Just put two or three cubes of wax or the scented oils of your choice in the container plate, connect the cable to the outlet, and turn on the heating lamp by touching any part of the lamp itself, you can control the light and the amount of heat you want to apply to your lamp, the light will be directly proportional to the heat released (More light, more heat =more essence released) You should not use this heater for more than 8 hours continuously, giving space for the 35-watt bulb that is responsible for providing heat to cool down, although this bulb is easily replaceable with a similar one g5,3.