What makes smell the most visceral of all the senses? The scent can transport you back to grandma’s kitchen or enliven your senses of an unspoiled beach with a gentle murmur of waves and a pleasant breeze. This is why buying perfumes is such an impulsive and highly personal activity. You may have a team of experts recommend the most technically perfect perfume, but in the end, you will go with your instincts. Scented candles fall into this class. The scent-filled flicker of a scented candle can be both meditative and escapist.
Candles are a tradition rooted in many cultures and one of life’s little luxuries, but can scented candles really influence our senses about our space? Research studies have shown the important role of scented candles in physical, emotional, and behavioral symptoms of stress, mood, and general mental health. The aromatic scent of candles activates the limbic system in our brain, which includes our memory and emotions. This leads to the production of serotonin and dopamine, which stabilize our mood and influence our emotional state. A drop in serotonin or dopamine can lead to depression.
The health benefits of scented candles
While certain distinctive fragrances can trigger detailed memories that have been linked to them, other scents help improve your mood and overall well-being. The scents of lavender, geranium and mint are widely used to treat various psychological and physiological conditions. While peppermint and spearmint help improve concentration and memory, ylang-ylang evokes a sense of joy and tranquility, and jasmine is widely used to awaken positive feelings. To calm anxiety, lemon, chamomile, rosemary and geranium are your best option.
When it comes to scented candles, there are specific flavors of this beloved home accessory to light up at different times of the year. For spring and summer, the floral scent of rose, eucalyptus, lotus, iris and jasmine will bring freshness to your rooms. During winter, woody sandalwood, incense, patchouli or moor pine candles are perfect for a warm atmosphere while reading a book in bed or on the couch or during an intimate dinner. At this time in the COVID-19 pandemic, citrus scented candles are a great option to lift your spirits and keep a positive outlook.
Reasons for the growing popularity of scented candles
Candles have a strong association with festive occasions like birthday parties or candlelight dinners with someone special. One way to fully enjoy the beauty of candlelight is to turn off the world and focus on yourself in absolute stillness and solitude. Candles are historically associated with religious and spiritual ceremonies around the world. The softness of the flame touches the soul. Candlelight helps some people reach a meditative state more easily than other means. Scented candles have the added benefit of a subtle fragrance that fills the space around them.
You can select scented candles according to your mood and wishes or as part of interior decoration. Therefore, citrus or fresh flowers seem to be ideal for the bathroom, while woody notes are the right choice for the living room. You can try other fragrances by changing them regularly. One thing to keep in mind is the fact that a scented candle gives off its full scent only after an hour, and after three hours, they can start to degrade. Therefore, it makes sense not to leave a candle burning for more than three hours. It is also important not to keep the candle close to heat or leave it in direct sunlight, which softens the wax.
