How to make aroma bead diffusers

Aroma beads are a quick and easy way to create a highly fragranced and safe product for your home.  The aroma beads soak up fragrance (without further expansion) and slowly release fragrance over time providing a long lasting product.

Materials Needed

Aroma Beads (around 455gms)
Candle Dye
Candle fragrance or essential oil (20-30%)
Zip lock bag
Aroma Jar

Directions

Start off with 20% fragrance (based on the weight of your beads), and place in the zip lock bag with your beads. (LESS IS BEST when starting out.) You can always add more oil but you can’t take it away. If you use too much oil it will not soak into the beads and you will have to add additional beads.

You can always add more fragrance. You can add up to 30% of oil to your beads. Just be careful not to add too much.

You can add additional oil if you feel the need, however adding more oil is not necessarily going to make the beads smell longer, it will just take longer to absorb. Some fragrance oils absorb faster than others.
If using Essential oils, BE careful. They absorb twice as fast as fragrance oils.

Vanilla based or leather based fragrances WILL take longer to dry.

If you want to use dye add 1 drop of colour into the fragrance oil, swish the colour until mixed. You may add more colour as needed. You may also add additional colour after the beads are dry. This will give the beads a variegated look. Mix the colour well within the oil.

You CANNOT use food colouring or skin safe dye. It will bead up in the oil and come off on your hands or whatever it touches.

Slowly add the fragrance to the ziplock bag. Shake the beads or massage the bag when all has been added to disperse the colour and oil throughout. The beads should be wet throughout.

Vigorously shake or massage the beads in the bag for a minute or two to be sure they are all mixed. Depending on the weight of the fragrance oil, your beads could take from a few hours to a day or two before the beads are complete. If it is not soaking up as fast as you would like, you can add additional beads.

* NOTE: Every time you walk by your beads, pick up the bag and shake them. Essential oils do work differently. DO NOT leave them to stand for very long, as they normally cure very quickly.
Citrus oils will also usually cure quicker. Orange, Lemon and any citrus fragrances can clump. Just break apart with you hands. Citrus cure quickly.

When the beads are done, they should be dry to the touch and the bag should shake clean of beads on the sides. There may be a bit of residue at the bottom, but that is okay. Throw in a few unscented beads and shake. Some heavier oils may take 2-3 days to cure.

Transfer the beads from the bag into your aroma jar.

* NOTE: Cure your beads at least 3-4 days before packaging. The less the time you let them sit, the less time they will keep their smell! Different fragrances will last for different lengths of times just like candles and some will be stronger than other.