around their necks, that smell is just too strong for them.
lock them in a room with no window open or way to leave the room with a diffuser going.
put essential oils or essential oil products directly on cats, it can be harmful to them in the long run.
diffuse in a room with birds, rodents or reptiles the oils can be too strong for their little systems.
Diffuser Blends
For your home
Here are some good blends to help you with being able to diffuse in your home on a regular basis.
Usually 3-5 drops will be enough to get a good scent in the home
Relaxing blends for families and visiting guests:
Lavender & Tangerine
Lime & Spearmint
Lime, Lemon, Black Spruce
Destressing oils can be helpful when family gatherings are happening and there could be over anxious people or people who don’t always get along
Bergamot & Neroli
Patchouli & Lemon
Fir & Lime
Try some of Casaroma's amazing blends created by our certified aromatherapists, to help you get started:
Balance- Lavender and Lemon
Blend of the Day- Vanilla, Peppermint & Bergamot
Celtic Mist-Lime and Black Spruce
Cheerful-Vanilla, Orange and Ylang Ylang
Lullaby_-Tangerine & Lavender (Stronger Tangerine Scent)
Relax-Lavender & Tangerine (Stronger Lavender Scent)
Stress Away-Bergamot & Neroli
Walk in the Woods- Black Spruce, Fir & Pine
For more information or to book an appointment with us for your own custom blending, please contact us at:
phone: 902-684-9444 email: info@casaromawellness.com
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