Natural scent diffusers feature thin rattan sticks that soak up scented oil and release the fragrance into the air. You can make your own scent diffuser by mixing dipropylene glycol with fragrance oils. Put the fragrance base into a glass bottle, drop in a handful of diffuser reeds and enjoy your own personalized scent.
Dipropylene Glycol
Dipropylene glycol, which is the greatest part of the scent diffuser base, is a colorless, odorless liquid that acts as a solvent for fragrance oils. This viscous compound requires thinning with artist's alcohol or fragrance alcohol. It is soluble in water, oil and soap base, making it a staple ingredient in perfuming. Dipropylene glycol is also found in cosmetics, shampoos and deodorants. In a reed diffuser, its purpose is to dilute the essential or fragrance oils and allow the solution to soak into the reeds. Look for fragrance-grade dipropylene glycol for best results.
Essential Oils
Essential oils provide the aroma in a scent diffuser. AromaWeb.com suggests choosing an aromatherapy oil to help calm your nerves, such as bergamot or cedarwood for anxiety, lavender or sandalwood for irritability and clary sage or jasmine for stress. Essential oils are highly concentrated and can be dangerous if not used carefully. Some oils can cause sensitization or contact dermatitis if undiluted amounts come into contact with the skin. Not all essential oils are useful for aromatherapy, and less is more when it comes to mixing.
Perfumer's Alcohol
Perfumer's alcohol may be the most difficult ingredient to obtain, but fortunately it is not essential for creating diffuser base. It contains SD40B alcohol, isopropyl myristate and isopropyl alcohol, with the latter being the one usually found in pharmacies. Perfumer's alcohol is a preservative designed for emulsifying products that come into contact with skin, such as lotions. The isopropyl myristate it contains is a light wax that acts as a carrier for fragrance. Alcohol acts as a thinner for the base liquid to allow it to wick up into the reeds more easily.
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