It seems like everyone’s diffusing essential oils these days — for better or for worse.  (I’m in favor of essential oils, but even good things can be used in excess.)  But what do you do when you’re traveling?  The Invigorate diffuser here is specifically designed to be used in a car.

Now, let me start by saying that in the small, enclosed space that is a car, I don’t recommend diffusing “just because” — that is, just to make things smell pretty.  But there are a number of reasons you might want to diffuse essential oils in the car to serve a purpose.  For instance, maybe you recently hauled your garbage to the dump and it leaked, or your wet dog rolled around on the car seats, and now the car needs to be deodorized.

Or, on a long trip, you might want the benefits of oils that help increase alertness or decrease carsickness.

That’s where this product comes in.

The bottom portion (which can be used on its own as a USB port) plugs into your car’s cigarette lighter.  The upper portion plugs into the lower portion.  It (the upper portion) contains a small foam pad that holds the oil.  Rotating the cap exposes more or less of the foam pad, increasing or decreasing the degree of diffusion.

Let’s take a closer look.  Here’s a view from the upper end of the diffuser.  If you look closely, you can see that the cap is rotated so it’s at roughly a 90-degree angle to the foam pad inside.

Here you can see the side of this upper end, rotated to two different positions.

Here I’ve removed the cap so you can see the interior.  The foam pad (the “wick”) is removable.  You’ll place a clean wick inside, then add a drop or a few drops of essential oil to it, then replace the cap before plugging the device into the car.

And then you’re ready to go.

Be sure to diffuse safely in the car, though, by following a couple simple guidelines:

1. Keep in mind the relatively small space of a car.  It isn’t a whole room, and it certainly isn’t open space.  A little goes a long way.  (When we used this diffuser, I found it very strong.  I’d start with just a single drop of oil and then add more if you feel you need it.)
2. Pay attention to everyone who will be in the vehicle, and their needs.  For instance, we did not diffuse peppermint on our most recent trip, even though it would have been beneficial for those who tend to carsickness, because it’s not good for nursing mamas or young babies, and Shoshannah and I were along.  Make sure whatever you diffuse is safe for everybody present.

If you need to, you can “cycle” it: plug it in for a little while, then take it out for a bit and just enjoy what’s already circulating in the air.  After a little while you can plug it back in again.  This is just another way to avoid overloading the car with scent.