Diffuser oil, essential oil, aromatherapy oil…..
So many names, so much confusion. Are they all something different or the same name for the same thing?
Typically a diffuser oil is just an essential oil called by another name. There are no special essential oils made just for diffusing. An essential oil can be diffused, used topically, cleaned with, ingested (if recommended) if it is a pure therapeutic grade essential oil.
Essential oils are the naturally occurring oils from the organic material they come from. I.e., Lemon oil comes from the peel of a lemon.
Aromatherapy oils can be a bit trickier. Check the label. Do they contain 100% of the product on the label? Then it is an essential oil. Does it contain a percentage of the oil named on the label? Then it is likely a small portion of an essential oil in a carrier oil. Less potent and having much less of the essential oil, it is not the same. This kind of oil will not work the same in a diffuser either. Carrier oils are often more viscous and dilute the scent and potency of the oil it serves as a carrier for.