Have you ever tried using fragrance lamps in your home? If you enjoy having a clean and fresh environment, or like an aroma of scent in the air, fragrance lamps are great to use. But they’re not only scent-sational, they’re beautifully decorative pieces too and lovely accessories to have out on display.
What are fragrance lamps?
Fragrance lamps are specially designed lamps that release scent into your home. The idea of fragrance lamps has a long history – they were first created back in 1898 as a means to disinfect the air in hospitals – and are now used in homes across the world.
The lamps work using a method called diffusion by catalytic combustion. It sounds technical, but in reality it means that the catalytic burner cleverly traps the molecules in the air that carry odours, purifies the air and then releases scent into it.
All this takes place under the decorative cap that sits on the top of the fragrance lamp, where there’s a special stone or wick. Fragrance is added to the lamp, then the stone wick is lit. After two minutes, the flame is extinguished, the cap can be replaced and the magic will happen! Although the flame is out, the stone wick continues to serve as a heated burner, drawing the oil up through the wick, purifying the air and releasing your choice of scent.
To ensure your fragrance lamp works effectively, you’ll need to use specially designed lamp fragrances – you cannot use essential oils or other diffuser oils with fragrance lamps.
Lamp fragrances are made using distilled water, isopropyl alcohol (the same type of alcohol commonly found in anti-bacterial hand washes) and fragrances. It’s the alcohol component that is essential and ensures the catalytic combustion process works efficiently.
Why use fragrance lamps?
The nature and design of fragrance lamps makes them ideal to use in your home to get rid of cooking and pet odours and to keep the house freshly scented.
Although there is a heated burner element to a fragrance lamp, it is in effect a flameless method so it can be left unattended on a heat proof surface. The heated element is also covered and out of view. If you’re not fond of having lit candles in your home, for example due to pets, then this could be a more practical solution.
Compared to air fresheners and room sprays which just tend to mask odours, fragrance lamps are more effective as they cleanse and purify the air too. Plus, thanks to the stone wick and the diffuser element, the fragrance is released at a slow and steady pace.
What’s more, there are some very nicely produced fragrance lamp designs available, in a variety of colours and designs, so you’re likely to find a design that suits your décor.
You’ll find a wide variety of fragrance oil scents available too, including:
- floral scents such as Peony, Lavender and Water Lily
- natural scents such as Summer Rain and Winter Forest
- fruity scents such as Mandarin and Bergamot and Sweet Orange
- food and drink inspired scents such as Sparkling Prosecco and Pumpkin Latte
- freshening scents such as Fresh Linen, Baby Powder and Citronella and Rosemary.
Some fragrance lamps come in gift sets with fragrances included, or you can buy the lamps and fragrances separately so you can choose your own aromas.
Have you used fragrance lamps? And what’s your favourite scent? We’d love to hear your thoughts, so tell us in the comments below.
Main image photo from Pexels
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