Candle Diffusers vs Scenting Clay

How about this for an idea? This is a thick-based candle holder,
but its made entirely from scenting porcelain.
Place, your candle in the middle and scent the
flowers with your favourite essential oils. 

CANDLE DIFFUSERS

Pros

• Diffuses oil farther from point of origin. 
• Diffuses the oil more quickly and strongly; if that's what you want. 

Cons

• It's a fire-hazard and therefore must be constantly attended.
• It cannot be used in a car or windy area.

VS

CLAY/PORCELAIN DIFFUSERS

Pros

• They diffuser slower but longer.
• It maintains the integrity of the oil; if the clay/porcelain is high quality

Cons

• The aroma will not permeate a farther distance from origin.
• The scent propagates slowly. It may take an hour for you to smell it in the room.  

Want to find out about our extensive range of essential oils and handmade porcelain diffusers? Send your enquires to dianne@the littleessentials.com. We will be happy to email you our catalogue.

Why Scenting Porcelain & Not Scenting Clay Is The Way To Go - Part 2

PART 2 - SCENTING PORCELAIN IS BETTER THAN SCENTING CLAY

This is a true-to-life porcelain leaf that
serves as a diffuser on its own,
or you can place a candle on it and
use it as a candle holder/essential oil diffuser.
Click on the picture to send
me an enquiry on how I can
make one for you.

Part 1 (View Part One Here) deals with all the practical reasons of why porcelain is better than clay when it comes to diffusing essential oil aroma molecules into the air. Part 2 deals with art and aesthetics.

1. Porcelain is a stickier kind of clay. As a result, it can hand-moulded into more intricate shapes. Designs may contain thinner and more accurate true-to-life details which may otherwise be lost when utilising common clay. As a result, scenting porcelain pieces can often be mistaken as decoration pieces (which they are as well). We call this functional art.

2. Furthermore, porcelain is a tougher material than clay. This is because the molecules of the material sit closer together, making them a harder material and also the air pockets within the porcelain are smaller making less susceptible to breakage.

(Ever noticed when a clay piece breaks, it breaks completely, while porcelain tends to chip instead of break when it encounters a knock?)

3. Good quality porcelain is bright white. It's not bleached. It is dug up from the earth exactly the colour you see it. It's a brilliant colour! Working with a raw material which has a fantastic natural colour is vital when making diffusers. This is because diffusers are not glazed. They cannot be glazed because they need to be porous enough to absorb and diffuse the essential oils.

Furthermore, to maintain the integrity of the essential oils, the scenting clay or porcelain should not have any chemical additives or dyes. This means that with a good quality diffuser, the raw material is all you see - and porcelain has a much more luxurious finishing than clay.

4. Clay diffusers will also dysfunctionally stain after constant use; even if you use high quality essential oils. This is because clay is too porous. Some essential oils will be trapped deep within the clay and will never be released. This means that :

• Your diffusers will lose its fine aesthetic look after some time.
• Once you pick a scent, you must continue using the same scent on the clay as the retained essential oils will distort the scent and efficacy of any new essential oil you add to it.

Scenting porcelain will never stain if you use genuine essential oils (not fragrance oils). It will throughly release any aroma molecules added to it after 3 - 7 days (depending of aeration on where it is placed). This means that you can use multiple scents on it as the years go by.

5. Finally - it's exclusive. Let's face it, clay has a cheap more rustic finishing. It's not really meant to last and neither can it be considered a family heirloom. Porcelain diffusers are functionally and aesthetically a display art piece which can last a life time. They can be elaborate pieces which will serve to stimulate your visual as well as olfactory systems. 

Please send email enquiries to dianne@thelittleessentials.com

The orchid (large) design is one of our best-sellers. If you are
sending it as a gift, we can accompany it with essential oils with
customised message labels.

Why Scenting Porcelain & NOT Scenting Clay is The Way to Go - PART 1

PART 1 - SCENTING PORCELAIN IS BETTER THAN SCENTING CLAY

Look at what can be done with porcelain.
Porcelain diffusers can be shaped into
 intricate designs because they more robust. 

You've seen scenting clay. They are popular because they are cheap. They are usually small to medium in size and have a light brown to yellowish-white colouring.

So why do I think scenting porcelain is better?

1. The air pockets in baked clay are relatively large (more porous). This means that it can absorb essential oils very quickly, but that also means that it releases scent in a burst instead of at a steady pace. 
     This can lead to: 

• a. headaches; certain scents can be overwhelming
• b. more expensive; you have to use more essential oils to scent a room
• c. time consuming; you have to re-scent more often 

Porcelain, when baked at the correct temperatures will result in a product which is porous enough to absorb the essential oils but small enough to retain it for longer periods of time - this results in a continuous and consistent release rate.

2. When you are using aromatherapy quality (therapeutic grade) essential oils, they are not only expensive but are very potent. They are saturated with active ingredients and only a little is required to have a neurological affect. 

3. Essential oils - by this I mean REAL essential oils and NOT fragrance oils or other synthetic substitutes can be expensive. While citrus oils are generally cheaper, the sort after floral scents like Jasmine, Geranium and Rose Otto can be 'killer' pricey. You really wouldn't want to be splashing these pricey drops about on cheap clay, which absorbs it and wrings it out like a sponge. 

Scenting Porcelain, which is said to be spa quality diffusers, requires fewer drops and you get the aroma and aromatherapy affect for longer.

There is just so much to say, so I'll be posting a PART 2 soon. 

Please add me to your circle to keep updated. 

If you are interested in ordering a custom-designed sculptural porcelain diffuser (like in the picture above) or a flat, disc diffuser, you can send me an email at dianne@thelittleessentials.com.

I have also sent you a link to my website, if you are interested in having a look at what else can be done.   Check Out More Scenting Porcelain Ideas Here