Loved for its sleek, minimal design and handcrafted from quality porcelain, the highly sought-after diffuser by Vitruvi comes with a 1,000+ person waitlist and has—in its own way—become a new avenue of self-care.
Used by the likes of Gwyneth Paltrow and gaining popularity amongst wellness enthusiasts across the globe, the Vitruvi diffuser is hailed for its ability to double as a stunning piece of decor in the home, and of course, offer the many benefits associated with essential oils including stress relief and improved sleep.
“We are incredibly passionate about elevating daily personal care practices and turning them into simple wellness moments throughout the day,’ founder of Vitruvi, Sara Panton, tells Amodrn.
“Using essential oils provides a powerful way to create consistency and much-needed ritual into daily life. The brain loves familiarity and patterns, and these are things we sometimes don’t have during the modern hustle.”
Here, we chat to Sara more about how you can incorporate essential oils into your everyday routine and the do’s and don’ts for all our pregnant mammas out there.
And which one do you recommend to use?
A humidifier is designed to add moisture to the air and provides significant amount of water to the surrounding environment. A diffuser doesn’t heat oil and uses an oscillating plate to create small vibrations. An oil burner, on the other hand, uses a heat source (from a flame) to heat essential oils promoting it to evaporate into the air. The reason that I prefer using a diffuser (more specifically an ultrasonic diffuser) is that you can have it on while you sleep since there is a safety off-switch and no heat is used. It’s safe to have around children and diffuses the oils using oscillations, not heat. Using oscillations also keeps the integrity of the essential oils safe.
How hands-on are you in the process of creating vitruvi’s signature blends?
I’m completely hands on in creating our signature blends. I create the concept and work with our creative lead to form the overall theme and essential oil suggestions to combine together. From there, we work with a perfumist and aromatherapist to ensure the proportions are correct and go through many rounds of versions before we decide on the final product. Designing new products is an incredible process and the time and effort we put into creating an aroma is something I’m very proud of at vitruvi.
How can essential oils become a part of someone’s daily life?
By pairing a specific aroma to a specific activity like studying, working out, or going to sleep, you can create a reminder to take a deep breathe, carve some time out for yourself and fill your cup back up with energy, focus and stamina to do great work. Plus, essential oils have a multitude of uses—from diffusing, to using in beauty products and even creating non-toxic cleaning products.
What essential oil is your favorite and why?
It’s so hard to pick! My favorites are Geranium Essential Oil because it’s floral, yet fresh and slightly minty—I love to use it in a daily face steam by adding 3 drops to a warm face cloth. I also love French Lavender—it’s so multi-purposeful, from acting as a blemish spot treatment, to an evening diffuser oil and even adding a few drops to mascara can help to extend its use.
Which essential oils are safe for pregnancy?
My favorite essential oil blend I recommend diffusing during pregnancy is peppermint essential oil with a little bit of lavender. We recommend diffusing a slightly lighter diffuser aroma using 1-10 drops instead of the normal 15-20 drops. We always recommend you approve all your essential oil choices with your healthcare practitioner.
What essential oils are NOT safe?
We suggest avoiding cinnamon, clove, rosemary and clary sage while pregnant. However, before using any essential oils during pregnancy, we strongly recommend speaking to your doctor or healthcare practitioner.
Why are some oils not safe?
One reason that some essential oils are believed to be unsafe is that they can be stimulating to the uterus and could potentially promote contraction of the uterus. For this reason some oils are believed to be unsafe during pregnancy, and or at specific stages of pregnancy.
Is it safe to use essential oils in a diffuser in the nursery for the baby and what oils do you recommend?
Having essential oils diffused during times that the baby is sleeping can be a really helpful way to help cue baby into natural rhythms. Ultrasonic diffusers, such as vitruvi’s, are a great way to enhance the air and environment of a baby’s nursery, bedroom, or playroom. I recommend using just 1-5 drops in a diffuser (Lavender is my favorite). When diffusing essential oils, especially around children and animals, always ensure that you have a window and door open to offer fresh air.
What about mixing standalone oils for a personal desired scent? Or should we stick with one oil?
I love mixing single origin essential oils together in a diffuser to create a more bespoke sent. Some general guidelines I use for blending:
Floral + Woodsy [example: 5 drops Geranium + 10 drops Cedarwood]
Citrus + Herbal [example: 10 drops Grapefruit + 7 drops Eucalyptus]
