How to Use Aromatherapy to Cheer Up—or Calm Down

Although aromatherapy and essential oils have gained mainstream popularity in the last decade, these powerful plant extracts date back to ancient Egypt. Aromatherapy has been used in religious ceremonies for centuries, and in cultures all over the world to support good health. Some research suggests that aromatherapy may help enhance sleep, support mood,and sharpen memory and concentration. One of the easiest and most popular ways to use aromatherapy these days is with a water diffuser.

Add a little bit of tepid water to the diffuser along with a few drops of your favorite essential oil and turn it on to create an aromatic mist that fills the room. With set-it-and-forget-it automatic water sensor functions, most diffusers automatically shut off when the water runs out. And a diffuser doesn’t have to be fancy or expensive to function exactly the way you need it to. We like this low-cost pick because it has two mist settings—intermittent and continuous—so you can keep the good scents going for up to eight hours without a refill.

Are you a newbie to aromatherapy and don’t know where to begin? A combo set of starter oils and a diffuser is a great option. This one comes with 10 different oils including soothing lavender, tea tree and energizing orange—plus a high-quality diffuser with several different ambient light settings and a spa-like wood-grain design.

Some diffusers can do double duty and function as a cool mist humidifier as well as an aromatherapy tool. If you live in a dry climate, or your heating or cooling system dries out the air in your home, adding a little moisture can be a welcome relief to sinuses and skin. We like this humidifier/diffuser combo because it’s compact, but still puts out enough mist to condition the air in a small bedroom or office.

For a real zen moment, some diffusers also offer colorful, soothing light options to their aromatherapy benefits. We love the display on this diffuser, which allows you to choose between seven different LED light colors to suit the mood you’re trying to create.

A pint-size essential oil diffuser like this one fills small spaces with spa-like scents, without taking up too much coveted nightstand or counter space. This one is just over 6 inches tall—about the size of a smartphone—and features a noise eliminating cover ideal for light sleepers.